Idaho vs Illinois

Head-to-head homesteading comparison across taxes, land, climate, laws, safety & more

Idaho

Rank #3

Overall Winner

Overall Score

72.0

Category Wins

5/10

Illinois

Rank #42

Overall Score

60.8

Category Wins

5/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

0.63%

Property Tax

2.07%

95.3

Cost of Living

93.4

$4,180

Farm Land $/Acre

$9,600

160 days

Growing Season

210 days

25"

Annual Rainfall

48"

9/10

Soil Quality

10/10

Safety (Rural)

7/10

10/10

Gun Friendly

3/10

4.92 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.2 hrs

82%

Broadband

90%

Idaho Edges Out Illinois Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 72.0 vs 60.8, Idaho comes out ahead in our balanced analysis — winning 5 out of 10 key categories. But the best state for you depends on what matters most.

Key differences: Idaho offers cheaper farmland at $4,180/acre vs $9,600/acre. Illinois has a longer growing season (210 vs 160 days). Idaho has lower property taxes (0.63% vs 2.07%).

Scroll down to the full comparison table for a deep dive into every metric, or use our ranking tool to weight these factors by what matters most to you.

Full Data Comparison

Side-by-side comparison of selected states across homesteading metrics
Data Point	Idaho ID	Illinois IL
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	5.3%	4.95%
	6.02%	8.82%
	0.63%	2.07%
	95.3	93.4
Land & Building
	$4,180	$9,600
	No Statewide Code	Yes (Statewide)
	Yes (Statewide)	Varies
Climate & Growing
	3b-7b	5a-7a
	160	210
	25"	48"
	9	10
	5	3
	1	6
Water & Energy
	Allowed with Limits	Unrestricted
	4.92	4.2
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	None	Low
	10	3
	Strong	Strong
	Yes (Retail Sales)	No
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	237	425
	30%	35%
Demographics & Community
	23.5	225.7
	30%	12%
	82%	90%
Business
	#11	#36
	$100/yr	$150/yr
	2.9%	4.5%

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