Illinois vs Iowa

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

Illinois

Rank #42

Overall Score

60.8

Category Wins

4/10

Iowa

Rank #23

Overall Winner

Overall Score

65.8

Category Wins

5/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

2.07%

Property Tax

1.52%

93.4

Cost of Living

89.3

$9,600

Farm Land $/Acre

$10,400

210 days

Growing Season

175 days

48"

Annual Rainfall

38"

10/10

Soil Quality

10/10

7/10

Safety (Rural)

9/10

3/10

Gun Friendly

8/10

4.2 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.3 hrs

90%

Broadband

87%

Iowa Edges Out Illinois Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 65.8 vs 60.8, Iowa 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: Illinois offers cheaper farmland at $9,600/acre vs $10,400/acre. Illinois has a longer growing season (210 vs 175 days). Iowa has lower property taxes (1.52% 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	Illinois IL	Iowa IA
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	4.95%	3.9%
	8.82%	6.94%
	2.07%	1.52%
	93.4	89.3
Land & Building
	$9,600	$10,400
	Yes (Statewide)	Partial
	Varies	Varies
Climate & Growing
	5a-7a	4b-5b
	210	175
	48"	38"
	10	10
	3	4
	6	6
Water & Energy
	Unrestricted	Unrestricted
	4.2	4.3
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Low	Medium
	3	8
	Strong	Strong
	No	Yes (Farm Sales Only)
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	425	300
	35%	28%
Demographics & Community
	225.7	57.2
	12%	36%
	90%	87%
Business
	#36	#28
	$150/yr	$50/yr
	4.5%	2.8%

Not sure which state is right for you?

Use our free ranking tool to score all 50 states based on your personal priorities — from land prices and taxes to climate and community.

Rank States by Your Priorities