Illinois vs Kansas

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

Illinois

Rank #42

Overall Score

60.8

Category Wins

4/10

Kansas

Rank #24

Overall Winner

Overall Score

65.4

Category Wins

6/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

2.07%

Property Tax

1.33%

93.4

Cost of Living

88.5

$9,600

Farm Land $/Acre

$2,970

210 days

Growing Season

200 days

48"

Annual Rainfall

42"

10/10

Soil Quality

7/10

Safety (Rural)

9/10

3/10

Gun Friendly

9/10

4.2 hrs

Solar (PSH)

5 hrs

90%

Broadband

82%

Kansas Edges Out Illinois Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 65.4 vs 60.8, Kansas comes out ahead in our balanced analysis — winning 6 out of 10 key categories. But the best state for you depends on what matters most.

Key differences: Kansas offers cheaper farmland at $2,970/acre vs $9,600/acre. Illinois has a longer growing season (210 vs 200 days). Kansas has lower property taxes (1.33% 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	Kansas KS
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	4.95%	5.58%
	8.82%	8.71%
	2.07%	1.33%
	93.4	88.5
Land & Building
	$9,600	$2,970
	Yes (Statewide)	Partial
	Varies	Varies
Climate & Growing
	5a-7a	5b-7a
	210	200
	48"	42"
	10	7
	3	6
	6	8
Water & Energy
	Unrestricted	Unrestricted
	4.2	5
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Low	Low
	3	9
	Strong	Strong
	No	Yes (Farm Sales Only)
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	425	425
	35%	40%
Demographics & Community
	225.7	35.9
	12%	26%
	90%	82%
Business
	#36	#25
	$150/yr	$165/yr
	4.5%	3%

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