Illinois vs Massachusetts

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

Illinois

Rank #42

Overall Winner

Overall Score

60.8

Category Wins

6/10

Massachusetts

Rank #47

Overall Score

50.8

Category Wins

4/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

2.07%

Property Tax

1.15%

93.4

Cost of Living

131.6

$9,600

Farm Land $/Acre

$13,500

210 days

Growing Season

200 days

48"

Annual Rainfall

50"

10/10

Soil Quality

5/10

7/10

Safety (Rural)

8/10

3/10

Gun Friendly

1/10

4.2 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.05 hrs

90%

Broadband

95%

Illinois Edges Out Massachusetts Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 60.8 vs 50.8, Illinois 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: Illinois offers cheaper farmland at $9,600/acre vs $13,500/acre. Illinois has a longer growing season (210 vs 200 days). Massachusetts has lower property taxes (1.15% 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	Massachusetts MA
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	4.95%	9%
	8.82%	6.25%
	2.07%	1.15%
	93.4	131.6
Land & Building
	$9,600	$13,500
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
	Varies	No Statewide Code
Climate & Growing
	5a-7a	5b-7a
	210	200
	48"	50"
	10	5
	3	2
	6	1
Water & Energy
	Unrestricted	Unrestricted
	4.2	4.05
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Low	High
	3	1
	Strong	Moderate
	No	Yes (Farm Sales Only)
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	425	327
	35%	15%
Demographics & Community
	225.7	901.2
	12%	8%
	90%	95%
Business
	#36	#34
	$150/yr	$500/yr
	4.5%	3.5%

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