Illinois vs Nebraska

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

Illinois

Rank #42

Overall Score

60.8

Category Wins

4/10

Nebraska

Rank #4

Overall Winner

Overall Score

71.8

Category Wins

5/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

2.07%

Property Tax

0.82%

93.4

Cost of Living

$9,600

Farm Land $/Acre

$2,650

210 days

Growing Season

160 days

48"

Annual Rainfall

32"

10/10

Soil Quality

9/10

7/10

Safety (Rural)

8/10

3/10

Gun Friendly

9/10

4.2 hrs

Solar (PSH)

4.2 hrs

90%

Broadband

86%

Nebraska Edges Out Illinois Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 71.8 vs 60.8, Nebraska 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: Nebraska offers cheaper farmland at $2,650/acre vs $9,600/acre. Illinois has a longer growing season (210 vs 160 days). Nebraska has lower property taxes (0.82% 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	Nebraska NE
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	4.95%	5.2%
	8.82%	6.84%
	2.07%	0.82%
	93.4	93
Land & Building
	$9,600	$2,650
	Yes (Statewide)	No (Local Adoption)
	Varies	Permitted with local zoning approval; state allows inclusion in residential zones
Climate & Growing
	5a-7a	4b-5b
	210	160
	48"	32"
	10	9
	3	5
	6	7
Water & Energy
	Unrestricted	Permitted
	4.2	4.2
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Low	Minimal
	3	9
	Strong	Very strong
	No	On-farm direct sales only
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	425	291
	35%	32%
Demographics & Community
	225.7	24
	12%	30%
	90%	86%
Business
	#36	#18
	$150/yr	$100/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