Illinois vs New Mexico
Head-to-head homesteading comparison across taxes, land, climate, laws, safety & more
IL
Overall Score
Category Wins
6/10
Overall Score
Category Wins
4/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
New Mexico Edges Out Illinois Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 61.1 vs 60.8, New Mexico 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: New Mexico offers cheaper farmland at $1,250/acre vs $9,600/acre. Illinois has a longer growing season (210 vs 200 days). New Mexico has lower property taxes (0.8% 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
| Data Point | Illinois IL | New Mexico NM |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
| 4.95% | 5.9% | |
| 8.82% | 8.09% | |
| 2.07% | 0.8% | |
| 93.4 | 97 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $9,600 | $1,250 | |
| Yes (Statewide) | Yes (Statewide) | |
| Varies | Permitted with local approval; zoning permissive in many areas | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 5a-7a | 4b-10a | |
| 210 | 200 | |
| 48" | 24" | |
| 10 | 5 | |
| 3 | 8 | |
| 6 | 3 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Unrestricted | Permitted | |
| 4.2 | 5.9 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| Low | Minimal | |
| 3 | 8 | |
| Strong | Strong | |
| No | Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 425 | 742 | |
| 35% | 52% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 225.7 | 17 | |
| 12% | 28% | |
| 90% | 75% | |
| Business | ||
| #36 | #34 | |
| $150/yr | $0/yr | |
| 4.5% | 4.3% | |
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