Illinois vs New York
Head-to-head homesteading comparison across taxes, land, climate, laws, safety & more
Overall Score
Category Wins
5/10
NY
Overall Score
Category Wins
4/10
Quick Comparison
Winner highlighted per category
Illinois Edges Out New York Overall
With an overall homesteading score of 60.8 vs 58.6, Illinois 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: New York offers cheaper farmland at $5,200/acre vs $9,600/acre. Illinois has a longer growing season (210 vs 170 days). New York has lower property taxes (1.72% 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 York NY |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & Cost | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
| 4.95% | 10.9% | |
| 8.82% | 8% | |
| 2.07% | 1.72% | |
| 93.4 | 113 | |
| Land & Building | ||
| $9,600 | $5,200 | |
| Yes (Statewide) | Yes (Statewide) | |
| Varies | Zoning dependent; some towns allow with approval | |
| Climate & Growing | ||
| 5a-7a | 3a-7a | |
| 210 | 170 | |
| 48" | 50" | |
| 10 | 7 | |
| 3 | 3 | |
| 6 | 3 | |
| Water & Energy | ||
| Unrestricted | Permitted | |
| 4.2 | 3.9 | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Laws & Freedom | ||
| Low | Moderate-High | |
| 3 | 3 | |
| Strong | Strong | |
| No | Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Safety & Healthcare | ||
| 425 | 389 | |
| 35% | 42% | |
| Demographics & Community | ||
| 225.7 | 423 | |
| 12% | 17% | |
| 90% | 89% | |
| Business | ||
| #36 | #48 | |
| $150/yr | $25/yr | |
| 4.5% | 4% | |
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.
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