Illinois vs Vermont

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

Illinois

Rank #42

Overall Score

60.8

Category Wins

6/10

Vermont

Rank #33

Overall Winner

Overall Score

62.9

Category Wins

4/10

Quick Comparison

Winner highlighted per category

2.07%

Property Tax

2.1%

93.4

Cost of Living

117

$9,600

Farm Land $/Acre

$7,500

210 days

Growing Season

130 days

48"

Annual Rainfall

56"

10/10

Soil Quality

6/10

7/10

Safety (Rural)

9/10

3/10

Gun Friendly

7/10

4.2 hrs

Solar (PSH)

3.7 hrs

90%

Broadband

82%

Vermont Edges Out Illinois Overall

With an overall homesteading score of 62.9 vs 60.8, Vermont 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: Vermont offers cheaper farmland at $7,500/acre vs $9,600/acre. Illinois has a longer growing season (210 vs 130 days). Illinois has lower property taxes (2.07% vs 2.1%).

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	Vermont VT
Taxes & Cost
	Yes	Yes
	4.95%	8.75%
	8.82%	6%
	2.07%	2.1%
	93.4	117
Land & Building
	$9,600	$7,500
	Yes (Statewide)	Yes (Statewide)
	Varies	Permitted with local approval; ADU-friendly policies
Climate & Growing
	5a-7a	2b-4b
	210	130
	48"	56"
	10	6
	3	2
	6	1
Water & Energy
	Unrestricted	Permitted
	4.2	3.7
	Yes	Yes
Laws & Freedom
	Low	High
	3	7
	Strong	Very strong
	No	Permitted for raw milk operations with licensing
	Yes	Yes
Safety & Healthcare
	425	155
	35%	28%
Demographics & Community
	225.7	68
	12%	68%
	90%	82%
Business
	#36	#44
	$150/yr	$125/yr
	4.5%	3.1%

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