Best Places to Live in Illinois

Off-grid & homestead laws in Illinois

How Illinois treats the things that matter for living off-grid or homesteading. Scores feed the national rankings; rules often vary by county.

• Building-code freedomOnly energy code statewide; structural adoption home-rule, many rural areas none.ICC / NAHB code-adoption summaries (2026) ↗local-option
• Greywater reuseNo residential greywater provision; treated as wastewater.Greywater Action / EPA REUSExplorer (2026) ↗none
• Rainwater harvestingLegal; Green Infrastructure Act encourages collection.NCSL (2026) ↗unrestricted
• Zoning / land-use freedomEnabling framework only; no state plan; many rural counties unzoned.American Planning Association / Lincoln Institute (2026) ↗local-control
• Water rightsRiparian base; GW permits in restricted areas above 100,000 gpd; domestic exempt.National Agricultural Law Center (2026) ↗regulated-riparian
• Right-to-farm protectionOne-year-established protection.National Agricultural Law Center (2026) ↗moderate
• Cottage-food / home salesNo cap (2022 Home-to-Market); refrigerated w/ cert.Institute for Justice / Forrager (2026) ↗expansive
• Property tax burdenMedian ~1.8% effective rate across 102 counties.Census ACS (county median) (2023) ↗very-high
• Income tax burdenFlat 4.95% (constitutionally flat).Tax Foundation (2026) ↗flat-moderate
• Homestead exemption$6k–$10k off equalized assessed value.Lincoln Institute / state revenue departments (2026) ↗moderate

General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.

All 102 Illinois counties, ranked

1. 1Jasper County75
2. 2Edwards County74
3. 3Wabash County73
4. 4Brown County73
5. 5Clay County73
6. 6Scott County73
7. 7Greene County72
8. 8Hamilton County72
9. 9Pulaski County72
10. 10Wayne County72
11. 11Crawford County72
12. 12Pope County71
13. 13Clark County71
14. 14Alexander County71
15. 15Calhoun County70
16. 16Gallatin County70
17. 17Pike County70
18. 18Johnson County70
19. 19Schuyler County69
20. 20Hardin County69
21. 21Cumberland County69
22. 22White County69
23. 23Bond County69
24. 24Lawrence County69
25. 25Stark County69
26. 26Richland County69
27. 27Henderson County69
28. 28Fayette County69
29. 29Edgar County68
30. 30Massac County68
31. 31Effingham County68
32. 32Hancock County68
33. 33Jersey County68
34. 34Warren County68
35. 35Jefferson County67
36. 36Mercer County67
37. 37Saline County67
38. 38Washington County67
39. 39Union County67
40. 40De Witt County66
41. 41Shelby County66
42. 42Franklin County66
43. 43Mason County66
44. 44Marion County66
45. 45McDonough County65
46. 46Cass County65
47. 47Perry County65
48. 48Ford County65
49. 49Moultrie County64
50. 50Putnam County64
51. 51Douglas County64
52. 52Menard County64
53. 53Piatt County64
54. 54Williamson County64
55. 55Marshall County64
56. 56Montgomery County63
57. 57Adams County63
58. 58Vermilion County63
59. 59Fulton County63
60. 60Jackson County62
61. 61Clinton County62
62. 62Coles County62
63. 63Randolph County61
64. 64Christian County61
65. 65Logan County61
66. 66Iroquois County60
67. 67Monroe County60
68. 68Morgan County60
69. 69Knox County60
70. 70Carroll County60
71. 71Woodford County60
72. 72Henry County59
73. 73Bureau County59
74. 74Livingston County59
75. 75Macon County59
76. 76Macoupin County58
77. 77Lee County58
78. 78Whiteside County58
79. 79Jo Daviess County57
80. 80LaSalle County57
81. 81Champaign County56
82. 82Stephenson County55
83. 83McLean County54
84. 84Sangamon County54
85. 85Boone County54
86. 86Ogle County54
87. 87Kankakee County54
88. 88Grundy County53
89. 89DeKalb County53
90. 90Madison County53
91. 91Tazewell County52
92. 92St. Clair County51
93. 93Peoria County51
94. 94Rock Island County51
95. 95Kendall County46
96. 96Winnebago County45
97. 97McHenry County44
98. 98Will County41
99. 99Kane County40
100. 100Lake County40
101. 101DuPage County38
102. 102Cook County37