Bolthole Index

Bolthole Index · Illinois

Best Places to Live in Illinois

Every Illinois county scored on the Bolthole Index for seclusion, self-sufficiency, administrative boringness, durability, property autonomy, and carry cost. Brown County leads at 82/100. Use the rankings to compare counties by score, factor strength, and local constraints.

Nationally, Illinois ranks #18 for homesteading and #30 for off-grid living.

Home
Illinois
0 counties

Loading Illinois…

Tap a county to see its score

LowHigh

Counties by Index Score

    Off-grid & homestead laws in Illinois

    How Illinois treats the things that matter for living off-grid or homesteading. State law also feeds each county’s admin, autonomy, and carry factors; rules often vary by county.

    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. 1Brown County82
    2. 2Schuyler County81
    3. 3Crawford County76
    4. 4Wayne County75
    5. 5Clark County75
    6. 6Clay County75
    7. 7Richland County72
    8. 8Fulton County72
    9. 9Gallatin County71
    10. 10Greene County71
    11. 11Hancock County71
    12. 12Effingham County70
    13. 13White County70
    14. 14Hardin County70
    15. 15Calhoun County70
    16. 16Hamilton County69
    17. 17Henderson County68
    18. 18Marion County68
    19. 19McDonough County68
    20. 20Pope County68
    21. 21Saline County68
    22. 22Adams County68
    23. 23Jasper County67
    24. 24Wabash County67
    25. 25Jefferson County67
    26. 26Cumberland County67
    27. 27Johnson County67
    28. 28Fayette County66
    29. 29Jackson County65
    30. 30Macoupin County65
    31. 31Massac County64
    32. 32Coles County64
    33. 33Pulaski County64
    34. 34Edwards County64
    35. 35Mercer County63
    36. 36Mason County63
    37. 37Morgan County63
    38. 38Pike County63
    39. 39Union County63
    40. 40Franklin County62
    41. 41Clinton County62
    42. 42Alexander County62
    43. 43Monroe County62
    44. 44Cass County62
    45. 45Vermilion County61
    46. 46Jo Daviess County61
    47. 47Carroll County61
    48. 48Williamson County61
    49. 49Randolph County60
    50. 50Knox County59
    51. 51Edgar County59
    52. 52Perry County59
    53. 53Lawrence County59
    54. 54Shelby County59
    55. 55Montgomery County58
    56. 56Menard County58
    57. 57Bond County57
    58. 58Woodford County56
    59. 59Peoria County54
    60. 60Warren County54
    61. 61Washington County54
    62. 62Jersey County53
    63. 63Scott County53
    64. 64Rock Island County52
    65. 65Putnam County52
    66. 66Marshall County52
    67. 67Ogle County50
    68. 68Sangamon County48
    69. 69Madison County48
    70. 70Moultrie County47
    71. 71Christian County47
    72. 72Bureau County47
    73. 73Tazewell County47
    74. 74Piatt County46
    75. 75Champaign County46
    76. 76McLean County45
    77. 77Macon County45
    78. 78Stephenson County45
    79. 79LaSalle County44
    80. 80Douglas County44
    81. 81De Witt County43
    82. 82Iroquois County43
    83. 83Stark County43
    84. 84Whiteside County42
    85. 85Livingston County42
    86. 86Logan County41
    87. 87Lee County40
    88. 88St. Clair County39
    89. 89Henry County39
    90. 90Winnebago County39
    91. 91Grundy County39
    92. 92Ford County35
    93. 93Kankakee County34
    94. 94DuPage County33
    95. 95DeKalb County32
    96. 96McHenry County30
    97. 97Lake County30
    98. 98Will County29
    99. 99Cook County28
    100. 100Kendall County27
    101. 101Kane County26
    102. 102Boone County21

    ← All states