General homestead exemption
Reduces equalized assessed value for owner-occupied residences. The dollar amount is set in statute and can differ in Cook County versus the rest of the state.
Illinois Property Tax
Illinois Property Tax Calculator
Estimate Illinois property taxes, compare county effective rates, and see how taxes show up in a monthly mortgage payment. 2026 planning data — not an official tax bill.
Estimated effective state rate
1.88%
Sample tax on a $400,000 home
$7,520
Vs U.S. benchmark (0.90%)
+$3,920
Counties in this dataset
102
In the current NMC dataset, Illinois has an estimated effective property-tax rate of 1.88%, resulting in approximately $7,520 in annual property taxes on a $400,000 home.
How property taxes work in Illinois
Illinois has the highest estimated statewide effective residential property-tax rate in this dataset (about 1.88%). Local governments and school districts rely heavily on the property tax, so the effective rate is high even in counties where home values are moderate.
Assessed value is a fraction of market value set by local assessment practice. Cook County uses classification: residential property is assessed at a lower percentage of market value than many commercial classes. Multipliers (equalization factors) are then applied so assessments can be compared across the state.
Tax rates are expressed as a percentage of equalized assessed value. Homeowner exemptions reduce that taxable base. The combination of a high rate and only partial exemptions is why Illinois dollar bills rank at the top of national comparisons.
Township or county assessors set market value and assessed value. Cook County’s classification system is different from downstate practice. Appeals typically run through the local board of review. Use the county row in the table below rather than 1.88% if you know the county.
Exemptions and relief programs
Senior homestead and senior freeze
Age-qualified owners may receive an extra homestead reduction. The Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze can lock the equalized assessed value when income limits are met.
Veterans and disability
Disabled veterans, returning veterans, and persons with disabilities may qualify for additional exemptions. A standard homestead does not replace those programs.
County and metro context
Cook County / Chicago
The largest owner-occupied market in the state. Classification keeps residential assessment ratios lower than some commercial property, but school and local levies still produce a high effective rate versus the U.S. benchmark.
Collar counties
DuPage, Lake, Will, and Kane often combine high home values with high levies. Compare county rows rather than assuming the Chicago bill.
Official Illinois resource: Illinois Department of Revenue. Estimates on this page are for mortgage and relocation planning.
Illinois county property tax comparison
Median owner-occupied home value and median real-estate tax paid (ACS), with the county effective rate used in our calculator. Showing the 30 largest counties by owner-occupied households; every county is listed below.
| County | Median home value | Median annual tax | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | $324,500 | $6,191 | 1.91% |
| DuPage County | $391,400 | $8,007 | 2.05% |
| Will County | $319,600 | $7,173 | 2.24% |
| Lake County | $345,700 | $8,923 | 2.58% |
| Kane County | $327,000 | $7,382 | 2.26% |
| McHenry County | $308,100 | $7,274 | 2.36% |
| Madison County | $173,000 | $3,319 | 1.92% |
| Winnebago County | $164,500 | $3,930 | 2.39% |
| St. Clair County | $180,300 | $3,665 | 2.03% |
| Sangamon County | $176,300 | $3,512 | 1.99% |
| Peoria County | $158,500 | $3,552 | 2.24% |
| Champaign County | $211,500 | $4,353 | 2.06% |
| McLean County | $208,400 | $4,524 | 2.17% |
| Rock Island County | $150,400 | $3,425 | 2.28% |
| Tazewell County | $167,500 | $3,536 | 2.11% |
| Kendall County | $322,400 | $7,651 | 2.37% |
| LaSalle County | $161,900 | $3,418 | 2.11% |
| Macon County | $127,300 | $2,696 | 2.12% |
| Kankakee County | $192,600 | $4,266 | 2.21% |
| DeKalb County | $243,600 | $5,974 | 2.45% |
| Vermilion County | $97,200 | $1,757 | 1.81% |
| Williamson County | $156,400 | $2,690 | 1.72% |
| Adams County | $162,600 | $2,573 | 1.58% |
| Whiteside County | $127,100 | $2,598 | 2.04% |
| Henry County | $151,600 | $3,016 | 1.99% |
| Boone County | $216,900 | $4,735 | 2.18% |
| Ogle County | $189,200 | $3,889 | 2.06% |
| Grundy County | $271,700 | $5,420 | 1.99% |
| Knox County | $111,900 | $2,190 | 1.96% |
| Macoupin County | $138,200 | $2,073 | 1.50% |
Illinois county directory
Highest property tax rates in Illinois
Among counties currently in the NMC dataset for this state.
- 1. Lake County2.58%
- 2. DeKalb County2.45%
- 3. Stephenson County2.40%
- 4. Winnebago County2.39%
- 5. Kendall County2.37%
Lowest property tax rates in Illinois
Among counties currently in the NMC dataset for this state.
- 1. Hardin County0.96%
- 2. Pulaski County1.02%
- 3. Pope County1.03%
- 4. Lawrence County1.18%
- 5. Johnson County1.24%
Adams County
Estimated effective rate: 1.58%
Alexander County
Estimated effective rate: 1.81%
Bond County
Estimated effective rate: 1.89%
Boone County
Estimated effective rate: 2.18%
Brown County
Estimated effective rate: 1.52%
Bureau County
Estimated effective rate: 2.01%
Calhoun County
Estimated effective rate: 1.39%
Carroll County
Estimated effective rate: 1.99%
Cass County
Estimated effective rate: 2.02%
Champaign County
Estimated effective rate: 2.06%
Christian County
Estimated effective rate: 1.64%
Clark County
Estimated effective rate: 1.56%
Clay County
Estimated effective rate: 1.43%
Clinton County
Estimated effective rate: 1.83%
Coles County
Estimated effective rate: 1.94%
Cook County
Estimated effective rate: 1.91%
Crawford County
Estimated effective rate: 1.49%
Cumberland County
Estimated effective rate: 1.59%
De Witt County
Estimated effective rate: 1.78%
DeKalb County
Estimated effective rate: 2.45%
Douglas County
Estimated effective rate: 1.70%
DuPage County
Estimated effective rate: 2.05%
Edgar County
Estimated effective rate: 1.45%
Edwards County
Estimated effective rate: 1.45%
Effingham County
Estimated effective rate: 1.49%
Fayette County
Estimated effective rate: 1.45%
Ford County
Estimated effective rate: 2.12%
Franklin County
Estimated effective rate: 1.57%
Fulton County
Estimated effective rate: 2.14%
Gallatin County
Estimated effective rate: 1.57%
Greene County
Estimated effective rate: 1.74%
Grundy County
Estimated effective rate: 1.99%
Hamilton County
Estimated effective rate: 1.33%
Hancock County
Estimated effective rate: 1.81%
Hardin County
Estimated effective rate: 0.96%
Henderson County
Estimated effective rate: 1.58%
Henry County
Estimated effective rate: 1.99%
Iroquois County
Estimated effective rate: 1.82%
Jackson County
Estimated effective rate: 1.84%
Jasper County
Estimated effective rate: 1.95%
Jefferson County
Estimated effective rate: 1.70%
Jersey County
Estimated effective rate: 1.76%
Jo Daviess County
Estimated effective rate: 1.72%
Johnson County
Estimated effective rate: 1.24%
Kane County
Estimated effective rate: 2.26%
Kankakee County
Estimated effective rate: 2.21%
Kendall County
Estimated effective rate: 2.37%
Knox County
Estimated effective rate: 1.96%
Lake County
Estimated effective rate: 2.58%
LaSalle County
Estimated effective rate: 2.11%
Lawrence County
Estimated effective rate: 1.18%
Lee County
Estimated effective rate: 1.97%
Livingston County
Estimated effective rate: 2.05%
Logan County
Estimated effective rate: 1.77%
Macon County
Estimated effective rate: 2.12%
Macoupin County
Estimated effective rate: 1.50%
Madison County
Estimated effective rate: 1.92%
Marion County
Estimated effective rate: 1.71%
Marshall County
Estimated effective rate: 1.94%
Mason County
Estimated effective rate: 2.09%
Massac County
Estimated effective rate: 1.40%
McDonough County
Estimated effective rate: 2.13%
McHenry County
Estimated effective rate: 2.36%
McLean County
Estimated effective rate: 2.17%
Menard County
Estimated effective rate: 1.72%
Mercer County
Estimated effective rate: 1.96%
Monroe County
Estimated effective rate: 1.63%
Montgomery County
Estimated effective rate: 1.68%
Morgan County
Estimated effective rate: 1.76%
Moultrie County
Estimated effective rate: 1.80%
Ogle County
Estimated effective rate: 2.06%
Peoria County
Estimated effective rate: 2.24%
Perry County
Estimated effective rate: 1.60%
Piatt County
Estimated effective rate: 1.81%
Pike County
Estimated effective rate: 1.53%
Pope County
Estimated effective rate: 1.03%
Pulaski County
Estimated effective rate: 1.02%
Putnam County
Estimated effective rate: 1.57%
Randolph County
Estimated effective rate: 1.43%
Richland County
Estimated effective rate: 1.58%
Rock Island County
Estimated effective rate: 2.28%
Saline County
Estimated effective rate: 1.69%
Sangamon County
Estimated effective rate: 1.99%
Schuyler County
Estimated effective rate: 1.78%
Scott County
Estimated effective rate: 1.50%
Shelby County
Estimated effective rate: 1.50%
St. Clair County
Estimated effective rate: 2.03%
Stark County
Estimated effective rate: 1.69%
Stephenson County
Estimated effective rate: 2.40%
Tazewell County
Estimated effective rate: 2.11%
Union County
Estimated effective rate: 1.30%
Vermilion County
Estimated effective rate: 1.81%
Wabash County
Estimated effective rate: 1.41%
Warren County
Estimated effective rate: 1.81%
Washington County
Estimated effective rate: 1.87%
Wayne County
Estimated effective rate: 1.49%
White County
Estimated effective rate: 1.34%
Whiteside County
Estimated effective rate: 2.04%
Will County
Estimated effective rate: 2.24%
Williamson County
Estimated effective rate: 1.72%
Winnebago County
Estimated effective rate: 2.39%
Woodford County
Estimated effective rate: 2.13%
Illinois property tax FAQs
Why does Illinois rank #1 for property tax rates?
Effective rate is taxes paid divided by home value. Illinois local governments collect a large share of revenue from the property tax, so that ratio is high even where individual assessments are discounted by homestead exemptions.
Is Cook County taxed the same as downstate Illinois?
No. Cook County uses property classification and a different assessment workflow. Always open the Cook County row (or the calculator with Cook selected) instead of the statewide 1.88% figure.
Related planning resources for Illinois
Illinois property tax calculatorMonthly payment calculator (PITI)Illinois FHA loan limitsCompare loan optionsGet a personalized mortgage estimateNational property tax calculator
FHA limit context in Illinois
Some counties follow standard FHA limits while higher-cost counties may qualify for elevated FHA limits.
FHA 1-unit floor $541,287 · ceiling $1,249,125. Property tax estimates on this page are separate from loan limits.
View Illinois FHA loan limitsNeed the national view?
Return to the national Property Tax Calculator to compare across states and scenarios.
Methodology
Statewide effective rates use 2024 ACS owner-occupied data. County rates are median real-estate taxes paid divided by median owner-occupied home value (ACS 2020–2024 5-year). Last reviewed August 13, 2026. Estimates only — confirm with the local taxing authority.
On a $400,000 home, the U.S. benchmark used for comparison is 0.90% ($3,600 / year).