What Cook County property tax looks like
Among the 30 counties covered here, Cook County has the 2nd highest effective rate and the 7th highest median bill. Every $100,000 of value carries about $1,983 of tax a year at this rate.
On a $400,000 purchase that comes to roughly $7,932 a year, or $661 a month. Priced at the Illinois average rate instead, the same home would cost $29 a month more in tax.
Cook County reassesses by region on a three-year cycle rather than all at once, and residential property is assessed at 10% of market value; the first installment of a bill is due in the spring and the second in the second half of the year.
Parcel-level values and tax history are published by the Cook County Assessor's Office.
Example monthly payment at the median home value
Borrowing $244,160 against a $305,200 Cook County home (20% down, 6.5% for 30 years, illustrative rather than quoted) works out as follows.
| Component | Per month |
|---|---|
| Principal and interest | $1,543 |
| Property tax | $504 |
| Homeowners insurance | $150 |
| Mortgage insurance (PMI) | $0 |
| Total | $2,198 |
Property tax is 22.9% of the $2,198 total, so a lender escrowing it would set aside about $504 each month toward the Cook County bill.
How reliable this figure is
For Cook County the Census Bureau reports a 90% margin of error of ±$28 on the $6,053 median tax and ±$2,016 on the $305,200 median value, so the 1.983% rate is a county-wide average rather than the rate on any one bill.
These medians describe today's owners, not today's buyers. How Illinois values and caps a home, including what resets on sale, is set out on the Illinois page.
Counties with a similar rate
Frequently asked questions
What is the property tax rate in Cook County, IL?
The effective rate is 1.983%, which is the median real estate tax paid ($6,053) divided by the median home value ($305,200) in the Census Bureau's 2019-2023 estimates.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Cook County?
At this county's effective rate the figure is about $7,932 a year, or $661 a month. That is $29 a month less than the Illinois average rate of 2.07% would give on the same price.
How much of a Cook County monthly mortgage payment is property tax?
On a $305,200 home with 20% down at 6.5% over 30 years, property tax is about $504 of a $2,198 total monthly payment, or 22.9%.
Is property tax in Cook County high compared with the rest of Illinois?
Cook County's 1.983% is 0.09 percentage points below the 2.07% Illinois average, and its $6,053 median bill ranks 7th of the 30 counties covered here, with the rate ranking 2nd.
Source and method
Census American Community Survey, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates, released December 2024. For Cook County: B25103 median tax $6,053, B25077 median value $305,200, B25003 1,198,834 owner-occupied homes. Formulas are on the methodology page; every result is an estimate, not a quote or tax advice.