Cook County property taxes up $909 million

Cook County property taxes rose by $909 million. Property owners should expect bills in the mail after Nov. 1, which are due Dec. 1

Cook County property tax bills will hit the mail Nov. 1 and are due Dec. 1, just in time for the holidays. The median residential bill went up 7.2% to $4,958.

But the highest increases were in the north and northwest suburbs, where property tax bills increased by 15.7%, the largest increase by percentage in 30 years. In Hanover Park, the median residential property tax bill went up by 19%. In North Lake, a western Chicago suburb, the median residential bill increased by 27%.

Tax bills went up for 81% of property owners countywide, 17% saw their bill drop and 2% saw the same amount on their bill.

One of the reasons for the increase was a state law allowing taxing bodies such as local governments to “recapture” dollars refunded to property owners in appeals. The tax burden shifted to residential property owners after commercial properties, hit by large reassessments in 2019, had their property values cut by nearly 20% during the appeals process.

In total, Cook County property taxes rose by more than $909 million from 16.7 billion to $17.6 billion.

Homeowners represent nearly $600 million of the increase and commercial property owners owe more than $300 million more in property taxes. Of the 940 taxing units in Cook County, 72% raised taxes.

Property owners who want to see their bill before it arrives in the mail or pay it can see it online at cookcountytreasurer.com.