29 Lands End Court is for sale for $249,900. It has a tax bill of $6,305, | zillow.com
29 Lands End Court is for sale for $249,900. It has a tax bill of $6,305, | zillow.com
The average City of Chicago homeowner saw a $110 per year increase in their property tax bill last year, according to a report by Cook County Clerk David Orr.
But Chicago property tax bills are still a fraction of what they are in suburban Edwardsville and Glen Carbon.
A comparison of effective property tax rates for the first six months of 2018 found that homeowners in Edwardsville and Glen Carbon are still paying more than one-third more than they would be if their home were within Chicago's city limits.
State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Collinsville)
On a home valued at $250,000, a residential property tax bill would be $5,225 in Edwardsville and $5,852 in Glen Carbon, versus $3,875 in Chicago.
Chicago's effective property tax rate is lower than all 23 northwest suburban communities studied, less than half what it is in Barrington Hills and Bartlett.
$17 billion suburban bailout
The analysis comes amid angst over Illinois property tax bills, which have risen to more than twice the national average over the past two decades, eroding the home equity of longtime suburban Madison and St. Clair County homeowners.
To blame: soaring local government spending, richer pensions, and higher City of Chicago spending, which has been subsidized by suburban taxpayers by way of Springfield.
Last summer, suburban legislators including state Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Collinsville) and state Rep. Jerry Costello II (D-Belleville) helped pass a bailout of Chicago Public Schools (CPS), which were insolvent after blowing their budgets 15 years straight, according to a Chicago City Wire analysis.
The bailout requires suburban and downstate taxpayers to raise property taxes and pay higher income taxes to pay CPS' more than $17 billion debt.
It also diverts money to CPS from northwest suburban school districts, all of which stand to lose according to an analysis of the bill published by the Illinois State Board of Education.
--
How do Madison and St. Clair County property taxes compare to Chicago?
The following table compares Madison and St. Clair County communities based on how much property owners would pay on a $250,000 home. Effective tax rates were calculated using 2018 median sale prices and 2017 median tax bills.
| City | Effective tax rate | Tax bill on $250,000 home |
| Cahokia | 5.45% | $13,621 |
| East St. Louis | 4.53% | $11,314 |
| Centreville | 4.09% | $10,220 |
| East Alton | 4.04% | $10,100 |
| Madison | 3.53% | $8,837 |
| Pontoon Beach | 3.40% | $8,499 |
| Highland | 3.19% | $7,965 |
| Fairmont City | 2.95% | $7,380 |
| New Athens | 2.92% | $7,307 |
| Hamel | 2.92% | $7,295 |
| Bethalto | 2.79% | $6,969 |
| Millstadt | 2.72% | $6,799 |
| Holiday Shores | 2.62% | $6,555 |
| Alhambra | 2.61% | $6,529 |
| Granite City | 2.61% | $6,521 |
| Wood River | 2.60% | $6,506 |
| Troy | 2.55% | $6,371 |
| Hartford | 2.55% | $6,365 |
| Belleville | 2.50% | $6,255 |
| Alton | 2.42% | $6,052 |
| Swansea | 2.40% | $6,006 |
| Caseyville | 2.40% | $5,992 |
| Lebanon | 2.38% | $5,942 |
| O'Fallon | 2.35% | $5,885 |
| Glen Carbon | 2.34% | $5,852 |
| Marissa | 2.34% | $5,844 |
| Freeburg | 2.30% | $5,756 |
| Dupo | 2.27% | $5,676 |
| Smithton | 2.22% | $5,557 |
| Fairview Heights | 2.22% | $5,551 |
| Collinsville | 2.22% | $5,538 |
| Mascoutah | 2.20% | $5,496 |
| South Roxana | 2.10% | $5,253 |
| Moro | 2.10% | $5,239 |
| Edwardsville | 2.09% | $5,225 |
| Godfrey | 2.05% | $5,131 |
| Collinsville | 2.05% | $5,117 |
| Shiloh | 2.03% | $5,086 |
| Maryville | 2.01% | $5,013 |
| Rosewood Heights | 1.97% | $4,915 |
| Worden | 1.96% | $4,908 |
| Cedar Park | 1.88% | $4,704 |
| Mitchell | 1.69% | $4,232 |
| Marine | 1.64% | $4,092 |
| Chicago | 1.55% | $3,875 |
| Roxana | 1.45% | $3,623 |
Source: Blockshopper.com; Madison and St. Clair County Assessment Offices
Alerts Sign-up