Illinois’ cities home to some of country’s highest property tax rates

Illinois is now home to some of the highest property-taxed metro areas in the country.

In all, ATTOM Data Solutions finds Illinois now has 27 of the nation’s top 50 counties for heaviest property tax rates. Rockford ranks as the Midwest’s heaviest taxed metro area with residents forced to pay nearly 2.1% of their home value price in property taxes, or about $4,500 annually.

Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski pointed to all the tax policy now coming out of Springfield as clear and undeniable evidence of the way lawmakers have grown out of touch with the residents they’re charged with being a voice for.

“It just tells me that our Illinois politicians don't care about everyday people,” Dabrowski told The Center Square. “We are paying the highest taxes in the country and there's no excuse for that other than we've got a corrupt government that doesn't care about everyday Illinoisans. We don't have the best services in the country for sure, but we're certainly paying the highest taxes and that's chasing people out.”

Not far behind the Rockford area is the Chicago metro area, where residents pay an effective rate of 1.91%. That equates to an annual property tax bill of almost $7,800.

Dabrowski said the increasingly faulty system leaves everyone paying the price.

“This is making life tough on people because it affects our job creation; it affects our home values; it affects people leaving the state,” he said. “It's making life very difficult in Illinois compared to other states. Our state should be one of the most thriving, successful states in the country, but these property taxes are a big negative and stopping that from happening.”

More and more, Dabrowski said a growing number of residents are all responding in the same way.

“The way residents have been responding is they're not reinvesting in their homes and many of them are leaving the state,” he said. “We've got some of the highest outmigration rates in the country. Losing your people tells you you're not providing opportunity; you're not letting your people prosper. I think the biggest fear is that we could continue to lose good people, wealthy people, taxpayers, entrepreneurs, business starters, hardworking people.”

Peoria placed third with a rate of 1.89%, Champaign-Urbana fourth at 1.88% and the Springfield area sixth at 1.82%.