Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner


Illinois lawmakers refuse to do anything about the state’s punitive property taxes, so Illinoisans continue to get crushed. Not only with the taxes, but with stagnant home values. Many Illinoisans are being squeezed out of their homes and forced to move elsewhere.

A recent analysis by SmartAsset, a consumer-focused financial information company, finds that six of the top 20 cities with the highest real estate taxes in the nation are located in Illinois, including the top two spots. SmartAsset analyzed the 342 cities across the country with populations greater than 100,000.

Peoria, Illinois led the entire country with the highest effective property tax rate in 2023 at 2.64%. The median tax bill there was $4,455 a year. Rockford came in second, at 2.46% and a median tax bill of $3,452. For contrast, the average tax rate across the 342 cities, weighted by aggregate real estate taxes paid, was 1.04%,

The SmartAsset data corroborates what ATTOM, another real estate data firm, found last year: that Illinoisans pay the nation’s highest property taxes.

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