Politics
Property Taxes in Suburban Cook County Continue to Soar Past Rate of Inflation: Report
A row of homes in Chicago’s North Center community. (James Andrews / iStock)
Property taxes in suburban Cook County soared past the rate of inflation in 2025, according to a new report from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.
Homeowners will bear 80% of that increase, as the value of residential properties outpaced commercial real estate values, according to the report from the treasurer’s office.
Taxing agencies — including schools, parks, libraries and cities — sent property tax bills totaling $19.9 billion in 2025, 3.9% more than in 2024, according to a new analysis from Pappas’ research team.
The annual inflation rate in the Chicagoland region was 3.1% in 2025, records show.
Property taxes in Cook County soared at double the rate of inflation between 1995 and 2025, adding $12.9 billion to property owners’ bills, according to the report.
However, the median property tax bill in Chicago rose 2.2%, less than the increase in the cost of living, according to the report.
Chicago homeowners were likely to pay 3.2% more in property taxes, as compared with 2% for commercial property owners, according to the report.
Pappas, who is running for reelection as Cook County treasurer, is also expected to run for Chicago mayor in 2027.
This year’s increase in property taxes was concentrated in the north and northwest suburbs, where voters agreed to hike taxes to cover school, park and library improvements, according to the report.
Pappas said local governments must reduce spending.
“Local governments need to learn to do more with less, particularly in these precarious economic times,” Pappas said in a statement.
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
