Lee County, Illinois property tax
The median homeowner in Lee County, Illinois pays $2,980 a year in property tax on a home worth $155,100, an effective rate of 1.92%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.92%, Lee County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. That combination is the usual one. Houses here are worth $155,100 against a national $303,400, and a smaller tax base has to be taxed at a higher percentage to fund the same schools and roads. Whether the state also leans on property tax by choice, as several do in place of an income tax, is a separate question the rate alone cannot answer.
It ranks #42 of 97 Illinois counties by effective rate, against a statewide 2.07%, and #113 nationally. The state runs from 2.68% in Lake County down to 0.82% in Pulaski County.
The median home costs 2.27 times the median household income of $68,459, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 73.26% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. With 34,058 residents, the sample behind these medians is small, and the survey's own margins of error are correspondingly wider.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Lee County | Illinois | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.92% | 2.07% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $2,980 | $5,189 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $155,100 | $250,500 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $853 | $1,227 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $68,459 | $81,702 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.27× | 3.07× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 14.95% | 18.02% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 73.26% | 66.84% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 34,058.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian County | 1.69% | $1,896 | $112,100 |
| Effingham County | 1.51% | $2,713 | $179,800 |
| Fulton County | 2.13% | $2,186 | $102,500 |
| Monroe County | 1.70% | $4,523 | $265,600 |
| Bureau County | 2.07% | $2,522 | $121,900 |
Lee County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Lee County, Illinois?
The effective rate is 1.92% of home value, from a median tax bill of $2,980 against a median home value of $155,100. That is 0.94 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Lee County?
Roughly $7,680 a year at the county effective rate of 1.92%.
Is Lee County expensive compared with the rest of Illinois?
It ranks #42 of 97 Illinois counties by effective property tax rate, and #113 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.15 points below the Illinois average of 2.07%.
What does housing cost in Lee County?
The median home is worth $155,100 and median gross rent is $853 a month. Median household income is $68,459, which puts the home at 2.27 times annual income and rent at 14.95% of it.