Putnam County, Illinois property tax
The median homeowner in Putnam County, Illinois pays $2,668 a year in property tax on a home worth $167,800, an effective rate of 1.59%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.59%, Putnam County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. Houses here are worth $167,800, below the national $303,400. Part of any high rate is arithmetic rather than policy: a smaller tax base has to be taxed harder to raise the same money.
It ranks #74 of 97 Illinois counties by effective rate, against a statewide 2.07%, and #264 nationally. The state runs from 2.68% in Lake County down to 0.82% in Pulaski County.
The median home costs 2.16 times the median household income of $77,526, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 80.71% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. This is a small rural county of 5,600 people. Five-year survey estimates for places this size carry wide margins of error, so treat the figures as approximate.
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
| Putnam County | Illinois | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.59% | 2.07% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $2,668 | $5,189 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $167,800 | $250,500 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $804 | $1,227 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $77,526 | $81,702 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.16× | 3.07× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 12.44% | 18.02% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 80.71% | 66.84% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 5,600.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stark County | 1.64% | $1,700 | $103,500 |
| Edwards County | 1.47% | $1,429 | $97,500 |
| Pulaski County | 0.82% | $668 | $81,000 |
| Alexander County | 1.65% | $966 | $58,700 |
| Henderson County | 1.68% | $1,703 | $101,600 |
Putnam County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Putnam County, Illinois?
The effective rate is 1.59% of home value, from a median tax bill of $2,668 against a median home value of $167,800. That is 0.61 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Putnam County?
Roughly $6,360 a year at the county effective rate of 1.59%.
Is Putnam County expensive compared with the rest of Illinois?
It ranks #74 of 97 Illinois counties by effective property tax rate, and #264 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.48 points below the Illinois average of 2.07%.
What does housing cost in Putnam County?
The median home is worth $167,800 and median gross rent is $804 a month. Median household income is $77,526, which puts the home at 2.16 times annual income and rent at 12.44% of it.