A new study from the Civic Federation says the effective tax rate on Evanston residential property has increased 42 percent in 10 years.
The study shows that Chicago had the lowest effective tax rate throughout the period and that the Chicago rate increased 38 percent.
But for the 11 suburban Cook County communities included in the study, Evanston’s rate was fifth lowest in 2002 and third lowest by 2011. (That’s for taxes levied in 2011 that were payable in 2012.)
The biggest increase, 108 percent, occurred in Elk Grove Village, followed by an 83 percent increase in Schaumburg. The started the period with rates much lower than Evanston, but ended up with higher rates.
Over the period only three of the suburban communities — Orland Park, Glenview and Barrington — had smaller percentage increases in their effective tax rate than Evanston.
The study is designed to make direct comparisons of property tax rates possible by translating the tax rate on bills into rates that reflect the percentage of the full market value that a property owed in taxes for a given year.
The study uses data from the state department of revenue and county clerk’s offices across the metro area. The figures don’t include the impact of homeowner and other property tax exemptions.
