Despite Cap, Skokie Property Taxes Among Nation's Most Burdensome

SKOKIE, IL — With more than 28.5 percent of total housing costs going to pay property taxes, Skokie has earned the dubious distinction of having the 14th most burdensome property tax environment in the country, even though the village has kept its share of the tax bill frozen for nearly three decades. A recent SmartAsset report examined property taxes in nearly 600 cities across the country by using Census Bureau data for the median taxes paid and the median cost of housing and ranked Skokie fourth in the state in a comparison of where property tax has the biggest impact on residents' housing costs.

The rankings found 18 of the top 25 cities for property taxes as a percentage of housing costs are located in New Jersey or Illinois – the top two states for property taxes in the nation, with more than double the national average and average effective rates of between 2.2 and 2.3 percent.

The village of Skokie's property tax levy has remained flat since 1990, when it made up 16 percent of the overall property tax bill. After 27 years, that same levy of less than $16 million comprises under 7 percent of the tax bill. But there are more than a dozen different taxing bodies that cover Skokie, and not all of them line up with village boundaries. School districts take up about 68 percent of the average property bill and increase along with the state-mandated limitations or voter referendum.

The average American household pays nearly $2,200 in property taxes annually, according to Census Bureau data. An analysis of 2017 taxes from ATTOM Data found the average property tax paid by Illinois residents was up by 2 percent from the previous year, rising to $4,941.

Skokie residents, on the other hand, paid an average of $6,854 in property taxes, about $500 more than the county average. The average annual cost of housing in the "World's Largest Village" was $24,000, according to the SmartAsset rankings.

Related:

• Illinois Property Taxes Still Among Highest In U.S.: Report
• Illinois Has 2nd Highest Property Taxes In U.S.
• North Suburban Property Tax Bills Will Rise 6.5 Percent

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