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Most Cook County homeowners to see taxes rise again
Cook County's total property tax bill has risen for the 32nd consecutive year, with most homeowners and businesses facing increases. The burden continues to shift from commercial to residential properties, particularly in the northern suburbs, while Chicago and the south suburbs also see significant hikes.
Cook County property taxes are going up again for the vast majority of homeowners and business operators, who will finally get their bills next month after another round of delays. Of the 1.8 million bills set to hit mailboxes Sept. 1, about 1.3 million residences and 100,000 businesses will see an increase, according to Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ annual analysis.
The total property tax bill for every city, town, school district and other taxing body across Cook County is more than $19.9 billion — an increase of about $744 million (or 3.9%) compared with last year. It’s the 32nd straight annual increase, according to the report. Nearly all taxing agencies across the county raised their property tax levies this year, the analysis found. About 60% increased them by more than the 3.1% rate of inflation.
Homeowners bear the brunt
Of that new sum, homeowners will pay nearly $600 million, while business properties like offices, factories and big apartment buildings will pay the rest. The burden has been shifting from commercial to residential properties for years, a trend the new analysis says continues. Commercial property values increased by 0.2%, not nearly enough to offset a rise in property values for homeowners, whose bills continued to outpace the 2.7% inflation rate. The tax levy increased by nearly 4% last year.
It’s a continuation of a yearslong trend of the property tax burden shifting from downtown to the city’s neighborhoods, and even suburban residential properties. The COVID-19 pandemic reduced occupancy in many downtown buildings, leading to dips in property values and businesses’ tax bills dropping nearly 20%. In the meantime, residential bills increased more than 16% in the 2021 to 2023 reassessment cycle — and hundreds of thousands of homeowners saw even larger increases.
The share of the tax burden taken on by residential property owners, who were on the hook for about 58% of the tax burden in 2025, has stayed relatively the same since the last round of bills. But residential properties countywide gained 6.84% in value, increasing their tax bills by 5.34%, or a collective $600 million, between 2024 and 2025.
North suburbs see the biggest jumps
The biggest changes will be felt in suburban communities north of North Avenue, whose properties were reassessed in 2025. Growth in home values there “significantly outpaced” those for businesses, the report said, shifting 2% more of the region’s overall tax burden onto homeowners. Unlike the major spike last cycle that saw a historic 15.7% increase in median bills across the northern suburbs, the median tax bill for homeowners there climbed by 6.7% this year to $8,007, per the analysis. For multifamily buildings, the median bill went up by 3.5% to $26,772. The median commercial building bill, meanwhile, dropped by 3.5% to $28,253.
It’s the fifth year in a row the higher tax burden has landed on homeowners compared with business properties. After appeals, the final residential share for homeowners in the north suburbs rose to 64.5% from 62.4% the year before, according to the Tribune. Assessor Fritz Kaegi said the burden shift was dramatic this cycle due to reforms in his office and the Board of Review. Homes in the north suburbs saw the largest spike, nearly 10%, or about a $360 million increase.
Chicago and south suburbs see mixed results
Chicago’s residential properties bore 20% of the total increase, about $120 million. It comes after Black neighborhoods on the South and West sides saw the sharpest increases in their 2024 tax bills. Bridgeport and Logan Square both saw median tax bill increases of $274 each in 2025, while West Town and North Center saw median increases over $350. But the largest median tax bill increases proportionally were seen in Douglas, which saw tax bills jump 6.23%. Uptown and Englewood followed with 5.48% and 5.21% increases respectively.
The south suburbs also saw increases, with taxes rising $177.2 million, or 3.9%, with residential bills up 3.8% and businesses up 4.3%, per the Tribune. Chicago’s overall property taxes rose $196 million, or 2.2%, with homeowner taxes up $120.9 million, or 2.7%, bringing the median homeowner bill to $4,597.
How each outlet told it
Chicago Sun-Times
Framing: Emphasizes the 32nd consecutive year of total property tax billed increase, focusing on the cumulative trend; leaves out the impact on most homeowners specifically. — Analytical and concerned; uses phrases like 'continue to outpace' and 'sharpest increases' but with a neutral tone.
Facts Included:
Total amount of property taxes billed has risen for the 32nd consecutive year.
Commercial property values increased by 0.2%, not enough to offset homeowner value rises.
Tax levy increased by nearly 4% last year.
Trend of tax burden shifting from downtown to neighborhoods and suburban residential properties.
COVID reduced downtown occupancy, leading to business tax bills dropping nearly 20%.
Residential bills increased more than 16% in 2021-2023 reassessment cycle.
Residential property owners on the hook for about 58% of the tax burden in 2025.
Residential properties countywide gained 6.84% in value, increasing bills by 5.34%, or $600 million, between 2024 and 2025.
Chicago's residential properties bore 20% of total increase, about $120 million; Black neighborhoods on South and West sides saw sharpest increases in 2024.
Bridgeport and Logan Square saw median tax bill increases of $274 in 2025; West Town and North Center over $350.
Largest proportional increases: Douglas 6.23%, Uptown 5.48%, Englewood 5.21%.
North suburbs saw largest spike, nearly 10%, about $360 million increase.
South and west suburbs up for reassessment for 2026 cycle, city for 2027.
Unincorporated New Trier Township median tax bill increased 27.8%, more than $7,800.
Prospect Heights and Melrose Park each saw nearly 21% increases, median increase over $1,200.
Businesses in north suburbs saw 20% to 30% median bill increases in unincorporated areas of Niles, Wheeling, Norwood Park townships.
South suburban University Park median decrease of nearly 30%; Ford Heights bills dropped 8%.
Bills set to be sent by Aug. 31 after delay from July; payments due Oct. 1; last year's delay due to computer issue; CPS paid $220,000 interest per day on loans.
Pre-filing open for 2026; Board of Review urged appeals for storm-damaged properties.
Gap between wealthy and low-income homeowners appealing has been partially blamed for lower-income residential bills rising.
Framing: Emphasizes that most Cook County homeowners will see taxes rise again, framing it as a widespread and recurring increase; leaves out the total billed amount and the 32-year streak. — Descriptive and slightly alarmed; uses phrases like 'taxes are going up again' and 'historic 15.7% increase' from prior cycle.
Facts Included:
About 1.3 million residences and 100,000 businesses will see an increase out of 1.8 million bills set to hit mailboxes Sept. 1.
Total property tax bill across Cook County is more than $19.9 billion, an increase of about $744 million (or 3.9%) compared with last year.
It's the 32nd straight annual increase.
About 60% of taxing agencies increased levies by more than the 3.1% rate of inflation.
Homeowners will pay nearly $600 million of the new sum; businesses pay the rest.
Northern suburbs reassessed in 2025, with home values growing faster than businesses, shifting 2% more of the tax burden onto homeowners.
Median tax bill for homeowners in northern suburbs climbed 6.7% to $8,007; multifamily median bill up 3.5% to $26,772; commercial median bill down 3.5% to $28,253.
It's the fifth year in a row the higher tax burden has landed on homeowners compared with business properties.
Assessor Fritz Kaegi has argued commercial properties get too big a break on appeals; this year's numbers show his office and Board of Review are less far apart.
Residential property's share of the tax base is highest since 2019, up 11 percentage points.
There are 419 TIF districts in Cook County, with $1.9 billion in diverted tax dollars in 2025.
Prospect Heights median homeowner bill rose nearly 21% due to voter-approved $21.5 million borrowing and home values up 31%.
Barrington Hills, South Barrington, Inverness, Barrington saw increases after voters approved $64 million bond for Barrington Unit School District 220.
Pappas said governments need to learn to do more with less and taxpayers need to vote.
Chicago's overall taxes rose $196 million, or 2.2%; homeowner taxes up $120.9 million, or 2.7%; median homeowner bill $4,597.
South suburbs taxes increased $177.2 million, or 3.9%; residential bills up 3.8%, businesses up 4.3%.
Final residential share for homeowners in north suburbs rose to 64.5% from 62.4% after appeals.
Kaegi said the burden shift was dramatic this cycle due to reforms in his office and Board of Review.
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimOf the 1.8 million Cook County property tax bills set to hit mailboxes Sept. 1, about 1.3 million residences and 100,000 businesses will see an increase.
ClaimNorthern suburbs of Cook County were reassessed in 2025, with home values growing faster than businesses and shifting 2% more of the tax burden onto homeowners.
ClaimAssessor Fritz Kaegi has argued commercial properties get too big a break on appeals; this year's numbers show his office and the Board of Review are less far apart.
ClaimBarrington Hills, South Barrington, Inverness, and Barrington saw median homeowner bill increases after voters approved a $64 million bond for Barrington Unit School District 220.
ClaimChicago's overall property taxes rose $196 million, or 2.2%; homeowner taxes went up $120.9 million, or 2.7%; the median homeowner bill is $4,597.
ClaimAssessor Fritz Kaegi said the burden shift between home and business owners was dramatic this cycle due to reforms in his office and the Board of Review.
ClaimResidential properties countywide gained 6.84% in value, increasing their tax bills by 5.34%, or a collective $600 million, between 2024 and 2025.
ClaimLast year's four-month delay in sending bills was due to a computer issue; Chicago Public Schools paid $220,000 in interest per day on short-term loans.
ClaimPre-filing is open for 2026 tax bills, and the Cook County Board of Review urged residents to start appeals, especially for storm-damaged properties.