2 Illinois cities have some of highest property tax burdens in US, report finds
Two Illinois cities have some of the highest property tax burdens in the nation compared to typical incomes, according to a recent report from financial company SmartAsset.
SmartAsset’s “Cities with the Highest and Lowest Property Tax Burdens” for 2025 was published Dec. 4 and put Aurora in seventh place and Elgin in 12th for the highest property tax burdens.
The report found a typical Aurora resident spends 5.83% of their income on property taxes, while the figure is 5.46% for those in Elgin.
Aurora’s median household income for those with a mortgage is $109,738, according to SmartAsset, while median monthly housing costs total $1,996, and median annual property taxes are $6,399.
In Elgin, the median household income for mortgage holders is higher at $120,773, with median monthly housing costs of $2,020 and median annual property taxes of $6,595, SmartAsset reported.
Both Aurora and Elgin have significantly higher median household incomes for mortgage holders than the overall statewide median household income, at $81,702.
Loan company Rocket Mortgage reports Illinois has the second-highest effective property tax rate in the nation, at 2.07%. New Jersey took the top spot, with an effective tax rate of 2.23%, and Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont rounded out the top five.
Many Chicago-area residents will see higher property taxes this year, as reported by WTTW News, and increases in property taxes occur statewide for a number of reasons. Some of the most common reasons for an increased property tax rate include climbing property values in your area, improvements, a correction to a previously too-low property value for your home and a removed homestead exemption, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue.
Qualifying residents can apply for a few different types of property tax relief, including a general homestead exemption, a homestead exemption for those with disabilities, an exemption for veterans with disabilities, a natural disaster exemption and more.
The News-Democrat has contacted city officials with Aurora and Elgin for comment about the SmartAsset analysis.
Top 20 cities with highest tax burdens
Here’s how the top 20 cities with the highest tax burdens compared, according to SmartAsset:
1. Paterson, N.J.: 9.76% of median income spent on property taxes
2. Bridgeport, Conn.: 7.42%
3. Waterbury, Conn.: 7.07%
4. Newark, N.J.: 6.05%
5. Jersey City, N.J.: 6.02%
6. Richmond, Calif.: 6%
7. Aurora, Ill.: 5.83%
8. Allentown, Pa.: 5.62%
9. New Haven, Conn.: 5.57%
10. Stamford, Conn.: 5.51%
11. Hartford, Conn.: 5.5%
12. Elgin, Ill.: 5.46%
13. Oakland, Calif.: 5.36%
14. Edinburg, Texas: 5.32%
15. Georgetown, Texas: 5.21%
16. Conroe, Texas: 5.14%
17. Davie, Fla.: 5.11%
18. Grand Prairie, Texas: 5.08%
19. Ann Arbor, Mich.: 5.05%
20. Hollywood, Fla.: 4.98%
Some of the cities with the lowest property tax burdens include Montgomery, Huntsville and Mobile in Alabama, as well as Tempe, Ariz, and Sunrise Manor, Nev., according to SmartAsset’s report.
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