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2h ago

Loop Value Drop Triggers Record 16.7% Jump in Chicago Homeowners’ Property Taxes

The treasurer’s report attributes the surge to a tax-base shift from downtown commercial properties that left South and West Side households facing the steepest increases.

Loop buildings in the Chicago skyline are reflected in the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, Sept. 2, 2025, along Federal Plaza. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
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Audrey Pierce, 71, stands by her three-flat in North Lawndale on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. She saw her property tax bill for the building more than double this year. “To put it mildly, I’m very pissed off,” she said. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Overview

  • Treasurer Maria Pappas says the median Chicago homeowner bill rose 16.7% to $4,457, the largest percentage increase in at least three decades.
  • Declining Loop commercial values shifted the burden, with downtown commercial taxes falling by about $129 million and their share dropping to roughly 11% from about 13%.
  • Predominantly Black neighborhoods were hit hardest, including West Garfield Park up about 133%, North Lawndale up about 99%, and Englewood up about 82%.
  • Nearly 1.8 million bills were mailed Nov. 14 and are due Dec. 15, and more than 1.2 million homes countywide saw increases as total levies rose by roughly $872 million.
  • Residents gathered in Lawndale to question TIF-related charges on bills, while the treasurer is promoting online payment plans of up to 13 months beginning Dec. 16.