Property Tax in Tazewell County, Illinois
The median real estate tax bill in Tazewell County, Illinois is $3,481 per year, and the median home is worth $164,500. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Tazewell County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Tazewell County pay more than $3,481, and half pay less. Your own bill is set by your home's assessed value, the exemptions you qualify for, and the local taxing districts your property sits in — so individual bills vary widely around the median.
Dividing the median tax by the median home value gives a derived effective rate of 2.12% for Tazewell County. It is an estimate built from two survey medians, not the county's official rate, but it is a fair way to compare the local tax burden with other counties where home values are very different.
The key figures for Tazewell County
| Measure | Tazewell County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $3,481 |
| Median home value | $164,500 |
| Derived effective rate* | 2.12% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $290 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $2,116 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $8,464 |
For context, the Illinois medians are $5,189 of tax on $250,500 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Tazewell County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Illinois: #19 of 102 counties
- Median home value rank in Illinois: #29 of 102
- Population rank in Illinois: #16 of 102 (130,555 residents)
- Population density rank: #15 of 102 (202 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Illinois: #29 of 102 (646 sq mi, 1.2% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $290; per $1,000 of home value: $2.12
How Tazewell County compares
Set against its state, Tazewell County's median bill of $3,481 is about 33% lower than the Illinois median ($5,189). Against the country as a whole it is about 17% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #19 of 102 Illinois counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Tazewell County's median home, at $164,500, ranks #29 by value in Illinois, while its derived rate of 2.12% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Tazewell County: the median bill works out to about $290 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $2,116 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 130,555 people — the #16 most populous county in Illinois, spread over 646 square miles, a density of about 202 people per square mile. Its median home value, $164,500, ranks #29 among the state's 102 counties with data.
Nationally, Tazewell County's median bill of $3,481 ranks #317 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 10% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 1.0% of Illinois's population, its median home value is about 34% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 21.16% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Tazewell County to the most expensive county, Lake County ($8,743), is $5,262 a year.
Counties nearest Tazewell County in the Illinois ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ogle County, IL | $3,737 | $184,100 | 2.03% |
| St. Clair County, IL | $3,533 | $168,800 | 2.09% |
| Peoria County, IL | $3,416 | $152,600 | 2.24% |
| Jo Daviess County, IL | $3,383 | $193,900 | 1.75% |
Tazewell County and its population peers
For a like-for-like sense of scale, compare Tazewell County with its national population peers: the counties nearest to its 130,555 residents, listed in the table below with their own Census medians. Of the 9 counties in that group, Tazewell County's median bill of $3,481 is #4 of 9.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood County, OH | 131,795 | $2,911 | $214,400 | 1.36% |
| Strafford County, NH | 131,743 | $6,582 | $332,400 | 1.98% |
| Madison County, IN | 130,949 | $1,128 | $147,700 | 0.76% |
| Black Hawk County, IA | 130,693 | $2,790 | $182,400 | 1.53% |
| Skagit County, WA | 130,407 | $4,008 | $486,200 | 0.82% |
| Washington County, RI | 130,073 | $4,954 | $469,800 | 1.05% |
| Wichita County, TX | 129,842 | $2,501 | $141,600 | 1.77% |
| Linn County, OR | 129,794 | $3,130 | $344,600 | 0.91% |
The closest population match is Black Hawk County, Iowa (130,693 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $2,790 on a median home value of $182,400 — $691 more than Tazewell County pays.
Tazewell County's nearest population neighbours within Illinois are Rock Island County (142,995 residents, median tax $3,372 on a median value of $144,700); Kendall County (135,053 residents, median tax $7,556 on a median value of $298,900); LaSalle County (109,049 residents, median tax $3,336 on a median value of $154,900); Kankakee County (106,833 residents, median tax $4,125 on a median value of $185,700). Comparing them is a reminder that even inside one state's rules, the bill follows local home values and local district rates more than anything decided at the state level.
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 2.12%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $2,116 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $8,464. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Illustrative bills in Tazewell County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 2.12% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Tazewell County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 2.07% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $3,174 | $264 |
| $250,000 | $5,290 | $441 |
| $350,000 | $7,406 | $617 |
| $500,000 | $10,580 | $882 |
| $750,000 | $15,870 | $1,322 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in Tazewell County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Tazewell County assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Tazewell County, Illinois?
The median real estate tax paid in Tazewell County, Illinois is $3,481 per year, on a median home value of $164,500 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Tazewell County, Illinois?
Dividing Tazewell County's median tax bill ($3,481) by its median home value ($164,500) gives a derived effective rate of 2.12%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Tazewell County compare with the rest of Illinois?
Tazewell County ranks #19 of 102 Illinois counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $3,481 is about 33% lower than the Illinois median of $5,189.
How are property taxes calculated in Tazewell County, Illinois?
Three steps produce the bill: an assessment of market value by the local assessor, a reduction for exemptions you qualify for (a homestead exemption is the common one), and multiplication by the combined rates of the county, municipality, school district and any special districts covering the property. The median result in Tazewell County is $3,481 of tax on a $164,500 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Tazewell County, Illinois?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Tazewell County assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.