Analysis finds Cook County homeowners are struggling to pay property tax bills

New data show homeowners in Cook County are struggling to pay their property tax bills, after those bills jumped by record amounts in some cases.

According to a new analysis from the Cook County Treasurer's office, collection rates in the south Chicago suburb of Riverdale fell by 11.2%, while in the West Side Chicago community of West Garfield Park, where bills more than doubled, collections were down 4.1%. In the neighboring North Lawndale community, collections fell by 3.3%. 

About 10% of homeowners in areas with high tax increases paid only part of their tax bill, data show.

An earlier Cook County Treasurer's office study found nearly $2 billion in property taxes shifted from county businesses to the lowest-income homeowners over just three years.

The study released in May of last year found property tax assessment appeals submitted by businesses in Cook County caused their collective tax bill to drop by $3.3 billion, while residential tax bills went up $1.9 billion.

The 2025 study also found the additional tax burden on homeowners fell mainly on low-income Black and Latino homeowners who make less than $50,000 a year, who contested their assessed values at a much lower rate than wealthier white homeowners.