Northlake’s commercial property owners faced a median property tax rate of 2.5% in fiscal year 2025, placing the city 14th lowest in Cook County, BlockShopper.com reports.
The countywide median for the same period was 2.9%, making Northlake’s median rate 0.4 percentage points below the county figure.
Cicero also reported a 2.9% median commercial property tax rate in Cook County during that year.
Across the 92 Cook County cities, commercial property tax rates varied, with Harwood Heights at the low end with 1.1% and Chicago Heights at the top with 15.6%.
Commercial property tax rates averaged 1.76% in 53 major U.S. cities in 2024, according to the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. The report says that a property valued at $1 million, including $200,000 in fixtures, would pay approximately $21,060 in annual property taxes. Rates among those cities ranged from just under 1% to as high as 4%.
Many states have classification systems that often apply higher effective property tax rates to commercial, industrial, and apartment properties than residential ones. In certain areas, businesses are subject to rates several times those for residential properties. For instance, Charleston has a commercial tax rate approximately six times higher than its residential rate.
| Rank | City | Tax Rate % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago Heights | 15.6% |
| 2 | Stone Park | 12.7% |
| 3 | Calumet Park | 9.9% |
| 4 | Hazel Crest | 9.1% |
| 5 | Homewood | 9% |
| 5 | Lynwood | 9% |
| 7 | Wheeling | 8.8% |
| 8 | Hoffman Estates | 8.5% |
| 9 | Matteson | 8.3% |
| 10 | Oak Forest | 8.1% |
| 11 | Barrington | 7.8% |
| 12 | Dolton | 7.7% |
| 13 | Justice | 7.5% |
| 14 | Palos Heights | 7.4% |
| 15 | Lansing | 7.3% |
| 16 | Prospect Heights | 7% |
| 17 | South Holland | 6.9% |
| 17 | Elgin | 6.9% |
| 19 | Alsip | 6.8% |
| 19 | Orland Park | 6.8% |
| 21 | Bellwood | 6.5% |
| 22 | Franklin Park | 6.4% |
| 23 | Palos Hills | 6.3% |
| 23 | Buffalo Grove | 6.3% |
| 25 | Palatine | 6.1% |
| 25 | Westchester | 6.1% |
| 27 | Mount Prospect | 5.7% |
| 28 | Northfield | 5.6% |
| 28 | Schaumburg | 5.6% |
| 28 | Elmwood Park | 5.6% |
| 31 | La Grange Park | 5.5% |
| 31 | River Grove | 5.5% |
| 31 | River Forest | 5.5% |
| 34 | Niles | 5.3% |
| 34 | Hanover Park | 5.3% |
| 34 | Calumet City | 5.3% |
| 37 | Roselle | 5.2% |
| 37 | Western Springs | 5.2% |
| 39 | Rolling Meadows | 4.9% |
| 40 | South Barrington | 4.8% |
| 41 | Berwyn | 4.7% |
| 41 | Streamwood | 4.7% |
| 41 | Glencoe | 4.7% |
| 41 | Park Ridge | 4.7% |
| 45 | Summit | 4.6% |
| 46 | Harvey | 4.5% |
| 46 | Broadview | 4.5% |
| 48 | Midlothian | 4.4% |
| 48 | Maywood | 4.4% |
| 50 | Brookfield | 4.3% |
| 50 | Worth | 4.3% |
| 52 | Wilmette | 4.2% |
| 52 | Countryside | 4.2% |
| 54 | Crestwood | 4.1% |
| 54 | Skokie | 4.1% |
| 54 | Schiller Park | 4.1% |
| 57 | Bartlett | 4% |
| 57 | Des Plaines | 4% |
| 59 | Lincolnwood | 3.9% |
| 59 | La Grange | 3.9% |
| 61 | Lemont | 3.8% |
| 62 | Northbrook | 3.7% |
| 63 | Morton Grove | 3.6% |
| 63 | Elk Grove Village | 3.6% |
| 63 | Glenview | 3.6% |
| 66 | Tinley Park | 3.5% |
| 66 | Bridgeview | 3.5% |
| 68 | Arlington Heights | 3.4% |
| 68 | Oak Lawn | 3.4% |
| 70 | Blue Island | 3.3% |
| 71 | Winnetka | 3.1% |
| 72 | Oak Park | 2.9% |
| 73 | Hickory Hills | 2.8% |
| 73 | Melrose Park | 2.8% |
| 73 | Lyons | 2.8% |
| 76 | Norridge | 2.7% |
| 76 | Berkeley | 2.7% |
| 78 | Cicero | 2.5% |
| 78 | Northlake | 2.5% |
| 80 | Hillside | 2.4% |
| 80 | Glenwood | 2.4% |
| 82 | Chicago Ridge | 2.3% |
| 83 | Evergreen Park | 2.2% |
| 84 | North Riverside | 2.1% |
| 84 | Markham | 2.1% |
| 84 | Chicago | 2.1% |
| 87 | Evanston | 2% |
| 88 | Forest Park | 1.9% |
| 88 | Posen | 1.9% |
| 90 | Willow Springs | 1.3% |
| 91 | Burbank | 1.1% |
| 91 | Harwood Heights | 1.1% |
| Rank | Address | Tax Rate % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 220 W. North Ave. | 4.7% |
| 2 | 60 E Lake St. | 3.1% |
| 3 | 144 E. North Ave. | 1.9% |
| 4 | 385 E. North Ave. | 1.2% |
Note: Some property addresses may be incomplete or missing due to limitations in county assessor data.
The information in this report comes from BlockShopper.com. Source data can be accessed here.