River Forest businesses faced a median commercial property tax rate of 5.5% in fiscal year 2025, the 31st-highest among Cook County municipalities, according to BlockShopper.com.
The median rate for the county overall was 2.9% for fiscal year 2025, placing River Forest 2.6 percentage points above that mark.
La Grange Park and River Grove both reported a median rate of 2.9% for the same year within Cook County.
Among 92 Cook County cities, commercial rates ranged from 1.1% in Harwood Heights up to 15.6% in Chicago Heights.
The average commercial property tax rate across 53 major U.S. cities was 1.76% in 2024, based on analysis by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. A property valued at $1 million, plus $200,000 in fixtures, brings an estimated tax bill of $21,060. National rates vary widely, with some cities below 1% and others as high as 4%.
In several states, commercial, industrial, and apartment properties may face higher effective tax rates than residential properties due to classification systems. In certain jurisdictions, businesses are charged rates several times greater than those applied to residential owners. As one example, Charleston’s commercial rate can be about 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 | 7319 North Ave. | 8.2% |
| 2 | 7756 Madison St. | 7.4% |
| 3 | 7354 Central Ave. 106 | 6% |
| 4 | 7355 North Ave. | 4.9% |
| 5 | 7513 Lake St. | 4.4% |
| 6 | 7708 Madison St. | 4.1% |
Note: Some property addresses may not be complete or may be omitted due to constraints in county assessor records.
The data for this article came from BlockShopper.com. Find the source information here.