Taxes

Illinois senior property tax exemptions: homestead, senior and freeze

What each Illinois senior property tax exemption is worth in Cook County and elsewhere, who qualifies at 65, and what you have to file each year to keep it.

By Joshua Mangoubi, CFA, MBAPublished November 20266 min read

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The short answer

An Illinois senior property tax exemption lowers the assessed value your property tax is figured on, not the bill itself. A homeowner 65 or older can generally claim the general homestead exemption and the senior citizens homestead exemption. A household with income of $75,000 or less for tax year 2026 can also apply for the senior freeze.

On this page

If you own your home in Illinois and you are 65 or older, you can generally claim an Illinois senior property tax exemption, and often more than one. Three exemptions cover most retired homeowners. The general homestead exemption is for anyone who lives in a home they own. The senior citizens homestead exemption is added at 65. The senior freeze is for households with income at or under a limit. Each one lowers the assessed value your tax is figured on. None of them takes a set number of dollars off your bill, so the same exemption is worth more in a town with a high tax rate than in a town with a low one.¹

This page explains what each exemption is, how much it takes off in Cook County and in the rest of Illinois, what that is worth in dollars, and what you have to file to keep it. Our Illinois senior property tax exemptions calculator shows which ones may apply to you and what each would save at the rate on your own bill. The statute sections and the arithmetic are in the detailed version below. Your county's assessment office decides every application, and nothing on this page is legal or tax advice.

What is the homestead exemption in Illinois?

The general homestead exemption is for a home that you own and live in as your main residence. It has no age test, so you may already have it. It lowers your home's equalized assessed value by up to $10,000 in Cook County, $8,000 in the counties that touch Cook, and $6,000 in the rest of Illinois.¹

Equalized assessed value is the figure on your tax bill that the tax rate is applied to. It is generally about a third of what the home would sell for.² The counties that touch Cook are DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will.

What is the senior citizens homestead exemption in Illinois?

The senior citizens homestead exemption is for a homeowner who is 65 or older. It is added to the general homestead exemption. It takes up to another $8,000 off the equalized assessed value in Cook County and the counties that touch it, and up to $5,000 in the rest of Illinois.³

The person who is 65 has to live in the home, be an owner of it or have a legal interest in it, and be responsible for the tax.³

The two exemptions most homeowners 65 or older receive

General homestead

Cook County: $10,000
Counties that touch Cook: $8,000
Rest of Illinois: $6,000

Senior citizens homestead

Cook County: $8,000
Counties that touch Cook: $8,000
Rest of Illinois: $5,000

Both, at 65 or older

Cook County: $18,000
Counties that touch Cook: $16,000
Rest of Illinois: $11,000

The most each exemption takes off a home's equalized assessed value, by county, under the Illinois Property Tax Code. The senior freeze is a separate exemption with an income test. Source: note 3.

What is the senior freeze in Illinois?

The senior freeze is the short name for the low-income senior citizens assessment freeze homestead exemption. It is for a homeowner who is 65 or older and whose total household income is at or under a limit. The limit is $75,000 for tax year 2026. It was $65,000 through tax year 2025. It rises to $77,000 for tax year 2027 and to $79,000 for tax year 2028 and after.⁴

The freeze holds your home's equalized assessed value at the level of a base year, which is generally the year before you first qualified. If your home is assessed higher than that, the amount above the base-year value is exempt.⁴

The freeze holds your assessed value, not your bill.

The freeze holds your assessed value, not your bill.

Your bill can still go up if the tax rates in your town go up, or if you add to the house.⁴

You have to apply for the freeze every year, because it depends on your income each year.⁴ The income test counts everyone who lives in the home, and it includes Social Security. The income counted is generally from the calendar year before the tax year. Cook County's current application, for example, asks about household income in calendar year 2024.⁵

A tax year's bill is paid the following year. The $75,000 limit for tax year 2026 applies to bills paid in 2027.⁴

How much does a senior property tax exemption save?

An exemption saves its amount times your local tax rate. The rate is on your bill, and it differs from town to town.

Here is a hypothetical example. Suppose you are 70 and own your home in Cook County. Its equalized assessed value is $60,000 this year. Your household income is $50,000. Your value was frozen at $50,000 in your base year, and the local tax rate is 8%. With no exemptions, the tax would be $60,000 times 8%, which is $4,800.⁶

The three exemptions in the example

General homestead

Taken off the assessed value: $10,000
Saved at an 8% rate: $800

Senior citizens homestead

Taken off the assessed value: $8,000
Saved at an 8% rate: $640

Senior freeze

Taken off the assessed value: $10,000
Saved at an 8% rate: $800

All three

Taken off the assessed value: $28,000
Saved at an 8% rate: $2,240

A hypothetical Cook County homeowner, age 70, with an equalized assessed value of $60,000, a base-year value of $50,000, household income of $50,000 and a local tax rate of 8%. Figures from the engine behind our calculator, for illustration only. Source: note 6.

In the example, the three exemptions take $28,000 off the assessed value and lower your bill from $4,800 to $2,560. The freeze is worth $800 because your assessed value has grown by $10,000 since your base year. It saves more as the assessed value grows above the base year.

The same home in a county that touches Cook, with no freeze, would have $16,000 taken off, which is $1,280 at the same rate. In the rest of Illinois it would have $11,000 taken off, which is $880.⁶ Tax rates differ by town, so use the rate on your own bill.

What is the Cook County senior exemption?

Cook County calls the general homestead exemption the Homeowner Exemption, and it calls the senior citizens homestead exemption the Senior Exemption. The amounts are the ones above: up to $10,000 and up to $8,000 off the equalized assessed value.¹³

The Cook County Assessor says that both renew automatically each year once they are applied to your home. The Assessor's page currently says the Senior Exemption is for homeowners born in 1960 or earlier, so the year you turn 65 counts.⁷

The Cook County senior freeze does not renew automatically. You file for it every year.⁵ The exemptions appear on the second installment tax bill.⁷

If you missed an exemption in an earlier year, Cook County lets you apply for a certificate of error to ask for that year's saving back. Its page currently lists tax years 2022 through 2025.⁸

What is the senior exemption in DuPage and the other collar counties?

In DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties, the general homestead exemption is up to $8,000 and the senior citizens homestead exemption is up to $8,000.¹³ The senior freeze has the same rules and the same income limit in every county.⁴

The paperwork differs. The state says the filing requirements for the senior exemption vary by county. Some counties ask for one application, and some ask you to confirm your status every year.⁹ The office to ask is your county's chief county assessment office.

In the rest of Illinois, the general homestead exemption is up to $6,000 and the senior citizens homestead exemption is up to $5,000.¹³

What happens if you move?

The exemptions belong to a home you own and live in, so they do not follow you. If you move, you apply again for the new home, in the new county if it is a different one.¹³ A freeze on a new home generally starts from a new base year, because the base year is set when you first qualify on that property.⁴

The Property Tax Code also has rules for a surviving spouse, and this page does not cover them. If your spouse dies, ask the county assessment office what it needs from you before the next filing date.

What is the senior citizens real estate tax deferral?

The deferral is a different program. It delays the tax and does not reduce it. If you are 65 or older and meet its income and other tests, you can put off all or part of the property tax on your home. The state pays the tax and files a lien on the home. The deferred tax, with interest, is repaid when the home is sold or transferred, and within one year after your death. The most that can be deferred is 80 percent of your equity in the home. You apply through your county treasurer's office.¹⁰

What goes wrong with the senior exemptions?

These are the mistakes we see most often.

People turn 65 and never apply for the senior exemption, because they assume the county adds it by itself.

People get the senior freeze once and do not file again the next year, and the freeze drops off the bill.

People believe the freeze fixes their tax bill, and are surprised when the bill rises with the tax rate.

People leave Social Security out when they add up household income for the freeze, and learn later that they were over the limit.

People who were over the old $65,000 limit do not look again now that it is $75,000.

People move to a smaller home in another county and do not apply for the exemptions on the new home.

People do not know they can claim an exemption they missed in an earlier year.

Where we fit in. We integrate tax considerations into your investment strategy and collaborate with estate attorneys and CPAs to ensure your plan is coordinated. We are not a law firm or accounting firm, so we do not provide legal or tax advice. Everything in this material is for educational purposes, based on primary sources. Before taking any action, please consult the appropriate professionals to apply these ideas to your situation.

A property tax exemption is a small part of what your home costs you in retirement, and it comes back every year you stay in the house. If you would like to look at the house alongside the rest of your plan, we are glad to have that conversation.

The detailed version

The statute sections and the arithmeticFor CPAs, attorneys and anyone who wants the sources: the three sections of the Property Tax Code, the freeze's income limit by tax year, the example's arithmetic, and what this page leaves out.Show

The three sections of the Property Tax Code

General homestead exemption, 35 ILCS 200/15-175. The exemption is the increase in the current year's equalized assessed value above the 1977 value, up to a maximum. For taxable years 2023 and after, the maximum is $10,000 in a county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants, $8,000 in a county contiguous to it, and $6,000 in every other county.¹
Senior citizens homestead exemption, 35 ILCS 200/15-170. For a person 65 or older, the maximum reduction for taxable years 2023 and after is $8,000 in Cook County and the counties contiguous to it, and $5,000 in every other county.³
Low-income senior citizens assessment freeze homestead exemption, 35 ILCS 200/15-172. For a person 65 or older with household income at or under the limit, the exemption each year is the current equalized assessed value less the base amount.⁴

The amounts quoted in the notes are from the Illinois Department of Revenue's summary of these sections, and the links to the sections themselves are in the notes.

The freeze's income limit by tax year

Tax years 2018 through 2025: $65,000.
Tax year 2026, payable in 2027: $75,000.
Tax year 2027, payable in 2028: $77,000.
Tax year 2028, payable in 2029, and after: $79,000.⁴

Household income is defined in 35 ILCS 200/15-172. It is the combined income of the people who live in the home, and it includes Social Security benefits.

The example's arithmetic

Cook County, age 70, equalized assessed value $60,000, base-year value $50,000, household income $50,000, local rate 8%.⁶

Tax with no exemptions: $60,000 × 8% = $4,800.
General homestead: $10,000 × 8% = $800.
Senior citizens homestead: $8,000 × 8% = $640.
Senior freeze: $60,000 − $50,000 = $10,000, and $10,000 × 8% = $800.
All three: $28,000 × 8% = $2,240. The value taxed is $32,000, and $32,000 × 8% = $2,560.
The same home with household income over the limit has no freeze: $18,000 × 8% = $1,440, and the bill is $3,360.
A county that touches Cook, no freeze: $8,000 + $8,000 = $16,000, and $16,000 × 8% = $1,280.
The rest of Illinois, no freeze: $6,000 + $5,000 = $11,000, and $11,000 × 8% = $880.

What this page leaves out

The Property Tax Code has other homestead exemptions that this page and our calculator do not cover: for persons with disabilities, for veterans with disabilities, for returning veterans, for home improvements, and for homes rebuilt after a natural disaster. An appeal of the assessment itself is a separate process with the county. The Illinois income tax credit for property tax is also separate.¹

Sources & notes (10)

Expand

1."This annual exemption is available for residential property that is occupied by its owner or owners as his or their principal dwelling place". "The amount of exemption is the increase in the current year's equalized assessed value (EAV), above the 1977 EAV, up to a maximum of $10,000 in Cook County, $8,000 in counties contiguous to Cook County, and $6,000 in all other counties." Illinois Department of Revenue, "Property Tax Relief - Homestead Exemptions, PTELL, and Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program" (PIO-74), https://tax.illinois.gov/localgovernments/property/taxrelief.html. The statute is 35 ILCS 200/15-175, https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/003502000K15-175.htm. The same page lists the other homestead exemptions and notes the income tax credit for property tax. ↩
2.The Department of Revenue describes assessed value as "33 1/3 percent of fair cash value". Illinois Department of Revenue, PIO-74 (note 1). Cook County sets assessments by its own method, so the share there can differ. ↩
3."This annual exemption is available for property that is occupied as a residence by a person 65 years of age or older who is liable for paying real estate taxes on the property and is an owner of record of the property or has a legal or equitable interest therein as evidenced by a written instrument". "The maximum amount of the reduction in equalized assessed value is $8,000 in Cook County and counties contiguous to Cook County or $5,000 in all other counties." Illinois Department of Revenue, PIO-74 (note 1). The statute is 35 ILCS 200/15-170, https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/003502000K15-170.htm. ↩
4.A person qualifies who "is at least 65 years old" and has a total household income of "$75,000 or less for taxable year 2026 (payable in 2027)", "$77,000 or less for taxable year 2027 (payable in 2028)" or "$79,000 or less for taxable year 2028 (payable in 2029) and after". "The property's equalized assessed value does not increase as long as qualification for the exemption continues. The tax bill may still increase if any tax rates are increased or if improvements are added that increase the value of the property." The benefit is "the property's current EAV minus the frozen base year value (the property's prior year's EAV for which the applicant first qualifies for the exemption)". "Each year applicants must file a Form PTAX-340, Low-income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption Application and Affidavit, with the Chief County Assessment Office." Illinois Department of Revenue, PIO-74 (note 1). The statute is 35 ILCS 200/15-172, https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/003502000K15-172.htm, which sets the limit at $65,000 for taxable years 2018 through 2025. ↩
5."Senior homeowners are eligible for this exemption if they are over 65 years of age and have a total household annual income of $65,000 or less in the 2024 calendar year." "This does not automatically freeze the amount of their tax bill, only the EAV remains at the fixed amount. Tax rates may change and thus alter a tax bill. Applicants must apply annually." Cook County Assessor's Office, "Low-Income Senior Freeze Exemption," https://www.cookcountyassessor.com/senior-freeze-exemption. ↩
6.Figures computed with the engine behind our Illinois senior property tax exemptions calculator, /tools/illinois-senior-property-tax-exemptions, from the amounts in notes 1, 3 and 4. The equalized assessed value, the base-year value and the 8% rate are assumptions chosen for the example; your own are on your tax bill. Hypothetical figures for illustration only; not a prediction of any household's tax. ↩
7."Most senior homeowners are eligible for this exemption if they are 65 years of age or older (born in 1960 or prior) and own and occupy their property as their principal place of residence." "Automatic Renewal: Yes, this exemption automatically renews each year." Cook County Assessor's Office, "Senior Exemption," https://www.cookcountyassessor.com/senior-citizen-exemption. Of the Homeowner Exemption: "Automatic Renewal: Yes, this exemption automatically renews each year." Cook County Assessor's Office, "Homeowner Exemption," https://www.cookcountyassessor.com/homeowner-exemption. Both pages say exemptions "appear on your second installment tax bill". ↩
8."If a homeowner believes they are entitled to exemptions in previous tax years, a Certificate of Error application can be filed to redeem past savings." "Missing Exemptions: Redeem savings for tax years 2025, 2024, 2023, and 2022." Cook County Assessor's Office, "Property Tax Exemptions," https://www.cookcountyassessor.com/exemptions. ↩
9."Filing requirements vary by county; some counties require an initial Form PTAX-324, Application for Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption, or a Form PTAX-329, Certificate of Status Form for Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption (annual renewal application) to be filed with the Chief County Assessment Office." Illinois Department of Revenue, PIO-74 (note 1). ↩
10."This program allows persons 65 years of age and older, who meet certain income and other qualifications for the year, to defer all or part of the real estate taxes and special assessments on their principal residences." "A lien is filed on the property in order to ensure repayment of the deferral. The state pays the property taxes and then recovers the money, plus an amount of annual interest specified under the Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Act, when the property is sold or transferred. The deferral must be repaid within one year of the taxpayer's death or 90 days after the property ceases to qualify for this program. The maximum amount that can be deferred, including interest and lien fees, is 80 percent of the taxpayer's equity interest in the property." "Contact your local County Treasurers Office to receive the necessary forms". Illinois Department of Revenue, PIO-74 (note 1). The program is under 320 ILCS 30. ↩

Questions people ask

What is the senior property tax exemption in Illinois?: It is a reduction in the assessed value of a home you own and live in, for homeowners 65 or older. It takes up to $8,000 off the equalized assessed value in Cook County and the counties that touch it, and up to $5,000 in the rest of Illinois. It is added to the general homestead exemption.
What is the homestead exemption in Illinois?: The general homestead exemption is for anyone who owns a home and lives in it as a main residence, at any age. It takes up to $10,000 off the equalized assessed value in Cook County, $8,000 in the counties that touch Cook, and $6,000 in the rest of Illinois.
What is the senior freeze in Illinois?: The senior freeze holds your home's equalized assessed value at a base-year level set when you first qualify. You must be 65 or older with total household income of $75,000 or less for tax year 2026, and you apply every year. Your bill can still rise if tax rates rise.
Does the Cook County senior exemption renew automatically?: The Cook County Assessor says the homeowner exemption and the senior exemption renew automatically each year once they are applied to your home. The senior freeze does not. It has to be filed every year, because it depends on your household income.
How much does a senior property tax exemption save?: An exemption saves its amount times your local tax rate. In this page's hypothetical example, a Cook County homeowner who is 70 with the general exemption, the senior exemption and the freeze has $28,000 taken off the assessed value, which saves $2,240 a year at an 8% rate.

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Illinois senior property tax exemptions: homestead, senior and freeze

What is the homestead exemption in Illinois?

What is the senior citizens homestead exemption in Illinois?

What is the senior freeze in Illinois?

How much does a senior property tax exemption save?

What is the Cook County senior exemption?

What is the senior exemption in DuPage and the other collar counties?

What happens if you move?

What is the senior citizens real estate tax deferral?

What goes wrong with the senior exemptions?

The three sections of the Property Tax Code

The freeze's income limit by tax year

The example's arithmetic

What this page leaves out

Questions and answers

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The quiet first year of retirement.