Illinois Senior Property Tax Exemptions
Which Illinois property tax exemptions apply to me, and what are they worth? Every piece below can be linked to, so it opens in a window on your reader's screen, current as of the record. No form to fill in.
2026 law · Reviewed September 6, 2026 · The full page, with methodology and sources · the terms · All tools
Embed the calculator in your page
County, assessed value, age, household income, and the local rate in; each exemption that applies and its saving, and the bill before and after, out. In a frame it carries no cookies, no tracking, and a visible link back to the methodology. Your site has to allow frames; most do. The link that opens it in a small window is on the professionals page.
Show the code
- In plain words.
- Illinois taxes homes on an assessed value, and the state gives homeowners exemptions that lower that value: one for living in the home, one more from age 65, and for seniors with modest incomes a freeze that holds the assessed value where it was when they first applied. The amounts differ by county. This tool takes your county, your assessed value, your age, and your household income, and shows which apply and what each is worth in dollars at your rate.
- Why it matters.
- The senior exemptions are not automatic everywhere, the freeze needs a yearly form, and the saving is real money every year for as long as you own the home.
- An example.
- A Cook County home assessed at $60,000, owner 70, household income $50,000, frozen at $50,000, at an 8 percent rate: $28,000 of exemptions, about $2,240 a year saved on a $4,800 bill.
- Where it stops.
- The assessed value and the local rate come from your bill, and the freeze depends on when you first applied. It does not cover the exemptions for veterans or people with disabilities, or appeals of the assessment itself, which are the county's process.
The facts
Six quotable sentences on the Illinois homestead exemptions, 2026.
The button shows exactly what your reader sees when they click the link. Paste the link where a link goes; it opens this list in a small window, always current as of the record, with the attribution and a link to the full page. Nothing to copy out, nothing to update later.
Show the code
- Illinois property tax is charged on equalized assessed value, roughly a third of market value, at a local composite rate. An exemption reduces that value, so its worth in dollars is the reduction times the rate: a $10,000 exemption at an 8 percent rate saves $800 a year.
- The general homestead exemption on an owner-occupied home is $10,000 in Cook County, $8,000 in the counties touching it, and $6,000 elsewhere (35 ILCS 200/15-175).
- From age 65 the senior citizens homestead exemption adds $8,000 in Cook and the collar counties and $5,000 elsewhere (15-170); it is claimed once and renews.
- A homeowner 65 or older with household income of $75,000 or less (for taxable year 2026; $65,000 through 2025, rising to $79,000 from 2028) may freeze the equalized assessed value at the year of first application; the exemption each year is the growth since then (15-172).
- Example: a Cook County home assessed at $60,000 (about $180,000 of market value), owner 70, income $50,000, frozen at $50,000, at an 8 percent rate: $28,000 of exemptions, $2,240 a year saved on a $4,800 bill.
- The freeze must be renewed every year with an income affidavit, and its income test counts the whole household's income, including Social Security. Other exemptions exist for veterans with disabilities, people with disabilities, and home improvements.
The exemptions, 2026
Each exemption, who qualifies, and the reduction by county.
The button shows exactly what your reader sees when they click the link. Paste the link where a link goes; it opens this table in a small window, always current as of the record, with the attribution and a link to the full page. Nothing to copy out, nothing to update later.
Show the code
| Exemption | Who | Cook County | Collar counties | Other counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General homestead | Owner-occupants | $10,000 | $8,000 | $6,000 |
| Senior citizens homestead | 65 and older | $8,000 | $8,000 | $5,000 |
| Senior assessment freeze | 65+, household income at or under $75,000 | Value frozen at the base year | Value frozen at the base year | Value frozen at the base year |
Cite and link.
The clean address, a citation generated from the record so it can never carry a stale review date, and an address for every section so you can point a reader at the exact table or method.
Show the code
- Link
- https://consideratecapital.com/tools/illinois-senior-property-tax-exemptions
- Citation
- Considerate Capital, "Illinois Senior Property Tax Exemptions," reviewed September 6, 2026, https://consideratecapital.com/tools/illinois-senior-property-tax-exemptions.
Link to a section
- The calculator https://consideratecapital.com/tools/illinois-senior-property-tax-exemptions#calculator
- The facts https://consideratecapital.com/tools/illinois-senior-property-tax-exemptions#facts
- The exemptions https://consideratecapital.com/tools/illinois-senior-property-tax-exemptions#key-numbers
- How the exemptions work https://consideratecapital.com/tools/illinois-senior-property-tax-exemptions#how-it-works
- Methodology https://consideratecapital.com/tools/illinois-senior-property-tax-exemptions#methodology
- Sources https://consideratecapital.com/tools/illinois-senior-property-tax-exemptions#sources
- Revision history https://consideratecapital.com/tools/illinois-senior-property-tax-exemptions#revision-history
Everything here reads from one reviewed record, so a copied piece carries its year and its review date. When the law moves, the embed updates by itself; a copied table or chart keeps the year in its caption. Corrections are welcome through the contact page.