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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Stephenson County, Illinois

Stephenson County has an effective property tax rate of 2.40%. On the median home value of $134,900, that's roughly $3,240 per year. Median household income is $64,043.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
2.40%
median tax $3,240 ÷ median home $134,900
Median Home Value1
$134,900
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$64,043
per-capita $35,305
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$3,240
at 2.40% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricStephenson CountyIllinois (state context)
Effective property tax rate12.40%1.80%
Median home value1$134,900—
State income tax3top rate 4.95%top rate 4.95%
State sales tax38.98% combined8.98% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About Stephenson County, IL

In Stephenson County, Illinois, the median home value sits at $134,900, and the annual property tax bill on that home comes to about $3,240. That works out to an effective rate of 2.402%, which lands well above Illinois's statewide median of 1.804% and places the county third among the state's 102 counties for property tax rate. Buyers weighing a move to Cedarville, Dakota, or Davis should know that the tax side of the equation runs steeper than most of Illinois, even though the national median rate of 0.794% is far lower still. Affordability here leans on the housing prices themselves: at roughly $134,900, entry costs stay below many markets, and with a median household income of $64,043, the tax bill absorbs a noticeable share of earnings each year.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Stephenson County, IL?
The effective rate is 2.40% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 2.40% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($134,900), the estimated annual bill is about $3,240.
Is Stephenson County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 1.80% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the Stephenson County assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the Stephenson County assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.