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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Winnebago County, Illinois

Winnebago County has an effective property tax rate of 2.39%. On the median home value of $164,500, that's roughly $3,930 per year. Median household income is $65,837.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
2.39%
median tax $3,930 ÷ median home $164,500
Median Home Value1
$164,500
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$65,837
per-capita $35,697
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$3,930
at 2.39% 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.

MetricWinnebago CountyIllinois (state context)
Effective property tax rate12.39%1.80%
Median home value1$164,500—
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 Winnebago County, IL

Buying in Winnebago County means weighing comparatively affordable home prices against a notably high tax rate. The median home value sits at $164,500, well below what many Illinois counties command, and the resulting annual property tax bill comes to $3,930. That figure reflects an effective rate of 2.389%, which outpaces Illinois's statewide median of 1.804% and lands the county fourth among the state's 102 counties. Nationally, the gap looks even wider, since the U.S. median effective rate is just 0.794%. Households here earn a median of $65,837, with per-capita income at $35,697, so the tax bill takes a meaningful bite out of earnings. For buyers eyeing Rockford or the smaller communities of Durand and Rockton, the tradeoff is clear: lower purchase prices soften the sting of steeper taxes, but ongoing costs deserve a close look before committing.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Winnebago County, IL?
The effective rate is 2.39% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 2.39% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($164,500), the estimated annual bill is about $3,930.
Is Winnebago 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 Winnebago 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 Winnebago 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.