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Illinois · Lake CountyLake County, IL property taxes. A fast market. Assessments chase it.
The typical home in Lake County was worth about $390,000 in January 2026, up 5.6% in a year. When values move this fast, assessments can overshoot individual homes, especially ones that need work.
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What Lake County home values did
Lake County values rose 5.6% in the year to January 2026, reaching a new high. That's in line with Illinois as a whole (+4.9%).
Since January, values have risen 2.5% through August 2026.
| Month | Typical value | vs. a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| January 2021 | $271,000 | +6.6% |
| January 2022 | $302,000 | +11.5% |
| January 2023 | $323,000 | +6.9% |
| January 2024 | $345,000 | +6.6% |
| January 2025 | $369,000 | +7.2% |
| January 2026 | $390,000 | +5.6% |
| August 2026 (latest) | $400,000 | +2.5% since January |
January 2026 was the highest month since 2021.
Lake County places by change from peak
The 30 places in Lake County with the widest gap between January 2026 and their post-2021 high. Each links to its own guide.
| Place | January 2026 | 1-year change | vs. peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waukegan | $241,000 | +5.5% | At peak |
| Mundelein | $382,000 | +5.8% | At peak |
| Buffalo Grove | $436,000 | +5.8% | At peak |
| Gurnee | $374,000 | +4.5% | At peak |
| Libertyville | $610,000 | +7.2% | At peak |
| Highland Park | $762,000 | +6.2% | At peak |
| Antioch | $349,000 | +5.2% | At peak |
| Round Lake Beach | $253,000 | +4.9% | At peak |
| Vernon Hills | $449,000 | +5.7% | At peak |
| Zion | $247,000 | +6.5% | At peak |
| Deerfield | $637,000 | +7.0% | At peak |
| Grayslake | $364,000 | +4.4% | At peak |
| Lake Forest | $1,183,000 | +9.4% | At peak |
| Lake Zurich | $495,000 | +6.8% | At peak |
| Lake Villa | $375,000 | +4.7% | At peak |
| North Chicago | $215,000 | +5.3% | At peak |
| Long Grove | $941,000 | +5.8% | At peak |
| Round Lake | $324,000 | +4.7% | At peak |
| Lindenhurst | $354,000 | +3.5% | At peak |
| Beach Park | $301,000 | +7.2% | At peak |
| Lincolnshire | $724,000 | +7.8% | At peak |
| Wauconda | $342,000 | +6.1% | At peak |
| Lake Bluff | $636,000 | +9.4% | At peak |
| Fox Lake | $253,000 | +3.8% | At peak |
| Gages Lake | $333,000 | +4.2% | At peak |
| Hawthorn Woods | $739,000 | +5.7% | At peak |
| Winthrop Harbor | $294,000 | +13.9% | At peak |
| Park City | $281,000 | +4.1% | At peak |
| Round Lake Park | $227,000 | +3.6% | At peak |
| Deer Park | $754,000 | +5.9% | At peak |
What to check on your notice
The typical Lake County home gained 5.6% in the year to January 2026. A notice that rose far more than that, or a value above what similar homes nearby actually sold for, is the usual starting point for an appeal.
Keep the state's limits in mind: No general statewide limit on yearly assessment increases for most homes was found in the sources checked. Some exemptions (such as Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze) can limit increases for qualifying owners.
How an Illinois appeal works
Values in Lake County are set by the local township or county assessor, and the appeal starts there. The rules below apply statewide; your notice has the exact dates and office for your property.
| Who sets the value | Township or county assessor. In township-form counties a township assessor values property, and each county has a Supervisor of Assessments and a county Board of Review. Cook County is different: the elected Cook County Assessor values all parcels and the separate Cook County Board of Review hears appeals. |
|---|---|
| Valuation date | January 1 |
| Your notice | Notice of Assessment Change (in Cook County, the Reassessment Notice) |
| Deadline | File a complaint with your county Board of Review within 30 calendar days after your assessment list is published (usually in a local newspaper). The date varies by township and county. In Cook County, each township gets its own filing window, set each year, and the dates are printed on your notice and posted on the Assessor and Board of Review sites. If you lose at the Board of Review, you have 30 days after its written decision to appeal to the state Property Tax Appeal Board. |
| First step | Appeal to the township or county assessor first where offered (in Cook County, the Assessor's own appeal), then file a complaint with the county Board of Review. |
| If you still disagree | Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB), filed within 30 days of the Board of Review decision. You can also go to circuit court without using PTAB. |
| Fee | No filing fee to appeal to the Property Tax Appeal Board. The Cook County Assessor says its appeal process is free. |
| Can the value go up? | Yes, it can. In Cook County the Board of Review can revise an assessment up or down, but it must first notify you and give you a chance to be heard. |
Reading this in fall 2026? In October 2026, Cook County townships on the 2026 calendar are still open for appeals now (for example Hyde Park through Oct 8, Leyden Oct 14, Worth Oct 15, Wheeling Oct 22, Proviso Oct 27, Lake Oct 29, Palatine Nov 4, Orland Nov 6 and Jefferson Nov 12, at the Assessor stage), and several others have not opened yet, so check your township on the Assessor's Assessment & Appeal Calendar today. Cook townships that already closed must wait for 2027. Outside Cook, windows depend on when your county publishes assessments, so check with your county Supervisor of Assessments. If your Board of Review already ruled, you have 30 days from its decision to file with the Property Tax Appeal Board. Otherwise the next regular chance is when your 2027 assessment notice is published, usually in the summer, so watch for it.
- Cook County reassesses on a three-year cycle. In 2026 the south and west suburbs are being reassessed, and the north suburbs and City of Chicago are not (except for individual changes). Outside Cook, the general assessment cycle is four years.
- The Cook County Board of Review can only hear the current year, and a township that has closed must wait until next year.
- Appeals do not delay your tax bill. Cook's first installment is due March 1, and the second bill is issued only after the Board finishes all townships.
Find your local office in the Illinois Department of Revenue list of county Supervisors of Assessments.
Building a Lake County case
The numbers above describe the typical Lake County home, not yours. Lake County is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro, but your evidence should be local. Sales a few streets away usually beat sales across the metro.
- Use recent sales of similar homes nearby, like age, size, construction and location. PTAB says residential appeals seeking a change under $100,000 in assessed value can use comparable properties or an appraisal.
- The Board of Review must consider compulsory sales (such as foreclosures) if they match your property's characteristics and were arm's length, so include them.
- Check your property record for errors first. Wrong square footage or home features are the easiest fixes.
- Attend your Board of Review hearing if you are notified. Missing a properly noticed hearing can get your appeal dismissed and block a later PTAB appeal.
Get your Lake County appeal report
Start with your address. Vulorean checks your assessment against recent comparable sales and builds a value report you can bring to your Illinois appeal. Eligible reports are free during launch; an account is required and local filing fees are separate.
Check my property and get a report →Vulorean was built for California first. Illinois forms, deadlines and filing rules vary, so confirm them with your local office before filing. If something in your report looks wrong, email support@vulorean.com and we'll get it fixed.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), all homes, mid-tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through August 2026, from Zillow Research. Rules: Cook County Assessor: Assessment & Appeal Calendar, Cook County Assessor: Appeals overview, Cook County Board of Review: FAQ, 35 ILCS 200/16-55 (Board of Review complaints, 30 days after publication). Vulorean is an independent service, not a government office. Confirm dates and forms with your local office.