Illinois Property Tax Exemptions for Seniors

Illinois property tax exemptions for seniors: what you get, who qualifies and how to apply, from the official source.

Illinois has 1,075,771 owner households headed by someone 65 or older (31.8% of owners; median home year built 1971). The statewide senior exemption below is what those owners typically claim through their county office.

Verified Illinois details: Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption: Reduces equalized assessed value by up to $8,000 in Cook County and counties next to Cook, or $5,000 elsewhere, for owners 65 or older. Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze: Freezes the assessed value for owners 65 or older with total household income of $75,000 or less for taxable year 2026 (payable 2027), rising to $77,000 for 2027 and $79,000 for 2028. How to apply: File with your Chief County Assessment Office. Filing rules vary by county; some require Form PTAX-324.

How neighbors handle this

• Iowa: An additional homestead exemption of $6,500 of taxable value, on top of the regular 10% homestead exemption.
• Kentucky: For the 2025-2026 assessment years, $49,100 is deducted from the assessed value of your home.

Neighbor figures are from the same verified official sources we cite on each page. Always confirm with the Illinois county office before filing.

For context, Illinois’s main statewide homeowner program is the General Homestead Exemption and other homestead exemptions: Reduces the equalized assessed value of an owner-occupied home. Separate exemptions exist for seniors, senior assessment freeze, disabled persons and veterans. Seniors usually file the same way as other owners unless the rows above say otherwise: Contact your county assessor's office.

Population and housing figures: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year (state FIPS 17). Exemption figures checked against the official page on 2026-11-04.

Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption

Reduces equalized assessed value by up to $8,000 in Cook County and counties next to Cook, or $5,000 elsewhere, for owners 65 or older.

Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze

Freezes the assessed value for owners 65 or older with total household income of $75,000 or less for taxable year 2026 (payable 2027), rising to $77,000 for 2027 and $79,000 for 2028.

How to apply

File with your Chief County Assessment Office. Filing rules vary by county; some require Form PTAX-324.

Source: Illinois Department of Revenue. Figures checked against the official page on 2026-11-04.

See also: Illinois overview · Seniors exemptions in other states · Savings calculator · Veterans · Disability

What property tax exemptions are there for seniors in Illinois?

Reduces equalized assessed value by up to $8,000 in Cook County and counties next to Cook, or $5,000 elsewhere, for owners 65 or older.

How do seniors apply in Illinois?

File with your Chief County Assessment Office. Filing rules vary by county; some require Form PTAX-324.