TaxLienSimple

The TaxLienSimple Index / Illinois

The TaxLienSimple Index · IL · 2026

Illinois Tax-Lien & Tax-Deed Investing

What Illinois statute actually pays — return, redemption and bid method — cross-referenced with the live auction inventory we track. Every figure traces to state law or a county source.

75 /100
Tier S National rank #1 of 51
The TaxLienSimple Index is a 0–100 research guide built from statutory terms and the inventory we track — not a yield, a guarantee, or investment advice. Realized returns depend on competition, redemption and your own due diligence. Verify every figure with the county before bidding.
Sale type
Tax Lien
Statutory return / penalty
up to 18% penalty per 6-month period (bid down), accruing every 6 months
Redemption period
2 to 2.5 years (2.5 yr for residential 1-6 units, 2 yr others; purchaser may extend to 3 yr)
Bid method
penalty
Sale season
generally fall outside Cook County
What you buy
tax lien annual sale; forfeiture/scavenger sale

Statutory note. The 18% is per six months, not per year — over the full redemption period the compounded return can approach the ~36%/yr figure investors quote.

78live parcels tracked
1counties with inventory
#1of 51 jurisdictions
Read the score correctly. The TaxLienSimple Index is a 0–100 research guide built from statutory terms and the inventory we track — not a yield, a guarantee, or investment advice. Realized returns depend on competition, redemption and your own due diligence. Verify every figure with the county before bidding.

Remote Investor Snapshot

Verified public-data profile for out-of-area investors — every figure below traces to the cited government source. Blank fields mean the source does not publish that value for this area (we never estimate).

Market & demographics

Population
12,757,634
5-yr population growth
-0.8% shrinking
Median household income
$78,433
Median age
38.7
Poverty rate
11.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2022

Housing market

Median home value
$239,100
Median gross rent
$1,179/mo
Owner-occupied
66.7% 33.3% renter
Vacancy rate
8.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2022

Property-tax burden

Median real-estate taxes
$5,055/yr
Effective property-tax rate
2.11% of home value

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2022

Natural-hazard risk & safety

Unemployment rate
4.6%

Source: FEMA National Risk Index (2023); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (2023 annual)

Growth & livability signals

New residential permits
16,863 units, 2023
Broadband subscription
88.1%
Bachelor's degree +
36.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (2023); U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2022 (household broadband subscription; FCC availability not yet integrated); U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2022 (educational attainment — school-quality proxy; NCES ratings not yet integrated)

Risk & opportunity flags

Opportunity Zone tracts
327 tax-advantaged
EPA Superfund (NPL) sites
55
EPA Brownfield sites
1,605

Source: U.S. Treasury CDFI Fund / IRS designated Opportunity Zones; U.S. EPA (SEMS National Priorities List; ACRES Brownfields)

Counties we track in Illinois

#CountyTaxLienSimple IndexLive parcels
1 Lake County S 79 78

See the actual parcels in Illinois

Browse the live tax-lien, deed and foreclosure inventory we track — search by county, redemption window and opening bid.

Browse live auction inventory →
The TaxLienSimple Index is a 0–100 research guide built from statutory terms and the inventory we track — not a yield, a guarantee, or investment advice. Realized returns depend on competition, redemption and your own due diligence. Verify every figure with the county before bidding.

© 2026 TaxLienSimple · The TaxLienSimple Index is compiled from state tax statutes and county treasurer/tax-collector offices; live inventory counts reflect parcels currently tracked by TaxLienSimple and update continuously. Nothing here is investment or legal advice.