Des Plaines, IL · Updated Oct 2026

What a Des Plaines home costs each year

Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.

Suggestions as you type come from Google; the lookup uses free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.

Example · a Des Plaines house

$12,563a year · $1,047 a month

Starts at $122,109 of value before exemptions. Typical use.

Property tax$8,951
7.984% of $122,109, less $10,000 homeowner exemption
Electricity and gas$2,058
693 kWh a month $1,575 · 31 therms $484
Water and sewer$1,310
9 units (CCF) a month on City of Des Plaines: water $99, sewer $11 a month
Trash$244
Waste and recycling service (monthly), $20 a month
Home insuranceNot included
We don't have a typical premium for this city yet. Add yours with Adjust.

A typical Des Plaines house costs about $12,600 a year: $8,950 property tax and charges, $1,310 water and sewer, $240 trash, $2,060 electricity and gas; home insurance is not included (no typical premium yet). Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 30, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Ways to pay less

Nothing here applies to every house automatically. These are worth checking:

Senior citizen exemption
The Senior Citizen Exemption is an EAV reduction of $8,000.
Senior freeze exemption
The Senior Freeze Exemption freezes EAV for homeowners with a maximum income of $65,000.
Seniors: LRS discount program
LRS has a discount program for senior citizens.
How: Fill out the LRS senior program application form and send it by email or mail with proof of age and eligibility (a valid state-issued driver's license or ID card, or a U.S. passport); questions to 844-633-3577.

Money dates

5th of each monthWater bill due

Who serves this house

Water: City of Des Plaines; Water meters are read every two months and are billed in two-month increments.
Property tax: 7.98% of value; 2025 tax year (payable 2026), Cook County, Maine Township
Garbage: Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS); LRS’ rate is $20.31 per month beginning April 1, 2026.
Electricity: ComEd; ComEd Price to Compare is 10.103 cents per kWh from October 1, 2026.
Gas: Nicor Gas; Residential Rate 1.

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: The City of Des Plaines purchases Lake Michigan surface water from two sources; the City of Chicago and the Northwest Water Commission (NWC).

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How these numbers are made

Property tax uses Cook County's 2025 rates (percent per $100 of equalized assessed value) for Maine Township with the City of Des Plaines and its library, School District 62, Maine Township High School 207, Oakton College and the Des Plaines Park District; the sum is 7.9 against the Clerk's 7.9658 average composite rate for the city. Homes in other school districts (26, 57, 59, 64 or Arlington Heights High School 214), the Elk Grove Township part or other park districts pay different rates, and special service areas are not included.
The starting value is the Assessor's $403,000 median estimate x 10% x the 3.0300 state factor = $122,109, minus the $10,000 homeowner exemption.
Water: the City lists $6.468 per 100 cubic feet (from June 1, 2026) plus a capital fee of $4.00 per 100 cubic feet (2026), counted together as $10.468 per ccf; sewer $1.18 per ccf; and the $4.30 monthly fixed facility charge for a meter under 1 inch. The City's rate table also lists an operation and maintenance rate of $2.75 per 100 cubic feet; it is not added because the City's "Understand Your Water Bill" guide describes the water-usage charge as covering "operations like re-chlorination and repairs" and splits the bill into only four parts (water usage 56%, capital fee 26%, sanitary sewer 10%, fixed facility charges 8%). Typical use of 9 ccf a month is the site's modelling assumption, not a City figure.
Electricity is ComEd's 2026 delivery rates plus the non-summer supply price to compare (10.103 cents). Gas is Nicor Rate 1: $21.30 plus 24.44 cents distribution and the October 2026 supply cost of 33 cents per therm; Nicor's 3.09% Des Plaines gross-receipts tax (Rider 8) is applied to the fixed charge and the per-therm rate; Rider 8 also lists a 2.50 cent per therm gas use tax for Des Plaines, marked as not applying to Rider 6 (supply-cost) therms, so it is not added to Rate 1 bundled supply. Electric adds ComEd's Des Plaines municipal tax of 0.588 cents per kWh (first 2,000 kWh). Other riders are not included.
Garbage is LRS's rate of $20.31 a month from April 1, 2026. Not included: homeowners insurance (no official premium survey found) and stormwater charges (none found).
Electric rate also adds 0.588 cents/kWh (first 2,000 kWh) Des Plaines municipal tax per ComEd ratebook municipal-tax table (table header not machine-readable).
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Des Plaines compares

A typical Des Plaines house against the 132 Illinois cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	Des Plaines	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	7.98%	8.23%	lower than 71 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover
Water	$1,182	$872	higher than 105 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$127	$535	lower than 112 of the other 123 Illinois cities we cover
Trash	$244	$283	lower than 88 of the other 127 Illinois cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$2,058	$2,163	lower than 76 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover
Total	$12,563	$11,701	higher than 84 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover

Cities bill differently (some put trash on the tax bill, some cover more services), so a higher number isn't necessarily worse. The property tax rate is compared instead of dollars because house values differ.

Questions to ask your candidates

Each one starts from a number above. Any candidate can answer them.

1. Water

The fact: Water here costs about $1,182 a year at typical use, higher than 105 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $1,182 a year at typical use, higher than 105 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

2. Sewer and utility-bill fees

The fact: Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here come to about $127 a year, lower than 112 of the other 123 Illinois cities we cover. Some cities bill sewer on the property tax bill instead, which is not counted here.

Ask: "Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here cost about $127 a year, lower than 112 of the other 123 Illinois cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

Common questions about Des Plaines house costs

What is the property tax rate in Des Plaines?

About 7.98% of the value before exemptions a year (2025 tax year (payable 2026), Cook County, Maine Township), plus flat charges on the same bill.

How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Des Plaines?

About $39,123 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowner exemption.

How much is the water bill in Des Plaines?

About $109 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on City of Des Plaines.

How much does trash pickup cost in Des Plaines?

$20 a month for a house.

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Des Plaines?

Yes. Senior citizen exemption: The Senior Citizen Exemption is an EAV reduction of $8,000.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Des Plaines?

Seniors: LRS discount program: LRS has a discount program for senior citizens. Fill out the LRS senior program application form and send it by email or mail with proof of age and eligibility (a valid state-issued driver's license or ID card, or a U.S. passport); questions to 844-633-3577.

How much does a house in Des Plaines cost to run each year?

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