Evanston, IL · Updated Oct 2026

What a Evanston 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 Evanston house

$16,607a year · $1,384 a month

Starts at $192,708 of value before exemptions. Typical use.

Property tax$13,389
7.328% of $192,708, less $10,000 homeowner exemption
Electricity and gas$2,231
583 kWh a month $1,434 · 74.87 therms $797
Water and sewer$819
9.583333333333334 units (CCF) a month on Evanston Water Utility: water $43, sewer $25 a month
Trash$168
65-gallon cart, trash and recycling, $14 a month
Home insuranceNot included
We don't have a typical premium for this city yet. Add yours with Adjust.

A typical Evanston house costs about $16,600 a year: $13,390 property tax and charges, $820 water and sewer, $170 trash, $2,230 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

One change saves this house about $381 a year:

Bring water use down to 3 units
$381 a year
Above 3 units a month, Evanston Water Utility charges $4.82 a unit instead of $0.00.
How: Most of the top tier is outdoor watering: fix leaks and water less often in summer.

Worth checking

Switch to the 35-gallon cart, trash and recycling cartUp to $25 a year
Your cart costs $14 a month; the smallest costs $12. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Report or change your trash cart size through the City's cart service request (311).
Seniors over 65 with income up to $65,000: Senior Freeze
Senior homeowners over 65 with a total household annual income of $65,000 or less in the 2024 calendar year may be eligible for the Senior Freeze exemption.
How: Apply with the Cook County Assessor.
Homeowner Exemption
The Homeowner Exemption reduces the Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) of a property by $10,000.
How: Check that it is on your Cook County assessment.
Food and yard waste cart: opt out
Households that opt out of the food and yard waste cart service will not incur any charges.
How: See the City's waste services page.
Affordable water and sewer rates
The City lists affordable water and sewer rates; customers must qualify from a CEDA or COE Benefits Card.
How: See the City's water and sewer rates page.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartRecycling is included in the cart price. The food and yard waste cart is $7 a month ($14 per bill) if you keep it, the same for a 35- or 95-gallon cart.

Value before exemptionsEvanston has about 55 tax codes with totals from 7.33 to 8.36 per $100; code 17001 is the most common total (7.328048).

I live here and have the Homeowner Exemption

Home insurance, a yearFrom your policy's declarations page.

Your use

Water, units a month

On your water bill. 1 unit (CCF) is 748 gallons. A typical Evanston house uses about 9.583333333333334.

Electricity, kWh a month

On your ComEd bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Who serves this house

Water: Evanston Water Utility; Minimum charge every two months includes the first 500 cubic feet.
Property tax: 7.33% of value; 2025 tax year, Cook County tax code 17001
Garbage: City of Evanston; The City bills trash, recycling, and food and yard waste cart services on the water, sewer, and sanitation bill.
Electricity: ComEd; ComEd provides delivery of electricity for all properties in Evanston.
Gas: Nicor Gas; Natural gas is provided to Evanston residents through Nicor Gas.

Pay or manage your bills

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How these numbers are made

Property tax uses Cook County's 2025 agency rates for tax code 17001 (City of Evanston, School District 65, Evanston Township High School 202; total 7.328048 per $100 of equalized assessed value), the most common of Evanston's tax codes. The City's corporate, library and general assistance rates are added together; Forest Preserve, elections and mosquito abatement are grouped as other districts.
The starting value is the Assessor's 2025 median market value for Evanston Township single-family homes ($636,000) times 10% times the 2025 Cook County equalization factor 3.0300; the $10,000 Homeowner Exemption comes off it.
Water and sewer: the City bills every two months; the minimum charges ($17.21 water, $13.30 sewer) are halved to monthly and include the first 500 cubic feet (2.5 CCF a month). Typical use is the City's 115 billing units a year.
Electricity: ComEd delivery charges plus the October 2026 price to compare (Evanston's aggregation supply matches ComEd's rate) plus Evanston's 0.61 cents per kWh electric utility tax. Gas: Nicor Rate 1 plus October 2026 supply cost, raised by Evanston's 5% municipal gas utility tax on the per-therm part; the monthly charge is not taxed here and Nicor riders are not included.
Garbage is the 65-gallon cart with recycling, used as the default because the City does not publish a typical cart size; the 35- and 95-gallon prices are listed. The City's Residential Refuse & Yard Waste Service Transition page gives the food and yard waste cart as $7 a month (the older water-rate page's $40.45 a year predates the year-round program). Not included: the optional food and yard waste cart, the $1 a month special bulk pickup fee, homeowners insurance, and ComEd's monthly changes in price to compare.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Evanston compares

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

Per year	Evanston	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	7.33%	8.23%	lower than 99 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover
Water	$513	$872	lower than 122 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$306	$535	lower than 86 of the other 123 Illinois cities we cover
Trash	$168	$283	lower than 113 of the other 127 Illinois cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$2,231	$2,163	higher than 78 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover
Total	$16,607	$11,701	higher than 119 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. Property tax rate

The fact: Evanston's property tax rate is 7.33%, lower than 99 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.

Ask: "Property tax in Evanston is 7.33%, lower than 99 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover. What should that money pay for first, and would you change anything about how it is set?"

2. Water

The fact: Water here costs about $513 a year at typical use, lower than 122 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $513 a year at typical use, lower than 122 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

3. Trash

The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $168 a year for the standard cart, lower than 113 of the other 127 Illinois cities we cover. Where trash is billed through the tax bill or a separate hauler, it is not counted here.

Ask: "Trash pickup here costs about $168 a year for the standard cart, lower than 113 of the other 127 Illinois cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything about the service or the price?"

Common questions about Evanston house costs

What is the property tax rate in Evanston?

About 7.33% of the value before exemptions a year (2025 tax year, Cook County tax code 17001), plus flat charges on the same bill.

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

About $35,907 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowner exemption.

How much is the water bill in Evanston?

About $68 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9.583333333333334 units, or 7,168 gallons a month) on Evanston Water Utility.

How much does trash pickup cost in Evanston?

$12 to $27 a month, depending on the trash cart size (35-gallon cart, trash and recycling, 65-gallon cart, trash and recycling, 95-gallon cart, trash and recycling).

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Evanston?

Yes. Seniors over 65 with income up to $65,000: Senior Freeze: Senior homeowners over 65 with a total household annual income of $65,000 or less in the 2024 calendar year may be eligible for the Senior Freeze exemption.

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

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