Local Voter GuidesNot a ballot
Palos Hills, IL · Updated Oct 2026

What a Palos Hills 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 Palos Hills house
$12,939a year · $1,078 a month

Starts at $101,202 of value before exemptions. Typical use.

A typical Palos Hills house costs about $12,900 a year: $9,050 property tax and charges, $1,300 water and sewer, $340 trash, $2,250 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 $800 a year:

  • Bring water use down to 5 units

    $800 a year

    Above 5 units a month, City of Palos Hills water charges $16.67 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

  • Homeowner Exemption

    The Homeowner Exemption reduces the Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) of a property by $10,000.

    How: See the Cook County Assessor’s Homeowner Exemption page.

  • Seniors over 65 with income up to $65,000: Senior Freeze

    Senior homeowners are eligible for this exemption if they are over 65 years of age and have a total household annual income of $65,000 or less in the 2024 calendar year.

    How: Apply with the Cook County Assessor.

  • Seniors: pay actual water use

    Seniors can pay for actual water usage as opposed to the basic minimum fee.

    How: Enroll at City Hall or call 598-3400.

Money dates

  • On or about March 1 each yearin 116 daysThe first installment of taxes is due and is 55% of the previous year's total amount.
  • Generally August 1The second installment is generally due August 1st or at a later date, as set by Cook County.

Who serves this house

Water
City of Palos Hills water
Water rate effective January 1, 2026 is $12.47 per thousand gallons delivered; the minimum bill is $49.88 for 4,000 gallons of water, plus $12.92 for Cap Improvements.
Property tax
9.92% of value
2025 tax year, Cook County tax code 30031
Garbage
Republic Services
Republic Services will continue to provide carted weekly unlimited household trash service.

Other IL cities

Naperville home costsDowners Grove home costsArlington Heights home costsElmhurst home costsGlenview home costsLombard home costsChicago home costsBuffalo Grove home costsEvanston home costsBartlett home costsHoffman Estates home costsDeKalb home costsOak Lawn home costsNormal home costsCarol Stream home costsStreamwood home costsOswego home costsPark Ridge home costsPalatine home costsSchaumburg home costsCarpentersville home costsWheeling home costsHanover Park home costsSkokie home costsNorthbrook home costsRock Island home costsWoodridge home costsMundelein home costsElk Grove Village home costsHighland Park home costsGurnee home costsAlgonquin home costsGlen Ellyn home costsHuntley home costsNew Lenox home costsRound Lake Beach home costsBatavia home costsEdwardsville home costsWoodstock home costsYorkville home costsSouth Elgin home costsMorton Grove home costsZion home costsRolling Meadows home costsLisle home costsRoselle home costsBloomingdale home costsEast Peoria home costsVilla Park home costsMontgomery home costsBlue Island home costsGeneva home costsFrankfort home costsEast Moline home costsLibertyville home costsLake Zurich home costsCrest Hill home costsNorth Aurora home costsLake Forest home costsDeerfield home costsSycamore home costsRound Lake home costsShorewood home costsBensenville home costsLemont home costsBourbonnais home costsFranklin Park home costsCary home costsMattoon home costsWashington home costsNorridge home costsSwansea home costsChannahon home costsLindenhurst home costsBeach Park home costsMt. Vernon home costsWauconda home costsHickory Hills home costsChicago Ridge home costsGlen Carbon home costsLa Grange Park home costsWestern Springs home costsLincolnwood home costsPlano home costsMinooka home costsWinnetka home costsPalos Heights home costsJustice home costsKewanee home costsTroy home costsRiver Forest home costsSchiller Park home costsPingree Grove home costsBurr Ridge home costsFox Lake home costsColumbia home costsManhattan home costsBarrington home costsSummit home costsCrestwood home costsRiver Grove home costsLyons home costsWood River home costsWinfield home costsHighland home costsAurora home costsDes Plaines home costsOrland Park home costsTinley Park home costsOak Park home costsMoline home costsRomeoville home costsSt. Charles home costsGlendale Heights home costsWilmette home costsWest Chicago home costsBelvidere home costsCarbondale home costsGrayslake home costsDarien home costsEvergreen Park home costsAlsip home costsGodfrey home costsWestchester home costsProspect Heights home costsLa Grange home costsWarrenville home costsMacomb home costsSterling home costsCentralia home costsPontiac home costsHawthorn Woods home costsItasca home costsManteno home costsWillowbrook home costsBethalto home costsGilberts home costsRiverside home costsHampshire home costsLake Villa home costsGlencoe home costsRock Falls home costsOak Brook home costsLincolnshire home costsHillside home costsGreenville home costsMendota home costsMt. Zion home costsCarterville home costsCoal City home costsLake Bluff home costsPosen home costsWonder Lake home costsPoplar Grove home costsBerkeley home costsFlossmoor home costsSugar Grove home costsHarwood Heights home costsJerseyville home costsWest Dundee home costsCountryside home costsHillsboro home costsCarlinville home costsVolo home costsHarvard home costs

How these numbers are made
  • Property tax uses Cook County's 2025 agency rates for tax code 30031 (City of Palos Hills, North Palos School District 117, Consolidated High School District 230, Green Hills Public Library, North Palos Fire Protection District; total 9.92009 per $100 of equalized assessed value), the code with the most single-family parcels in Palos Hills in the county's parcel data.
  • Water is $12.47 per 1,000 gallons; the monthly minimum of $49.88 covers 4,000 gallons and the $12.92 Cap Improvement fee is added to the fixed charge. Sewer is $11.50 a month. These come from the January 15, 2026 City Council minutes.
  • Trash is the 2022 contract price of $24.82 raised by the 3.5% annual increase for 2023 through 2026 (Republic Services contract letter); the 2026 price itself was not found published. Trash may be billed with the water bill. The contract covers single-family homes.
  • Electricity: ComEd delivery charges plus the October 2026 price to compare. Gas is Nicor Rate 1 (Nicor's municipal-charge schedule lists Palos Hills) with the October 2026 supply cost of 33 cents per therm and the Illinois average residential use. The utility tax is 4%, the city's published rate for electricity and natural gas (Nicor's 4.12% municipal charge for Palos Hills matches a 4% gas tax); a 2025 audit report mentions a 5% utility tax without saying which utilities, so 4% is the rate that is documented.
  • Not included: homeowners insurance.
  • Starting value uses the Assessor's Palos Township median ($334K), not a code-30031 parcel median (about $30,100 assessed, $91,203 equalized), because only the township figure is published as a quotable official figure.
  • Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.
Sources
  1. www.cookcountyclerkil.gov
  2. www.cookcountyassessoril.gov
  3. tax.illinois.gov
  4. www.cookcountyassessoril.gov
  5. www.cookcountyassessoril.gov
  6. www.paloshillsweb.org
  7. www.paloshillsweb.org
  8. www.paloshillsweb.org
  9. www.paloshillsweb.org
  10. www.comed.com
  11. www.citizensutilityboard.org
  12. www.nicorgas.com
  13. www.nicorgas.com
  14. www.eia.gov
  15. www.eia.gov
  16. www.eia.gov
  17. www.eia.gov
  18. www.paloshillsweb.org
  19. www.paloshillsweb.org
  20. www.cookcountyassessoril.gov
  21. www.paloshillsweb.org
  22. www.oaklawn-il.gov
  23. www.nicorgas.com
  24. www.paloshillsweb.org

How Palos Hills compares

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

Per yearPalos HillsMedianWhere it falls
Property tax rate9.92%8.23%higher than 105 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover
Water$1,162$872higher than 103 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees$138$535lower than 110 of the other 123 Illinois cities we cover
Trash$342$283higher than 102 of the other 127 Illinois cities we cover
Electricity and gas$2,249$2,163higher than 84 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover
Total$12,939$11,701higher than 89 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: Palos Hills's property tax rate is 9.92%, higher than 105 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 Palos Hills is 9.92%, higher than 105 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 $1,162 a year at typical use, higher than 103 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $1,162 a year at typical use, higher than 103 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

3. Sewer and utility-bill fees

The fact: Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here come to about $138 a year, lower than 110 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 $138 a year, lower than 110 of the other 123 Illinois cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

4. Trash

The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $342 a year for the standard cart, higher than 102 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 $342 a year for the standard cart, higher than 102 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 Palos Hills house costs

What is the property tax rate in Palos Hills?

About 9.92% of the value before exemptions a year (2025 tax year, Cook County tax code 30031), plus flat charges on the same bill.

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

About $48,608 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowner exemption.

How much is the water bill in Palos Hills?

About $108 a month for water and sewer at typical use (7,000 gallons a month) on City of Palos Hills water.

How much does trash pickup cost in Palos Hills?

$28 a month for a house.

When is property tax due in Palos Hills?

On or about March 1 each year: The first installment of taxes is due and is 55% of the previous year's total amount. Generally August 1: The second installment is generally due August 1st or at a later date, as set by Cook County.

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Palos Hills?

Yes. Seniors over 65 with income up to $65,000: Senior Freeze: Senior homeowners are eligible for this exemption if they are over 65 years of age and have a total household annual income of $65,000 or less in the 2024 calendar year.

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

A typical Palos Hills house costs about $12,900 a year: $9,050 property tax and charges, $1,300 water and sewer, $340 trash, $2,250 electricity and gas; home insurance is not included (no typical premium yet). Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

All Illinois citiesAll cities