Rock Falls, IL · Updated Oct 2026

What a Rock Falls 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 Rock Falls house

$6,761a year · $563 a month

Starts at $27,967 of value before exemptions. Typical use.

Property tax$2,413
10.983% of $27,967, less $6,000 general homestead exemption, reduces assessed value by up to
Electricity and gas$2,276
693 kWh a month $1,464 · 74.87 therms $811
Water and sewer$1,851
9 units (CCF) a month on City of Rock Falls Water Department: water $56, sewer $98 a month
Trash$222
One 95-gallon trash cart plus recycling cart and yard waste pickup, $19 a month
Home insuranceNot included
We don't have a typical premium for this city yet. Add yours with Adjust.

A typical Rock Falls house costs about $6,800 a year: $2,410 property tax and charges, $1,850 water and sewer, $220 trash, $2,280 electricity and gas; home insurance is not included (no typical premium yet). Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 31, 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 $410 a year:

Bring water use down to 3 units
$410 a year
Above 3 units a month, City of Rock Falls Water Department charges $5.70 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

General Homestead Exemption
Reduces assessed value by up to $6,000 for owners who live in the home as their principal residence.
How: See the Whiteside County homestead exemptions page.
Seniors 65+: Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption
Reduces assessed value by $5,000 for persons 65 or older.
How: See the Whiteside County homestead exemptions page.
Seniors 65+: Assessment Freeze
Freezes the assessment at a base year for owners 65 or older with household income of $75,000 or less who have owned and lived in the home for 2 years.
How: See the Whiteside County homestead exemptions page.
Disabled person's exemption
A reduction of $2,000 in assessed value for disabled homeowners whose home is their principal residence.
How: See the Whiteside County homestead exemptions page.
Returning veterans
A $5,000 reduction in assessed value for veteran homeowners the year they return home from an armed conflict.
How: See the Whiteside County homestead exemptions page.

Money dates

June and September each yearWhiteside County property tax bills are paid in two installments, due by June and September.

Who serves this house

Water: City of Rock Falls Water Department; Standard water rates effective May 1, 2025: debt service charge $4.85, customer service charge for capital improvements $3.50, basic user charge $13.45 and basic user rate $5.70.
Property tax: 10.98% of value; 2025 tax year (payable 2026), Whiteside County, tax code 01110
Garbage: Midwest Disposal LLC; Residential customers in single family dwellings are charged $18.50 per month for weekly curbside garbage collection.
Sewer: City of Rock Falls; The City's wastewater page lists the standard wastewater rates.
Electricity: City of Rock Falls Electric Department; The City bills residential electric service under Rate R.
Gas: Nicor Gas; Rock Falls, Whiteside County, is on Nicor Gas's list of municipalities.

Pay or manage your bills

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How these numbers are made

Property tax uses Whiteside County's 2025 rates (payable 2026) for tax code 01110 (City of Rock Falls, Rock Falls Elementary District 13, Rock Falls High School District 301, Coloma Park District, Coloma Township): 10.9826 per $100 of equalized assessed value, including Special Service Area No. 1. Which code has the most homes is not published; other codes differ.
The starting value is one third of the Census median market value ($83,900 / 3) because Illinois taxes equalized assessed value at about 33.33% of market value. The $6,000 general homestead exemption comes off that value.
Water: $4.85 + $3.50 + $13.45 = $21.80 a month and $5.70 per 100 cubic feet. The city's industrial table shows the 5/8-inch minimum of $21.80 includes 300 cubic feet, so three units are treated as included in the standard charge. Sewer: $21.46 + $6.00 + $25.50 = $52.96 for the first three units and $6.70 + $0.85 = $7.55 per unit after, treating a unit as 100 cubic feet (an assumption: the city page does not define a sewer unit). The 2025-2029 rate study results and any rates from May 1, 2026 were not found on the city site; the May 1, 2025 schedule is the latest published.
Refuse is $18.50 a month from the city garbage page; the text of Ordinance 2026-2730 (solid waste, adopted April 7, 2026) was not published, so any change from it is not included.
Electricity is the city-owned Rate R, 2026-27 column: $17.30 + 0.1441 + 0.007 CCR = $0.1511 per kWh. The Purchase Power Adjustment (set by Ordinance 2026-2733, adopted April 21, 2026) and the Illinois electric excise tax are shown on the bill but their per-kWh amounts are not published on the city site, so they are not included: the electric total omits them and the real bill will run higher. Gas is Nicor Rate 1 ($21.30 + 24.44 cents distribution + the October 2026 gas cost of 33 cents a therm) with Rock Falls' 5.15% Rider 8 tax built in.
Not included: homeowners insurance (no official premium survey found); the page assumes 9 CCF of water a month because the city publishes no typical use.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

Common questions about Rock Falls house costs

What is the property tax rate in Rock Falls?

About 10.98% of the value before exemptions a year (2025 tax year (payable 2026), Whiteside County, tax code 01110), plus flat charges on the same bill.

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

About $54,254 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the general homestead exemption, reduces assessed value by up to.

How much is the water bill in Rock Falls?

About $154 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on City of Rock Falls Water Department.

How much does trash pickup cost in Rock Falls?

$19 a month for a house.

When is property tax due in Rock Falls?

June and September each year: Whiteside County property tax bills are paid in two installments, due by June and September.

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Rock Falls?

Yes. Seniors 65+: Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption: Reduces assessed value by $5,000 for persons 65 or older.

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

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