Winnetka, IL · Updated Oct 2026

What a Winnetka 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 Winnetka house

$29,414a year · $2,451 a month

Starts at $359,358 of value before exemptions. Typical use.

Property tax$22,489
6.437% of $359,358, less $10,000 homeowner exemption
Electricity and gas$4,327
1474 kWh a month $3,517 · 74.87 therms $810
Water and sewer$2,098
15 units (CCF) a month on Village of Winnetka water: water $117, sewer $35, stormwater fee, per equivalent runoff unit (eru) $23 a month
Trash$500
Curbside weekly, 65-gallon cart, $42 a month
Home insuranceNot included
We don't have a typical premium for this city yet. Add yours with Adjust.

A typical Winnetka house costs about $29,400 a year: $22,490 property tax and charges, $2,100 water and sewer, $500 trash, $4,330 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:

Switch to the curbside weekly, 35-gallon cart cartUp to $126 a year
Your cart costs $42 a month; the smallest costs $31. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Fill out the Village's Refuse Service Change Request Form.
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: See the Cook County Assessor page for this exemption.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartBack door service is priced separately; two 95-gallon pick-ups a week cost more.

Value before exemptionsMost Winnetka homes are in tax codes 23008, 23016, 23036, 23048-23050 (School District 36, park district and library) at 6.437 per $100; District 37 codes run 5.79 to 6.26 and District 38 about 6.89.

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 Winnetka house uses about 15.

Electricity, kWh a month

On your Village of Winnetka Water & Electric bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Who serves this house

Water: Village of Winnetka water; Service within corporate limits: $67.67 per 1,000 cubic feet, as metered
Property tax: 6.44% of value; 2025 tax year, Cook County tax code 23008
Garbage: Village of Winnetka Public Works; The Village of Winnetka provides water, electric, refuse, sanitary sewer, and stormwater (sewer) service to our residents and businesses.
Electricity: Village of Winnetka Water & Electric; The Village of Winnetka provides water, electric, refuse, sanitary sewer, and stormwater (sewer) service to our residents and businesses.
Gas: North Shore Gas; Additional Charges for State and Municipal Utility Taxes

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 23008 (Village of Winnetka, School District 36, New Trier Township High School District 203, Winnetka Park District, Winnetka-Northfield library; total 6.4371 per $100 of equalized assessed value). Codes with District 37 or 38 schools or no park district or library differ. Forest Preserve, elections, New Trier Township and mosquito abatement are grouped as other districts.
The starting value is the Assessor's 2025 median estimated market value for New Trier Township single-family homes ($1,186,000) times 10% times the 2025 equalization factor 3.0300; the $10,000 Homeowner Exemption comes off it. It is a township figure, not Winnetka alone. The 2025 equalization factor is from the Illinois Department of Revenue's 2025 Cook County multiplier notice (tax.illinois.gov, 2025-cook-multiplier-news) and the median from the Assessor's New Trier Township reassessment page. The Assessor publishes only this township figure (it also covers Northfield and part of Wilmette), and no Winnetka-only median was found, so Winnetka homes typically assess higher than this township median and the property-tax total is likely understated.
Water, sanitary sewer, refuse and stormwater are the Village's rates in Resolution R-91-2025 (effective January 1, 2026). Water and sewer are priced per 1,000 cubic feet, divided by 10 for CCF. Water use of 15 CCF a month is the Village's stated typical for a 1-inch meter. The Village Utility Services page still shows older water rates; the January 1, 2026 resolution is used. Stormwater is one ERU, the Village's average for a single-family parcel; actual fees depend on impervious area.
Electricity is the Village's residential Rate 1 for 2026, weighted 4 summer months and 8 winter months, at 1,474 kWh a month (17,683 kWh a year, the Village's typical). The Wholesale Power Purchase Cost Adjustment, which the Village's rate resolution (section D) sets from a bimonthly rolling average, is not included: the Village publishes no current per-kWh value. Its May 2025 utility presentation showed it as a credit (about -$11.26 on a 563 kWh bill) and said ratepayers had received a credit three years running, so it may lower the bill. Gas is North Shore Gas Rate 1 heating: distribution plus storage plus the October 2026 gas charge of $0.3769 per therm, times 1.0515 for the 5.15% municipal utility tax North Shore Gas lists for Winnetka (Rider 1 sheet effective January 25, 2024; the tax is not applied to the electric bill because no electric tax was found); riders are not included.
Not included: homeowners insurance (no official Illinois premium survey for Winnetka was found), yard waste stickers and special collections.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Winnetka compares

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

Per year	Winnetka	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	6.44%	8.23%	lower than 121 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover
Water	$1,405	$872	higher than 121 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$693	$535	higher than 81 of the other 123 Illinois cities we cover
Trash	$500	$283	higher than 127 of the other 127 Illinois cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$4,327	$2,163	higher than 131 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover
Total	$29,414	$11,701	higher than 131 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: Winnetka's property tax rate is 6.44%, lower than 121 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 Winnetka is 6.44%, lower than 121 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 $1,405 a year at typical use, higher than 121 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $1,405 a year at typical use, higher than 121 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 $500 a year for the standard cart, higher than 127 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 $500 a year for the standard cart, higher than 127 of the other 127 Illinois cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything about the service or the price?"

4. Electricity and gas

The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $4,327 a year, higher than 131 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.

Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $4,327 a year for a typical house, higher than 131 of the other 131 Illinois cities we cover. Which parts of that can the city influence, and what would you do about them?"

Common questions about Winnetka house costs

What is the property tax rate in Winnetka?

About 6.44% of the value before exemptions a year (2025 tax year, Cook County tax code 23008), plus flat charges on the same bill.

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

About $31,542 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowner exemption.

How much is the water bill in Winnetka?

About $175 a month for water and sewer at typical use (15 units, or 11,220 gallons a month) on Village of Winnetka water.

How much does trash pickup cost in Winnetka?

$31 to $52 a month, depending on the trash cart size (Curbside weekly, 35-gallon cart, Curbside weekly, 65-gallon cart, Curbside weekly, 95-gallon cart).

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Winnetka?

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 Winnetka cost to run each year?

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