Are you frustrated trying to find property data in Cook County through the county’s website? As leaders in the lending, insuring, and investing industries, we rely on property information accessible through public records. It’s getting to those records easily and quickly that presents a challenge. Our time is valuable, and spending hours or days on one property search is not cost-efficient or productive.There’s an easier way to bypass the frustration and save time!Don’t let county websites suck you into the abyss of endless pages! Try a quick search for the data you need on PropertyScout.io.
A Synopsis of Cook County
Cook County hugs the shoreline of Lake Michigan and has the “Windy City” of Chicago poised right in the center of that shoreline. Larger suburban cities border Chicago as they spread outward, making Cook County a very densely populated county! Many from around the globe make a pilgrimage to Chicago to see the attractions. Seeing the expansive city from the Sears Tower is a must for anyone new to the area. The “Magnificent Mile” provides visitors with a unique shopping experience that offers modern and timeless classic stores, boutiques, and shops. Three massive multi-level shopping malls beckon strollers from the street for a glamorous atmosphere with even more shopping opportunities. Chicago is a mecca for tourists year-round. There’s something magical about spending the holidays in Chicago where snowflakes as big as cookies quietly fall from the sky. Football fans huddle together under blankets to enjoy a game in Soldier’s Field. We can’t forget the infamous Chicago-style pizza, and Chicago hotdogs that visitors and residents seek out and devour!Lenders, insurers, and investors…do a Cook County property tax search HERE!
Investment Opportunities In Cook County
The year-round influx of tourists, college students, temporary corporate workers, and temporary city dwellers creates housing needs that will cause an investor’s dollar senses to tingle! Offering a turnkey vacation or seasonal rental to those coming to the city may prove to be a money-making opportunity. A small rental apartment near the shopping attractions is ideal for offering weekend shoppers coming in for a weekend or during the holidays. A cottage along the shoreline north of Chicago near the beach is something seasonal renters will find appealing.
The Scope of Cook County
Cook County is the second-most densely populated county in the U.S. (Los Angeles County being first.) The 94 towns and cities within Cook County fall under one of the 30 townships. These townships are similar to a district. When searching for property information in this county, you may find that you’ll need to know what township that property is located in.To add more confusion to finding property information, a property may fall within one of the county’s 800 local governments. Within those 800 local governments are 130 municipalities!
Towns And Cities In Cook County
- Barrington
- Berwyn
- Bloom
- Bremen
- Calumet
- Chicago
- Cicero
- Elk Grove
- Evanston
- Hanover
- Lemont
- Leyden
- Lyons Palos
- Maine
- New Trier
- Niles
- Northfield
- Norwood Park
- Oak Park
- Orland
- Paletine
- Proviso
- Rich
- River Forest
- Riverside
- Schaumburg
- Stickney
- Thornton
- Wheeling
- Worth
Townships in Cook County
Every town or city falls within a township, similar to a district
- Alsip
- Arlington Heights
- Bellwood
- Berkeley
- Berwyn
- Blue Island
- Bridgeview
- Broadview
- Burbank
- Calumet City
- Chicago
- Chicago Heights
- Chicago Ridge
- Cicero
- Country Club Hills
- Des Plaines
- Dolton
- Elk Grove Village
- Elmwood Park
- Evanston
- Evergreen Park
- Flossmoor
- Forest Park
- Franklin Park
- Glencoe
- Glenview
- Glenwood
- Golf
- Hanover Park
- Harvey
- Harwood Heights
- Hazel Crest
- Hickory Hills
- Hillside
- Hines
- Hoffman Estates
- Hometown
- Homewood
- Justice
- Kenilworth
- La Grange
- La Grange Park
- Lansing
- Lemont
- Lincolnwood
- Lyons
- Markham
- Matteson
- Maywood
- Melrose Park
- Midlothian
- Morton Grove
- Mount Prospect
- Niles
- Northbrook
- Oak Forest
- Oak Lawn
- Oak Park
- Olympia Fields
- Orland Park
- Palatine
- Palos Heights
- Palos Hills
- Palos Park
- Park Forest
- Park Ridge
- Posen
- Prospect Heights
- Richton Park
- River Forest
- River Grove
- Riverdale
- Riverside
- Robbins
- Rolling Meadows
- Schaumburg
- Schiller Park
- Skokie
- South Holland
- Steger
- Stone Park
- Streamwood
- Summit Argo
- Techny
- Thornton
- Tinley Park
- Westchester
- Western Springs
- Wheeling
- Willow Springs
- Wilmette
- Winnetka
- Worth
Owning or Renting Property in Cook County
Cook County offers an array of property options for potential home buyers or renters. You have the amenities of a big city, suburban living, or smaller rural areas. Driving distance to the shoreline of Lake Michigan provides recreational activities that many enjoy. Everything from a single-family home to an upscale high-rise apartment is available here.
Quick Facts About Cook County
- Covers 946 square miles (city of Chicago makes up 85% of the county)
- Established January 15, 1831
- Population: 5.3 million
- 73 Hospitals
- 153 School districts
- 1,374 public schools
- 766,000+ students
- Public Services
- 5 Sheriff’s Police Districts
- 1 Sheriff’s Department
- Chicago Police Department
- 302 Fire Departments
- Chicago Metro Fire has 128 stations in their district.
- Colleges/Universities
- 116+
- 1 Military Base (Great Lakes Training Center – Navy Base)
- GDP Cook County
- 2018: $411,671,713
- 2016: $383,453,743
Property Climate in Cook County
- Median Home Listing Price: $324,900
- Median Home Sale Price: $275,000
- Median Home Price Per Sq. Ft. Price: $203
Property Taxes
There are 1,400 taxing agencies in Cook County. Property taxes provide about 50% revenue for schools in the county.
Average Tax Rates (2019)
- Chicago: 6.890%
- Suburbs (North/Northwest): 8.920%
- Suburbs (South/Southwest): 13.317%
An average increase of 4% was incurred from 2018-2019.
- Highest tax rate in the county (Park Forest): 35.748%
- Lowest tax rate in the county (Burr Ridge): 7.111%
Home Value Appreciation for Cook County
The housing market in Cook County saw an 8% increase in listings/sales.
- September 2020
- Median Listing Price: $325,000
- Median Sale Price: $281,000
- September 2019
- Median Listing Price: $299,000
- Median Sale Price: $242,000
- September 2018
- Median Listing Price: $295,000
- Median Sale Price: $242,000
Median Home Values
- 28% $100,000-$200,000
- 23% $200,000-$300,000
- 15% $300,000-$400,000
- 8% $400,000-$500,000
- 8% $500,000-$750,000
- 3% > $750,000
Owner Occupancy Rate for Cook County
Cook County has 2,188,394 homes.
- 90% are occupied
- 10% are vacant
- 56.9% are owner-occupied
Rental Property Data for Cook County
The median monthly rent is $1,091.0043% of the 2,188,394 homes in Cook County are rentals
Median Monthly Rentals
- 11% < $500
- 10% $500-$750
- 24% $750-$1,000
- 32% $1,000-$1,500
- 20% $1,500-$2,500
Credit Stress in Cook County
Surprisingly, Cook County has a low percentage of those with second mortgages and/or home equity line of credits. For such a densely populated county, the numbers are relatively low!
- 2nd Mortgages – 2%
- HELOCS – 7%
- No 2nd Mortgage or HELOC – 56%
- No Mortgage – 35%
Property Insurance and Risks in Cook County
Cook County has its fair share of natural disasters. Valuable data regarding risk assessment, mitigation, and at what cost natural disasters have imposed on the county is compiled in the county’s hazard mitigation plan. The county has had 1,909 past natural disasters that have totaled more than $670 billion! The most costly type of natural disaster in the county has been flooding. The damage from 231 flood events has amounted to $506,040,000 million. Following in the footsteps of costly damage are the 57 tornadoes that caused $118,337,750 million. Storm damage (1,443 events) cost $44,820,600 while winter events (178) cost $700,000. More detailed reports break down other events that cause a significant increase in damage expenses.
Our Journey With A Cook County Property Lookup
As large and expansive as Cook County is, having a comprehensive, user-friendly website with access to property records is something we would expect. However, once we began our journey into the website, we were quickly met with some major frustration.We enter a search for “public records” on the county’s landing page. Another page opens, revealing 730 linking articles. Now, who has time to go through all of those to determine where the source for public records is? We go back to the landing page.We enter another search for “real estate records.” Another page opens, revealing 138 linking articles. Yet again, we retreat to the landing page. At the top of the page is a link for “Agencies.” So, we click on it. A new page opens. We click on “Assessor.” Another new page opens.We go into all of the links on the “Assessor” page. Each link takes you further and further into an abyss. We turn back and go back to the assessor page. Scrolling to the bottom of the page, we find a link for “Assessor’s Website.” We click on that, and a new page opens. The “Assessor’s Website” page has numerous links. We click on “online tools,” thinking that it may take us to a portal for public records, real estate records, or property records. A new page opens with nothing but COVID19 information. As luck would have it, we find a link on this page “Enter PIN to see property details/search by address.” We click on this, and we are taken back to the county’s website landing page.We go back up to the top and click on “Agencies,” and a new page opens listing all of the different entities that run the county. We click on “Recorder of Deeds,” and a new page opens. We click on “search public records.” A new page opens and appears to be antiquated. This page has two options to search; “20/20” and “Onyx Power User Site.” In trying both, you are required to have a PIN to access records. At this point, we sit here trying to make rhyme or reason out of what agency in this county maintains property records. Do we attempt to try Cook County property appraiser? Apparently after searching, there’s no appraiser in county agencies. Now, most county assessors are the right place to go. We go back to the assessor’s website page. After a few minutes of looking around, we try our hand again, exploring the entire page and its links. Scrolling down, a banner that is disguised to look like an ad has “Enter PIN to see property details.” We don’t have a PIN, but the small lettering below notes “Search by Address.” We click on that, and a new page opens with options to search by PIN, address, or neighborhood. This is the sweet spot we’ve been looking for to get to property records! But disappointment meets us because to do a search; we must have a PIN, have the address, or know the exact neighborhood to gain access to property records. After 1 hour and 45 minutes of a fruitless search, we closed our laptop.A Cook County property lookup should not be this difficult.Don’t waste hours of your precious time. Go DIRECTLY to Cook County Real Estate Records by trying a search on PropertyScout.io!
Cook County Property Records By Name Is Just ONE CLICK Away!
Don’t let yourself get caught up in Cook County’s website. The deeper you go, the more frustrated you become. We spend the time to investigate for ourselves just how cumbersome county websites can be when it comes to searching for property records. Use your time more productively and avoid the painful process of page upon page and link upon link. Get the information you need FAST, and only one click away with PropertyScout.io.
- Property records and data you need right at your fingertips.
- You save time (which is money!)
Lenders, investors, and insurers… we encourage you to try a search on PropertyScout.io.Source for county statistics: www.towncharts.com