Linda J.: I can’t afford to continue living in Chicago.

Linda J. owns a 1,668-square foot, 2-bathroom Chicago home that is currently assessed at $346,630

“I’ve been looking elsewhere,” Linda said. “I can’t afford to continue living in Chicago. There is no way.”

Linda took possession of the home in 1998. She has paid $44,869 in property taxes since 2006.

“I have to work two jobs just to maintain,” Linda said. “If it wasn’t for work there is no way I could afford it all and still be able to eat.”

“I have to work two jobs just to maintain,” Linda said. “If it wasn’t for work there is no way I could afford it all and still be able to eat.”

Linda is currently paying $5,279 per year in property taxes on her home, about 1.5 percent of the Cook County Assessor claimed value of $346,630.

“I’ll be 66 next week and if I wasn’t still working, I’d be screwed,” Linda said. “Even at retirement age and I’m getting Social Security, I still have to work. I’m working two jobs.”

Indiana has a hard 1 percent cap on property taxes. This means local governments are not allowed under state law to charge homeowner’s more than 1 percent of their home’s assessed value per year. The average property tax rate for the state of Indiana is 0.89 percent. Meanwhile, the average property tax rate in Illinois is 2.3 percent.

“I don’t see where that amount of money is going,” Linda said. “We need to do a percentage of the true value assessment of the property or a flat fee. You can’t keep killing the middle class because you’re going to kill us out of town and there will be no middle class.”

If Linda lived in Indiana the most she could be charged in property taxes would be $3,466 per year or $1,813 less than what she currently pays in Illinois.

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