Natalie K.: It’s definitely making me think of our future staying in Illinois.

Natalie K. owns a 5,200 square foot, 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom Belleville home that is currently assessed at $297,456.

Natalie took possession of the home in 2016 when it was worth around $340,000, or $357,611 in today’s dollars. She has paid $19,099 in property taxes since 2016, more than 5.6 percent of the original value of her home.

“It’s definitely making me think of our future staying in Illinois,” Natalie said. “Even if we have our house paid off, we’ll still be paying a ridiculous amount in taxes. We don’t even have water here, we’re on well water and septic.”

Natalie is currently paying $9,554 per year in property taxes on her home, about 3.2 percent of the St. Clair County Assessor claimed value of $297,456.

Natalie is currently paying $9,554 per year in property taxes on her home, about 3.2 percent of the St. Clair County Assessor claimed value of $297,456.

“I would like to have our taxes lowered or the money allocated better to make it more geared toward families in our area,” Natalie said.

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 think a cap sounds like a good idea, but it depends on other factors,” Natalie said.

If Natalie lived in Indiana the most she could be charged in property taxes would be $2,974 per year or $6,580 less than what she currently pays in Illinois.

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