Jefferson Township Property Tax Appeal Results
When Jefferson Township was reassessed in 2024, about 28% of Cook County Assessor appeals won a reduction — across more than 33,000 filings, one of the busiest appeal populations in the city. Here’s what the county-wide data shows, broken down by property class, and why the reassessment year is the number that actually matters.
(2024 reassessment)
(9,352 appeals)
value cut
removed
Jefferson Township covers a big slice of Chicago’s Northwest Side — Jefferson Park, Portage Park, Irving Park, Albany Park, Forest Glen, and the surrounding bungalow-belt neighborhoods. Because it sits in the City of Chicago reassessment triad, its property values were freshly reset in 2024 and hold until the next reassessment in 2027, which makes 2024 the year that really counts for an appeal.
The 60-Second Version
- In the 2024 reassessment, Jefferson Township had 33,217 Assessor appeals, counting each appeal once, and 9,352 won a reduction — a 28.2% success rate.
- The typical (median) successful appeal cut assessed value by $3,800 — roughly $760 a year, or about $2,300 across the three-year cycle that value is locked in.
- Income property won most often: multifamily (51.9%) and commercial (44.9%) cleared close to half. Here, condo appeals (33.1%) actually beat single-family homes (26.1%) — the reverse of the usual pattern.
- 2025 was an off-year annual window, not a reassessment — more than 13,000 appeals at a lower 14.6% rate. Judge your odds by the reassessment year, not the off-year.
01 · Why 2024 countsWhy the reassessment year is the one to read
Cook County reassesses property in three-year cycles. The City of Chicago triad — which includes Jefferson Township — was reassessed in 2024, and those values carry through 2026 until the next reassessment in 2027. A reassessment is when the Assessor resets your value, so it’s both the moment most likely to push your assessment too high and the appeal that locks in savings for the rest of the cycle.
That’s why this report leads on 2024. The volume confirms it: Jefferson’s reassessment years draw enormous filing waves (29,004 appeals in 2021, then 33,217 in 2024, counting each appeal once), dwarfing the off-years. 2024 is the representative dataset for asking, “If I appeal my new assessment here, what are my odds?”
02 · Overall resultsThe headline numbers for 2024
Across all property types in the 2024 reassessment, Jefferson Township recorded:
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Total appeals filed | 33,217 |
| Appeals that won a reduction | 9,352 |
| Overall success rate | 28.2% |
| Median reduction (winning appeals) | $3,800 |
| Total assessed value removed | $163.6M |
A “reduction” here means the Assessor lowered the assessed value after review; appeals that ended in no change are counted as unsuccessful. A 28% success rate across a 33,000-appeal field means more than 9,000 Jefferson appeals came away with a lower assessment — the ones that win tend to bring accurate property data, the right classification, and strong comparable sales or income evidence.
A note on averages: the average winning reduction (about $17,500) runs well above the $3,800 median, because a relatively small number of large multifamily and commercial properties pull the mean up. For a typical home, the median is the honest yardstick.
03 · By property classWhere appeals actually won
Outcomes split sharply by property class — classification drives both how a property is valued and how an appeal is judged.
| Property class | Appeals | Won | Success | Median cut (AV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multifamily (3xx) | 890 | 462 | 51.9% | $18,000 |
| Commercial (5xx) | 1,813 | 814 | 44.9% | $23,296 |
| Condominium (299) | 1,198 | 397 | 33.1% | $7,983* |
| Residential (2xx) | 29,277 | 7,645 | 26.1% | $3,200 |
Income property led the township. Multifamily and commercial parcels won close to half their appeals, because income-producing property is valued on numbers — rents, vacancy, expenses — that an appeal can directly challenge with evidence. Their median reductions ($18,000 and $23,296) also dwarf the residential figures.
The condo surprise. In many townships condos are the toughest class, but Jefferson is an exception: condo appeals won 33.1% of the time, ahead of single-family homes at 26.1%. *Counted by appeal, a condo appeal often covers a whole building's units, decided together, so its median cut ($7,983) is usually a building's, not one unit's; the odds were better — worth knowing if you own a Northwest Side condo.
Residential is the overwhelming story by volume: 29,277 of the 33,217 appeals were houses and small residential parcels. They carry the township average, which is why the headline rate sits near the residential rate.
04 · What it’s worthTurning an assessment cut into tax dollars
An assessed-value reduction becomes real money once you run it through the state equalizer (3.0355 for the 2024 tax year) and Jefferson’s composite tax rate (about 6.62%). For the township-wide median cut of $3,800, that’s roughly $760 a year — and because a reassessment-year reduction holds through the cycle, about $2,300 over three years. By class:
| Property class | Median cut (AV) | Est. annual tax saving* |
|---|---|---|
| Multifamily (3xx) | $18,000 | ~$3,620 |
| Commercial (5xx) | $23,296 | ~$4,680 |
| Residential (2xx) | $3,200 | ~$640 |
| Condominium (299) | $7,983 | ~$1,600 |
*Illustrative: median assessed-value reduction × state equalizer (3.0355 for the 2024 tax year) × township composite rate (6.618606%), before exemptions. Your actual saving depends on your final assessment, exemptions, and the year’s rate.
05 · 2025 in contextWhy the off-year looks so different
You may see a 2025 figure for Jefferson Township quoted around a 15% success rate. That’s about right (14.6%, counting each appeal once), but it’s an off-year annual window, not a reassessment — and it behaves differently:
| 2024 (reassessment) | 2025 (off-year) | |
|---|---|---|
| Appeals filed | 33,217 | 13,400 |
| Won a reduction | 9,352 | 1,963 |
| Success rate | 28.2% | 14.6% |
| Median reduction | $3,800 | $3,527 |
In an off-year the Assessor hasn’t reset values, so there’s less to correct and the headline success rate falls. Notice the median reduction barely moves ($3,800 vs. $3,527) — when an off-year appeal does win, the dollar result is similar; there are just proportionally fewer winners. The off-year average is a poor guide to your odds. Read them from the reassessment year.
06 · What it meansWhat this means for property owners
- Know your class. A two-flat, a condo, and a storefront in the same township face very different odds — benchmark against your own class, not the township average.
- Condos, take note. On the Northwest Side, condo appeals won more often than single-family homes in 2024 — don’t assume a condo can’t move.
- Evidence wins. Accurate property characteristics, correct classification, and strong comparables (or income data) separate the appeals that move from the ones that don’t.
- Time it to the cycle. A reduction won in the reassessment year carries through 2026, so the savings compound across the cycle.
See Your Jefferson Appeal Potential
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Check My PropertyJefferson Township Appeal Results — FAQ
What was the appeal success rate in Jefferson Township?
In the 2024 reassessment, 9,352 of 33,217 Cook County Assessor appeals won a reduction in Jefferson Township, counting each appeal once — a 28.2% success rate. The 2025 off-year window had a lower rate (about 14.6%) on fewer filings.
Where is Jefferson Township?
Jefferson Township is on Chicago’s Northwest Side, covering Jefferson Park, Portage Park, Irving Park, Albany Park, Forest Glen, and nearby bungalow-belt neighborhoods. It is part of the City of Chicago and its reassessment triad.
Why does this report focus on 2024 instead of the latest year?
Jefferson is in the City of Chicago triad, reassessed in 2024 with values holding through 2026. The reassessment year is when assessments are reset and an appeal locks in savings for the cycle, so it’s the most meaningful benchmark. Off-years like 2025 draw fewer winners and distort the headline rate.
Which property types had the best results?
Income property. Multifamily (51.9%) and commercial (44.9%) won close to half their 2024 appeals. Notably, condo appeals (33.1%) outperformed single-family homes (26.1%) in Jefferson — the reverse of the usual pattern.
How much can a successful appeal save?
The median winning 2024 appeal cut assessed value by $3,800, which works out to roughly $760 a year at the township composite rate — about $2,300 across the three-year cycle. Multifamily and commercial reductions save considerably more. Figures are illustrative and vary by property.
Does a low township success rate mean I shouldn’t appeal?
No. Township averages include many weak or unsupported filings. A well-prepared appeal — correct data, right class, strong comparables — can still win even where the average looks modest.
Notes & Sources
- Figures are derived from Cook County Assessor appeal records (public appeal-decision data) for parcels in Jefferson Township (Assessor town 71), tax years 2024 and 2025. A “reduction” means the Assessor lowered the assessed value on review.
- Reassessment cycle reflects the City of Chicago triad (reassessed 2024, next 2027); Jefferson’s 2025 Assessor appeal window closed October 3, 2025.
- Estimated tax savings use the Illinois state equalization factor (3.0355 for the 2024 tax year) and Jefferson’s modal composite tax rate (6.618606%), before exemptions; they are illustrative, not a guarantee.
- Median is used as the typical reduction because a small number of large properties skew the average upward.
- This analysis is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Keep Reading
This analysis summarizes Cook County Assessor appeal outcomes for Jefferson Township using public appeal-decision data and is general information, not legal or tax advice. Assessed values, exemptions, and tax rates are set by the Cook County Assessor, Clerk, and Treasurer. Estimated savings use the state equalization factor and the township’s composite rate before exemptions and are illustrative. “No upfront cost — you only pay if you save” describes our contingency fee model.
