Seller Costs
What it really costs to sell a house in Chicago & Cook County
The short answer: Most Cook County sellers pay roughly 8–10% of the sale price — a bit more than DuPage, because municipal transfer taxes here are far heavier. On the county's median sale price of about $398,875, that's roughly $32,000–$40,000. The wild card is your town: the transfer tax alone ranges from $598 in most suburbs to $4,587 in Berwyn or Cicero on that same sale.
Selling in Cook County costs more than selling in DuPage, and the reason is almost entirely one line item: municipal transfer taxes. Most DuPage towns charge nothing extra. In Cook, your town might charge nothing — or it might charge more than seven times what your neighbor two suburbs over pays. Here is the whole picture.
The line items, on a median Cook County home
Cook County's median sale price is $398,875. This example assumes a suburb with no municipal transfer tax, which describes roughly 60 Cook towns including Arlington Heights, Barrington, and Palatine.
| Cost | What it is | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate commission | Negotiable; the largest cost by far | $16,000–$24,000 |
| State & county transfer tax | $1.00 (state) + $0.50 (county) per $1,000, seller-paid | $598 |
| Municipal transfer tax | Varies enormously — see below | $0–$3,989 |
| Attorney fee | Illinois closings involve attorneys; usually flat fee | $500–$1,500 |
| Owner's title insurance | Customarily seller-paid in Illinois | $1,000–$2,000 |
| Survey | Typically seller-paid on single-family homes | $350–$500 |
| Property tax proration | Credit to buyer — Illinois taxes are paid in arrears | Often $3,000–$9,000 |
| Water certificate, inspections, recording | Point-of-sale requirements vary by town | $200–$800 |
| Typical total | ≈ $32,000–$40,000 | |
The one number that changes everything: your town
This is the single biggest difference between selling in Cook and selling anywhere else in the region. Same house, same price — wildly different tax bill depending on the municipality.
| Town | Total seller transfer tax | On a $398,875 sale |
|---|---|---|
| Berwyn, Cicero | $11.50 per $1,000 | $4,587 |
| Oak Park | $9.50 per $1,000 | $3,789 |
| Bellwood, Elmwood Park, Evanston | $6.50 per $1,000 | $2,593 |
| Maywood | $5.50 per $1,000 | $2,194 |
| Chicago (all neighborhoods) | $4.50 per $1,000 | $1,795 |
| Skokie, Buffalo Grove, Hoffman Estates & others | $4.50 per $1,000 | $1,795 |
| Des Plaines, Park Ridge | $3.50 per $1,000 | $1,396 |
| River Forest, Schaumburg | $2.50 per $1,000 | $997 |
| ~60 other Cook suburbs (Arlington Heights, Palatine, Barrington…) | $1.50 per $1,000 | $598 |
Read that top row against the bottom one: a Berwyn seller pays $3,989 more than an Arlington Heights seller on an identical sale. It is not negotiable and it is not avoidable — but it should absolutely be in your net-proceeds math from day one. Compare all 167 towns in one table.
Selling in Chicago: the transfer tax is split
Chicago works differently from the suburbs, and it works in your favor. The tax is shared:
- The buyer pays the city portion — $7.50 per $1,000.
- You pay the CTA portion — $3.00 per $1,000, plus the $1.50 state and county, for a combined $4.50 per $1,000.
So on a $398,875 Chicago sale, your transfer tax is about $1,795 — less than half what an Oak Park seller pays, and well under Berwyn or Cicero.
Chicago's point-of-sale requirements
The city has rules that can stop a closing cold if they are left until the last week:
- Water Full Payment Certificate — the sale cannot record until the Department of Water confirms the water and sewer account is paid current.
- Heating cost disclosure — required for residential sales.
- Zoning certificate — required for buildings of two to six units, which covers a large share of the city's two-flats and three-flats.
None of these are difficult. All of them take time. I start them the week we list, not the week we close.
Suburban Cook: check your village early
Most Cook suburbs require a final water reading with all balances paid before they will issue a transfer stamp, and no stamp means no recording. Several add a pre-transfer or exterior inspection on top of that, and a few will hold the stamp until outstanding fines or village charges are cleared.
Berwyn, for example, requires the final reading to be requested at least three working days before closing, plus a pre-transfer inspection. That is a small ask if you know about it in advance and a genuine emergency if you find out five days before your close date. Every one of my 167 area pages lists that town's specific requirements.
Property tax proration — bigger here than you think
Illinois taxes are paid in arrears, so at closing you credit the buyer for the portion of the year you owned the home but have not yet been billed for. Cook County's assessment cycle and higher effective rates in many suburbs mean this credit is frequently $5,000 or more. It is not a fee anyone is charging you — it is your own tax obligation being settled — but it comes straight off your proceeds.
Run your own numbers
Every figure here is adjustable in the calculator — and each of my city pages has a version pre-loaded with that town's exact transfer tax.
Open the net proceeds calculatorWhat you can control, and what you can't
- Negotiable: commission, buyer-agent compensation, repairs, closing date, concessions.
- Fixed: state, county, and municipal transfer taxes, recording fees, the tax proration, point-of-sale requirements.
- Shoppable: attorney and title — worth a couple of calls, though savings are in the hundreds.
Which is why pricing beats fee-shaving every time. In a county where more than half of homes sell above asking, getting the list price right is worth far more than any line above.
Common questions
How much does it cost to sell a house in Cook County?
Roughly 8–10% all-in, or about $32,000–$40,000 on the county's $398,875 median — with your municipality's transfer tax being the biggest swing factor.
Is it cheaper to sell in Chicago or the suburbs?
Often Chicago, surprisingly. Because the buyer absorbs the larger city portion, a Chicago seller's $4.50 per $1,000 is well below Oak Park, Evanston, Berwyn, or Cicero.
Are commissions negotiable in Illinois?
Always. Here's what changed after the NAR settlement and how to have that conversation.
How does this compare to DuPage County?
DuPage is generally cheaper, mainly because most DuPage towns have no municipal transfer tax at all. See the DuPage breakdown.
Sources & notes: Median sale price from Redfin (Cook County, June 2026). Municipal transfer tax rates and point-of-sale requirements verified against each municipality's published schedule and refreshed quarterly — confirm current rates with your municipality before closing, as they change. Attorney, title, and survey ranges reflect typical Illinois residential closings and vary by provider and transaction complexity. Property tax proration depends on assessed value, local rates, and closing date. General information for Illinois home sellers, not legal or tax advice.