Illinois vs Mississippi
Same underlying data as the individual state pages, side by side. Statutory rates and redemption windows only — always confirm against the county's own auction notice before bidding.
| | Illinois | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Sale type | Tax lien certificate | Redeemable deed |
| Rate / penalty | Up to 9% per 6-month period, bid down | 1.5% a month on taxes and costs (not the overbid) |
| Redemption | 2.5–3 years (1 year for vacant/commercial) | 2 years |
These aren't the same kind of sale: Illinois runs a tax lien certificate, while Mississippi runs a redeemable deed. That changes what you actually hold after the sale — a claim against the debt in one case, the property itself (or a right to it) in the other.
Redemption windows differ: Illinois gives owners 2.5–3 years (1 year for vacant/commercial), Mississippi gives 2 years — the state with the shorter window resolves faster, for better or worse depending on what you're optimizing for.
Illinois sells delinquent taxes at an annual county tax sale where bidders compete on the penalty they will accept, capped at 9% since 2022 (35 ILCS 200/21-215); the redeeming owner pays that penalty once for each six-month period that has begun, up to six (§ 21-355). Most property can be redeemed for 2½ years (one year for vacant non-farm, commercial, industrial and 7+-unit property), and three years on certificates sold on or after July 10, 2026, when HB 4537 (P.A. 104-553) replaced the direct tax deed with a court-ordered auction that returns any surplus to the former owner and let counties acquire the liens themselves (§§ 21-190, 21-350, 22-40, 22-42).
Full Illinois page →Mississippi tax collectors sell the land itself on the last Monday of August to the highest bidder (Miss. Code §§ 27-41-55, 27-41-59). The buyer's title is subject to a two-year right of redemption, with no possession until the chancery clerk's deed (§§ 27-41-81, 27-45-3, 27-45-23). A redeeming owner pays the taxes and costs plus 1.5% a month, which go to the buyer, and 5% damages, which go to the county; the overbid is kept by the county if the land is redeemed (§§ 27-45-1, 27-41-77).
Full Mississippi page →Property & tax market
| | Illinois | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $263,300 | $169,800 |
| Median property tax / year | $5,298 | $1,215 |
| Tax / home value | 2.0% | 0.7% |
| Tax / household income | 6.4% | 2.2% |
| Homes owned outright | 39.2% | 50.6% |
| “Other vacant” homes | 3.9% | 9.1% |
| Median year built | 1971 | 1986 |
A typical home in Illinois pays 4.4× the property tax of one in Mississippi ($5,298 against $1,215 a year). That is the scale of what a typical home owes per unpaid year in each state, and of the money a certificate or a deed sale's opening bid is built from.
Homes owned outright — where no lender has a reason to pay the delinquent bill for the owner — are 39.2% of owner-occupied homes in Illinois and 50.6% in Mississippi. The Census “other vacant” share (foreclosures, homes in legal limbo or needing repairs, abandoned homes) is 3.9% against 9.1%: Mississippi has more of the empty properties that tend to go unredeemed — and to need work if the deed ends up yours.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25077, B25103, B25081, B25002, B25004, B25035, B19013). Medians of what owners report paying, not statutory rates. County-level figures are on each state page.
Quick answers
Is Illinois or Mississippi a tax lien state?+
Illinois is a tax lien certificate state. Mississippi is a redeemable deed state.
Which has the higher rate, Illinois or Mississippi?+
Illinois: Up to 9% per 6-month period, bid down. Mississippi: 1.5% a month on taxes and costs (not the overbid). Compare the actual statutory ceiling, not just the headline number — most "up to" rates get bid down at auction.
Which redeems faster, Illinois or Mississippi?+
Redemption windows differ: Illinois gives owners 2.5–3 years (1 year for vacant/commercial), Mississippi gives 2 years — the state with the shorter window resolves faster, for better or worse depending on what you're optimizing for.
Are property taxes higher in Illinois or Mississippi?+
The median homeowner pays $5,298 a year in Illinois and $1,215 in Mississippi (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates). A typical home in Illinois pays 4.4× the property tax of one in Mississippi ($5,298 against $1,215 a year). That is the scale of what a typical home owes per unpaid year in each state, and of the money a certificate or a deed sale's opening bid is built from.
Want to line up more than two states, or swap in different ones? Use the interactive comparison tool — up to four states at once.
See where these two rank against all 50 states: full rankings.
This page is general information, not financial or legal advice. Rates and redemption periods are set by state statute and can change by county or legislative session — always confirm against the county's own auction notice before bidding.