Illinois vs Texas
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 | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Sale type | Tax lien certificate | Redeemable deed |
| Rate / penalty | Up to 9% per 6-month period, bid down | 25% penalty |
| Redemption | 2.5–3 years (1 year for vacant/commercial) | 180 days or 2 years |
These aren't the same kind of sale: Illinois runs a tax lien certificate, while Texas 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), Texas gives 180 days or 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 →Texas doesn't sell tax lien certificates — it sells redeemable deeds. The winning bidder takes the deed at the sale. On most property the prior owner has 180 days to redeem at a flat 25% penalty, but on a residence homestead, agricultural land or a mineral interest the window is two years, at 25% in the first year and 50% in the second (Tex. Tax Code § 34.21).
Full Texas page →Property & tax market
| | Illinois | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $263,300 | $283,800 |
| Median property tax / year | $5,298 | $4,232 |
| Tax / home value | 2.0% | 1.5% |
| Tax / household income | 6.4% | 5.4% |
| Homes owned outright | 39.2% | 44.0% |
| “Other vacant” homes | 3.9% | 3.5% |
| Median year built | 1971 | 1992 |
A typical home in Illinois pays 1.3× the property tax of one in Texas ($5,298 against $4,232 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 44.0% in Texas. The Census “other vacant” share (foreclosures, homes in legal limbo or needing repairs, abandoned homes) is 3.9% against 3.5%: about the same, so neither state's lists should carry noticeably more empty properties.
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 Texas a tax lien state?+
Illinois is a tax lien certificate state. Texas is a redeemable deed state.
Which has the higher rate, Illinois or Texas?+
Illinois: Up to 9% per 6-month period, bid down. Texas: 25% penalty. Compare the actual statutory ceiling, not just the headline number — most "up to" rates get bid down at auction.
Which redeems faster, Illinois or Texas?+
Redemption windows differ: Illinois gives owners 2.5–3 years (1 year for vacant/commercial), Texas gives 180 days or 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 Texas?+
The median homeowner pays $5,298 a year in Illinois and $4,232 in Texas (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates). A typical home in Illinois pays 1.3× the property tax of one in Texas ($5,298 against $4,232 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.