Livingston County has received a final property assessment equalization factor of 1.0000 for 2025, according to David Harris, director of the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR). The equalization factor, also known as the “multiplier,” is used to ensure that property assessments are uniform across counties in Illinois. This process is important because many local taxing districts, such as school and fire protection districts, cross county lines.
David Harris explained, “The property assessment equalization factor, often called the ‘multiplier,’ is the method used to achieve uniform property assessments among counties, as required by law. This equalization is particularly important because some of the state’s 6,600 local taxing districts overlap into two or more counties (e.g., school districts, junior college districts, fire protection districts). If there was no equalization among counties, substantial inequities among taxpayers with comparable properties would result.”
Illinois law requires most property to be assessed at one-third of its market value. Farm homesites and dwellings follow standard procedures for assessing and equalizing value. However, farmland itself is assessed based on one-third of its agricultural economic value and does not use the state multiplier.
For Livingston County, assessments are currently at 33.32% of market value based on sales from 2022 through 2024. The assigned multiplier applies to taxes payable in 2026. Last year’s multiplier for Livingston County was also set at 1.0000.
A public hearing was held before issuing the final assessment factor. The tentative factor announced on October 30, 2025 was also set at 1.0000.
Each year, IDOR determines the multiplier by comparing recent sale prices with assessed values over a three-year period. When average assessments match one-third of market value, the multiplier remains at one; if they exceed or fall short of this level, adjustments are made accordingly.
Harris clarified that changes in the multiplier do not directly impact total property tax bills: “A change in the equalization factor does not mean total property tax bills will increase or decrease. Tax bills are determined by local taxing bodies when they request money each year to provide services to local citizens. If the amount requested by local taxing districts is not greater than the amount received in the previous year, then total property taxes will not increase even if assessments increase.”
He added that an individual’s share of taxes depends on their property’s assessed value and is unaffected by changes in the multiplier: “The assessed value of an individual property determines what portion of the tax burden a specific taxpayer will assume. That individual’s portion of tax responsibility is not changed by the multiplier.”
The Illinois Department of Revenue oversees state taxation and revenue management and works to administer tax laws fairly while providing accurate information to taxpayers (official website). The agency also promotes diversity and equity within its operations (official site).
