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Cook County (Chicago) closing costs

The county-specific transfer tax and deed recording fees for Cook County (Chicago), Illinois — the local details that change your total beyond the statewide rate.

Source-verified · 2026-Q2FIPS 17031 Official source ↗
Effective transfer tax
0.15%
≈ $600 on a $400,000 home

Transfer tax in Cook County (Chicago)

Chicago's municipal transfer tax dominates the closing cost — and the buyer pays the larger share, unusual for Illinois.

Recording fees in Cook County (Chicago)

State $0.50/$500 + Cook County $0.25/$500. The City of Chicago adds its own transfer tax of $5.25 per $500 (the $3.75 city portion is buyer-paid; the $1.50 CTA portion seller-paid). Recording via the Cook County Clerk.

Official recorder: Cook County (Chicago) recorder ↗ — the authoritative source for the current recording fee schedule.

Estimate your Cook County (Chicago) closing costs

Pre-set to Illinois. County-level taxes above may add to this estimate.

$
%

Estimated closing costs

$9,851

≈ 2.46% of the home price · excludes your down payment

Cash to close

$89,851

incl. down payment

Line-by-line breakdown

Transfer tax (buyer share) $0
Deed & mortgage recording fees $90
Owner's title insurance $1,800
Lender's title insurance $1,008
Lender fees (origination, underwriting, processing) $2,350
Appraisal $550
Credit report & flood cert $70
Home inspection $450
Closing attorney $1,000
Homeowners insurance (first year) $1,800
Property-tax escrow (~2 months) $733

Frequently asked questions

What is the transfer tax in Cook County (Chicago)?

Cook County (Chicago) (Illinois): the applicable real-estate transfer tax works out to about 0.15%. Chicago's municipal transfer tax dominates the closing cost — and the buyer pays the larger share, unusual for Illinois.

What are recording fees in Cook County (Chicago)?

State $0.50/$500 + Cook County $0.25/$500. The City of Chicago adds its own transfer tax of $5.25 per $500 (the $3.75 city portion is buyer-paid; the $1.50 CTA portion seller-paid). Recording via the Cook County Clerk.

How much are closing costs in Cook County (Chicago)?

Closing costs in Cook County (Chicago) follow Illinois's structure plus this county's specific transfer-tax and recording fees. Use the calculator below for an estimate; for the exact recording schedule, the county recorder is the authoritative source.

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