Lake County closing costs
The county-specific transfer tax and deed recording fees for Lake County, Illinois - the local details that change your total beyond the statewide rate.
- Effective transfer tax
- 0.05%
- ≈ $200 on a $400,000 home
- City transfer tax
- 0.5%
- where the city levies its own
- Typical lender + 3rd-party fees
- $6,453
- median of 6,423 purchase loans · HMDA 2023
Lake County compared with Illinois counties
In the verified Illinois county records we have, Lake County's effective transfer-tax rate ranks #2 of 5 by highest rate. At $400,000, the county-specific transfer tax is $200, which is $200 below the state-level calculation before city surtaxes.
- County rank
- #2 of 5
- within verified Illinois county pages
- Tax at $400,000
- $200
- state baseline $400
- HMDA fee sample
- 6,423
- purchase loans in 2023
Lake County transfer-tax data: official source linked on this page, reviewed 2026-Q2.
Transfer tax in Lake County
Illinois levies a county real-estate transfer tax of $0.25 per $500 ($0.50/$1,000 = 0.05%), which is in addition to the state tax of $0.50 per $500 ($1.00/$1,000 = 0.10%); seller customarily pays both, though negotiable. City quirk: the largest city/county seat Waukegan has NO municipal transfer tax (Ord. 14-O-68), but Highland Park levies its own $5.00/$1,000 (0.5%) municipal transfer tax (seller pays, requires a transfer-tax stamp with final water bill paid) — many Lake County municipalities have none, so the city rate is per-municipality.
Recording fees in Lake County
Lake County uses a flat "Predictable" recording fee schedule effective July 1, 2023 (Illinois Public Act 102-1135). A standard real estate deed records for $70.00 flat regardless of page count. Documents exempt from the Rental Housing Support Program (RHSP) surcharge (e.g., recorded by federal/state/local government agencies) record for $50.00. Non-standard documents are $82.00 ($62.00 if RHSP-exempt). Official source: lakecountyil.gov Recording & Copy Fees page and the county Schedule of Recording Fees (effective July 1, 2023).
Official recorder: Lake County recorder ↗ — the authoritative source for the current recording fee schedule.
What lenders actually charge in Lake County
Across 6,423 home-purchase mortgages originated in Lake County in 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services such as appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — were $6,453, of which about $1,950 was the lender’s own origination charges. That is reported loan-level data from every lender under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act — not a national average — so it reflects what buyers in this county actually paid. Lender fees vary widely, so comparing a few rate quotes is the single biggest lever on your closing total.
Source: FFIEC HMDA Data Browser ↗ (2023 purchase originations, FIPS 17097, ODC-BY 1.0). Median total loan costs exclude prepaids and escrow.
Estimate your Lake County closing costs
Pre-set to Illinois. County-level taxes above may add to this estimate.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax in Lake County?
Lake County (Illinois): the applicable real-estate transfer tax works out to about 0.05%, before any additional city tax. Illinois levies a county real-estate transfer tax of $0.25 per $500 ($0.50/$1,000 = 0.05%), which is in addition to the state tax of $0.50 per $500 ($1.00/$1,000 = 0.10%); seller customarily pays both, though negotiable. City quirk: the largest city/county seat Waukegan has NO municipal transfer tax (Ord. 14-O-68), but Highland Park levies its own $5.00/$1,000 (0.5%) municipal transfer tax (seller pays, requires a transfer-tax stamp with final water bill paid) — many Lake County municipalities have none, so the city rate is per-municipality.
What are recording fees in Lake County?
Lake County uses a flat "Predictable" recording fee schedule effective July 1, 2023 (Illinois Public Act 102-1135). A standard real estate deed records for $70.00 flat regardless of page count. Documents exempt from the Rental Housing Support Program (RHSP) surcharge (e.g., recorded by federal/state/local government agencies) record for $50.00. Non-standard documents are $82.00 ($62.00 if RHSP-exempt). Official source: lakecountyil.gov Recording & Copy Fees page and the county Schedule of Recording Fees (effective July 1, 2023).
How much are closing costs in Lake County?
Closing costs in Lake County 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.
What do lenders charge in fees in Lake County?
In 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services like appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — across 6,423 home-purchase mortgages in Lake County were about $6,453, of which roughly $1,950 was the lender's own origination charges. This is reported loan-level data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; actual fees vary by lender, so comparing quotes matters.
Closest Illinois county comparisons
Sibling links are ordered by nearby verified effective transfer-tax rate, so each county page connects to genuinely comparable counties.