How to find comparable properties for a Cook County appeal
A useful comparable is a nearby home that is physically similar to yours and assessed more favorably—not simply the lowest number you can find.
Let Simple Tax Appeal screen the public records first.
Enter a Cook County address or property PIN.
Free to check first. No credit card required.
What makes another home comparable?
Compare the building assessment—not the sale price
Cook County’s comparable-property guidance focuses on similar homes and assessments. Simple Tax Appeal compares the building assessment per square foot so different land assessments do not distort the building comparison.
The similar home is assessed about 10% lower on the building-rate comparison.
Why the strongest match may not have the largest percentage
A nearly identical home assessed 10% lower can be more defensible than a less-similar property assessed 25% lower. Similarity should lead; the lower rate shows the potential uniformity issue.
Verify before filing
Public data can contain errors or lag physical changes. Check each address, PIN, assessment, and property characteristic against the official Cook County record before including it in an appeal.
Find similar homes assessed lower than yours.
Simple Tax Appeal organizes public-record comparisons. It is not an appraisal and does not replace verification against official County records.