Taxes in Aurora
Aurora residents pay Illinois's real, simple, flat 4.95% state income tax -- which genuinely does not tax Social Security, pensions, or 401(k)/IRA distributions, a substantial relocation positive for retirees -- layered against a real, substantial property tax burden that varies by which of Aurora's four counties an address sits in, running approximately 2.40% (Kane County) to 2.51% (DuPage County), both above Illinois's own already-high statewide median.
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Learn moreIllinois's Flat 4.95% State Income Tax, and What It Genuinely Doesn't Tax
Illinois's state income tax is a real, simple flat 4.95% -- and Illinois does not tax retirement income at all: no state tax on Social Security, pensions, or 401(k)/IRA distributions. This is a genuine, substantial relocation positive for retirees moving to Aurora, distinct from states that tax retirement income even at a low rate.
Property Tax Is Aurora's Real, Substantial Negative -- and It Varies by County
As detailed on the property-taxes topic page, Aurora's effective property tax rate runs approximately 2.40% (Kane County portion) to 2.51% (DuPage County portion), both above Illinois's own already-high statewide median of approximately 2.33% -- itself among the highest in the nation. This is the real cost driver in Aurora's tax picture, not the income tax rate.
Illinois's Own Statewide Fiscal Picture Is a Real, Disclosed Factor
Illinois carries a real, substantial, honestly disclosed fiscal negative: roughly $143.5 billion in unfunded state pension liabilities as of November 2025, and the lowest state credit rating in the nation -- though Moody's affirmed A3 and revised the outlook to positive from stable in mid-2025, a real, if incomplete, sign of fiscal improvement. This statewide context is worth understanding as part of Illinois's overall tax and fiscal trajectory, even though it doesn't directly set Aurora's own local rates.
Sales Tax and Other Local Levies
Aurora's specific combined sales tax rate and other local levies (municipal, county, and any special-district taxes) genuinely vary by the exact county and taxing-district a property sits in, consistent with the city's real four-county footprint. This record did not independently re-verify Aurora's specific current combined sales tax rate to the decimal this pass -- confirm directly with the Illinois Department of Revenue for a specific address.
Key takeaways
- Illinois's flat 4.95% state income tax genuinely does not tax Social Security, pensions, or 401(k)/IRA distributions -- a real, substantial positive for retirees.
- Aurora's real property tax burden (approximately 2.40%-2.51% depending on county portion) is the tax picture's real cost driver, not the income tax rate.
- Illinois carries a real, disclosed statewide fiscal negative (~$143.5 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, lowest state credit rating) alongside a recent positive-outlook revision from Moody's.
- Confirm Aurora's specific combined sales tax rate directly for a target address, since it varies by the exact county and taxing district.
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