Census-designated place Lake of the Woods is a census-designated place in Illinois, in Champaign County. A census-designated place is an unincorporated community that the Census Bureau defines for statistics; it has no city government of its own.
The median owner-occupied home in Lake of the Woods had a real-estate tax bill of $4,031 (± $1,308) a year, compared with $5,189 in Illinois and $2,969 nationwide. The median home value was $194,300 (± $77,036), compared with $250,500 in Illinois and $303,400 nationwide.
| Measure | Lake of the Woods | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,976 ± 482 | 12,692,653 | 332,387,540 |
| Median annual property tax bill (homeowners) | $4,031 ± $1,308rough guide only: the margin of error is 32% of the estimate | $5,189 ± $19 | $2,969 ± $3 |
| Median home value | $194,300 ± $77,036rough guide only: the margin of error is 40% of the estimate | $250,500 ± $863 | $303,400 ± $362 |
| Median household income | $69,054 ± $12,786 | $81,702 ± $363 | $78,538 ± $176 |
| Property tax as a share of home value (calculated) | Too imprecise to report (estimate 2.07%, margin of error ± 1.06 points) | 2.07% ± 0.01 points | 0.98% ± under 0.01 points |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 82.6% ± 24.7 pointsrough guide only: the margin of error is 30% of the estimate | 66.8% ± 0.3 points | 65.0% ± 0.3 points |
| Owner households headed by someone 65 or older | 34.8% ± 11.5 pointsrough guide only: the margin of error is 33% of the estimate | 31.3% ± 0.1 points | 32.6% ± 0.2 points |
| Owners spending 30% or more of income on housing costs | Too imprecise to report (estimate 13.0%, margin of error ± 11.6 points) | 22.1% ± 0.2 points | 22.2% ± 0.1 points |
How to read these numbers
- These are estimates from a survey, not a count. The American Community Survey asks a sample of households. The ± figure is the Census Bureau’s margin of error: the true value is very likely within that range of the estimate. Small places have large margins.
- “Too imprecise to report” means the margin of error is at least half of the estimate, so printing the number would suggest accuracy that does not exist. A “rough guide only” note means the margin is a quarter to a half of the estimate.
- Property tax bill and home value are medians for owner-occupied homes. Half of the homes are above the figure and half below. A median bill is not the rate set by a city or town; the bill combines taxes levied by every local government that serves the home, such as the school district and county.
- “Calculated” rows are worked out by Untax the Roof from the Census figures above them. They compare two medians, so they describe the place, not a particular household.
- Missing is not zero. Where the Census Bureau publishes no figure, this page says so.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2019–2023: tables B25103 (real estate taxes), B25077 (home value), B19013 (household income), B01003 (population), B25003 (owners and renters), B25007 (age of householder), B25091 (housing costs as a share of income); see the Census ACS data page.
If property taxes go unpaid in Illinois
How it works. County tax sale of lien/certificate followed by circuit-court petition for tax deed
Excess sale money. Effective 2026 amendments create a surplus-equity fund. A former owner who loses property by issuance of a tax deed may seek an award based on property value less liens under 35 ILCS 200/21-302, subject to statutory rules
These rules are set by Illinois, not by Lake of the Woods, so this section is the same for every place in the state. Last verified 2026-09-25. See the full Illinois entry with statute links.