Madison County tax bills, the February tax sale and township multipliers
Owner-occupied homes in Madison County pay a median of $3,319 a year in real estate taxes, per Census survey data: $3,682 for owners with a mortgage and $2,789 for those without. Against the county's $173,000 median home value, that's roughly 1.9 percent a year. Homes are assessed at one-third of market value, and the general homestead exemption can take up to $6,000 off an owner-occupant's equalized assessed value. Bills come in four installments. For 2026 they were mailed the week of June 9, with due dates of July 9, September 9, October 9 and December 9, and each late installment adds a 1.5 percent penalty every month.
Taxes left unpaid go to the Treasurer's Annual Real Estate Tax Sale. The most recent one was held at 10 a.m. on Feb. 17, 2026, in the County Board Room at 157 N. Main St. in Edwardsville. After your taxes are sold, you can still redeem them through the County Clerk, and state law sets how long you have based on the type of property. Madison County reassesses every four years across 24 townships. By state statute, that puts the general assessment years for a township county like this one at 2023 and 2027, with township multipliers in between. The latest multiplier cards went out March 25, 2026, ranging from 1.0419 in Foster to 1.1136 in Moro, and the appeal deadline was April 24, 2026.
Foreclosure cases at 155 N. Main Street in Edwardsville
Every Illinois mortgage foreclosure goes through court. Here that's the Third Judicial Circuit, which covers only Madison and Bond counties. The Madison County Circuit Court sits at 155 N. Main St. in Edwardsville, the county seat.
The state clock is the same in every county. You can reinstate the loan by catching up on missed payments and costs within 90 days after you're served. Your right to redeem by paying the full amount runs until the later of 7 months from service or 3 months from the judgment, and it ends before the sale. After the sale, the court holds a hearing to confirm it, and the buyer can take possession 30 days after that order. Madison and Bond share a free, mandatory Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program. You're eligible if the house is your primary residence and you're the borrower being foreclosed on, but missing the Initial Intake Conference drops you from the program. Options discussed there include a short sale, a deed in lieu and a consent foreclosure. The Illinois foreclosure timeline and the deadline calculator walk through each step.
Alton, Granite City and the towns along I-55
Madison County is part of the Metro East region of Greater St. Louis. It has 9 cities, 20 villages and 24 townships. The largest places at the 2020 census were Granite City (27,549), Edwardsville (26,808), Alton (25,676), Collinsville (24,366, partly in St. Clair County) and the village of Godfrey (17,825).
Values split by place. The river towns are the cheapest, with Alton and Granite City medians near $104,000. Collinsville, Godfrey and Highland sit in the middle, from about $163,600 to $202,900. The towns along I-55 run highest, from $268,000 in Troy to $299,800 in Edwardsville. If your home predates 1978, you owe buyers the state and federal lead disclosures, including a 10-day window for a lead inspection.
What a $228,250 Madison County sale leaves you
Illinois REALTORS put the Madison County median sale price at $228,250 in the second quarter of 2026, up 14.1 percent from a year earlier, on 881 closed sales. Here's a rough look at what comes out of $228,250 on a traditional listing:
- Agent commission at about 4.9 percent (Clever's Illinois average, updated September 2026): roughly $11,200
- Closing costs at about 1.2 percent: roughly $2,700
- State transfer tax at $0.50 per $500: about $230
- Madison County transfer tax at $0.25 per $500: about $115
That's roughly $14,300 before your mortgage payoff, repairs or holding costs. If the home sells subject to an existing mortgage, the unpaid balance is left out of the transfer tax math. If the property is a fit, a cash buyer may make an offer and you pick the closing date. Listing with an agent is also a fine choice, especially for a move-in-ready home. If a deadline is pushing you, the pages on selling before a foreclosure sale and selling an inherited house lay out the options.
Madison County's Metro East neighbors
These nearby county and city guides cover the rest of the Metro East.
- St. Clair County: shares Collinsville, plus a November 2 tax sale and the Belleville courthouse
- Bond County: the other half of the Third Judicial Circuit
- Monroe County: January tax sale in Waterloo, 24th Judicial Circuit
- Clinton County: December tax sale in Carlyle and notes on undermined ground
- Jersey County: tax bills due July 24 and September 4, courthouse in Jerseyville
- Macoupin County: about 61 percent of homes in mine subsidence Zones 1 and 2, November tax sale
- Calhoun County: foreclosures at the Hardin courthouse and river flood history
- Belleville: city occupancy inspection starts when you decide to sell
- East St. Louis: occupancy permit required before the sale
- All Illinois pages: the statewide directory of county and city pages
Sources: Census Reporter, median home value, Madison County and towns (ACS 2020-2024); Census Reporter, median real estate taxes paid, Madison County (ACS 2020-2024); Illinois Property Tax Code, 35 ILCS 200; Madison County Treasurer; Madison County Treasurer, Tax Buyer; Madison County Township Multipliers; Madison County Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program; Illinois Code of Civil Procedure, 735 ILCS 5; Wikipedia, Madison County, Illinois; Illinois REALTORS Q2 2026 county statistics; Clever commission survey; Madison County Recorder, Documents
