Mercer County tax bills and the November 6 sale in Aledo
The typical Mercer County homeowner pays about $2,878 a year in real estate taxes, according to Census survey data, on a median home value of $146,700. That works out to roughly 2 percent of value a year. The county government's own share of the 2025 rate is about 1.32 per $100 of equalized assessed value, and school, township, fire and city rates stack on top of it. Farmland is the biggest piece of the tax base, slightly ahead of homes. The 2025 tax was billed in two installments, due June 26 and September 18, 2026, and each late installment picks up a 1.5 percent penalty every 30 days, with no grace period. If you live in the home, the general homestead exemption can take up to $6,000 off your equalized value, and every exemption except open space is due to the Supervisor of Assessments by December 31.
Unpaid 2025 taxes head to the Treasurer's annual tax sale on November 6, 2026 at 10 a.m. in the Mercer County Courthouse, 100 SE 3rd Street in Aledo. The last day to pay was November 4, in the office by 4 p.m. What sells is the tax debt, not the house: the bidder who accepts the lowest penalty rate, capped at 9 percent, pays the taxes, and on a typical home you generally have up to 3 years to redeem. After the sale, redemption goes through the County Clerk. State law has township counties reassess every four years, which would make 2027 the next general year, but Mercer published 2025 changes for four "quad" townships (Preemption, New Boston, Millersburg and North Henderson), so ask your township assessor where your parcel sits in the cycle. Under state law, appeals to the Board of Review are due 30 days after changes are published.
Foreclosure in the 14th Circuit, filed at the Aledo courthouse
Illinois mortgages can only be foreclosed through the courts. Mercer County foreclosures are heard in the Mercer County Circuit Court, part of the 14th Judicial Circuit with Rock Island, Henry and Whiteside counties. The clerk's page lists no county foreclosure mediation program. It does point people without a lawyer to Illinois Court Help, a free statewide service you can call or text at (833) 411-1121.
With no county mediation step, a Mercer County case follows the Illinois statute, counted from the day you're served: about 90 days to reinstate by paying what's past due plus costs, and a right to redeem in full that ends before the judicial sale. The case is handled at the courthouse at 100 SE 3rd Street in Aledo, the same building that hosts the county's tax sale. If you're going without a lawyer, Illinois Court Help is the free option the Circuit Clerk points to, and the Illinois foreclosure timeline and deadline calculator map the stages after that.
From Sherrard's township to the Mississippi river towns
Mercer County had an estimated 15,229 residents in 2025, down from about 15,701 in 2020. Aledo is the county seat, and Viola, Sherrard, Matherville, Windsor, New Boston and Keithsburg are the other main towns. Alexis and Reynolds sit partly in Mercer, so check which county bills your parcel. About 16 percent of occupied homes countywide are rented.
Values change a lot from one end of the county to the other. Richland Grove Township, around Sherrard, has a median home value of $202,800, with Preemption Township around Matherville close behind at $196,300. On the Mississippi, Keithsburg's median is $65,900 and New Boston's is $95,400. Inland Joy ($76,100) and Windsor ($109,800) also run below the county median. Small Census samples make every town figure rough, and river-town buyers may ask about flood zones and insurance, so have those answers ready.
The money math on a $185,000 Mercer sale
Redfin's most recent month for the county, May 2026, shows a median sale of $185,000 on just 15 sales, up from $136,500 a year earlier. Over the prior year the monthly median swung from $129,750 to $201,500, so treat any single month as a rough guide. Here's what could come out of $185,000 on a traditional listing:
- Agent commission at about 4.9 percent (Clever's Illinois average, updated September 2026): roughly $9,100
- Closing costs at about 1.2 percent: roughly $2,200
- State transfer tax at $0.50 per $500: about $185
That's roughly $11,500 before your mortgage payoff, repairs or holding costs. Ask your closing attorney whether a county stamp applies on top of the state's and who pays it under your contract. If you inherited the house, the inherited house guide covers the Illinois steps.
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. If a foreclosure deadline is pushing you, the page on selling before a foreclosure sale lays out the options.
Mercer County and nearby Quad Cities pages
Mercer doesn't have town pages yet, so here are nearby Quad Cities pages and the statewide directory.
- Rock Island County: shares the 14th Judicial Circuit
- Henry County: also in the 14th Judicial Circuit
- Rock Island: the Quad Cities metro core, north of Sherrard
- Moline: Quad Cities city page with local tax rates and water service rules
- All Illinois pages: the statewide directory of county and city pages
Sources: Census Reporter, Mercer County profile; Census Reporter, Mercer County real estate taxes paid (B25103); Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 median home value by place and township; Census Bureau, county population estimates; Mercer County 2025 Tax Computation Report; Mercer County Treasurer; Mercer County Supervisor of Assessments; Mercer County Circuit Clerk; Illinois Property Tax Code (35 ILCS 200); Illinois Code of Civil Procedure, mortgage foreclosure article (735 ILCS 5); Redfin Data Center; Clever commission survey
