South Moline or Moline Township sets your Moline tax bill
Which side of the city you're on changes the rate. For tax year 2025, the county's report puts the rate at about 8.63 per $100 of equalized assessed value in South Moline Township and about 8.73 in Moline Township. The school district takes about 4.99 of that and the city about 1.67. A few parcels fall in Blackhawk, Coal Valley or Rock Island townships instead. Census survey data for 2020 to 2024 put the median homeowner's tax bill in Moline at $3,272 a year. If your 2026 assessment looks too high, the county's appeal deadline is October 26, 2026.
The city's list of local taxes doesn't include a real estate transfer tax. Illinois still charges 50 cents per $500 of value, which the seller usually pays by custom, though that's negotiable. Ask the Rock Island County Recorder whether any county stamp applies to your deed.
Older homes and about 4,900 lead lines
Moline's housing is old. Of the city's 19,523 housing units, 5,685, about 29 percent, went up in 1939 or earlier, and about 55 percent were built before 1960. Owners live in about 67 percent of occupied homes, and the median owner-occupied value is $146,300, per Census estimates for 2020 to 2024.
City records count about 4,900 Moline properties with lead or galvanized steel water service pipes. The city is replacing them in phases over 10 years, starting in 2026 with about 390 properties, at no cost to homeowners. That's worth knowing when you sell, because a buyer's inspector may ask about the water line, and it helps to know where your address stands on the city's list.
Down by the Rock River
Water shapes the southern side of town. The Rock River flows through the southern half of Moline before joining the Mississippi, and it hit a record 16.52 feet in Moline on April 21, 2013. The city says many homes near its rivers and streams sit in Special Flood Hazard Areas. If yours is one of them, expect a financed buyer's lender to ask about flood insurance, and have your own policy details ready.
Licensed rentals, empty houses and court dates
Moline's rental program now covers single-family homes and owner-occupied duplexes too. Every rental needs an annual city license and periodic inspections, with repeat visits every four years for an A rating, every two for a B and every year for a C. A buyer who plans to keep renting will factor that in.
An empty house, or one with a defaulted mortgage, has to be registered with the city every six months. Each renewal costs $100 more than the last, and a late fee of 10 percent of the semi-annual fee applies for every 30 days unregistered. The city's form also says selling doesn't clear an open code notice. If a lender has sued, the case runs through the county circuit court in Rock Island. The Rock Island County page covers the foreclosure redemption clock, the Sheriff's sales and the tax sale.
The honest math on a $180,000 Moline house
Redfin put Moline's median sale price at $180,000 in May 2026, up about 11.8 percent from a year earlier, on 57 sales with a median of 8 days on market. Monthly figures swing, though. April's median was $159,250. Commission at about 4.9 percent, Clever's Illinois average (updated September 2026), is roughly $8,800. Closing costs near 1.2 percent, a rough estimate, add about $2,200. The state transfer tax is about $180. Call it roughly $11,200 before repairs or your mortgage payoff. While you wait on a buyer, the median tax bill works out to about $270 a month, plus insurance and utilities.
If the property is a fit, a cash buyer may make an offer, and you pick the closing date. Listing is a fair choice too, with about 1.3 months of supply in May. Run both numbers before you decide.
Sources: Rock Island County Clerk, tax rate report 2025; Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 housing profile for Moline; Census Reporter, Moline real estate taxes paid (B25103); Rock Island County Assessment Office; City of Moline, Taxes; Clever Real Estate, Illinois transfer taxes; City of Moline, Lead and Service Line Information; City of Moline, Flood Hazard Information; City of Moline, Rental Housing; City of Moline, vacant and defaulted mortgage registration form; Redfin Data Center; Clever Real Estate, average commission
