Cook County, IL First-Time Home Buyer Programs and Down Payment Help
Cook County buyers can apply to 3 local down payment programs, with help up to $70,000 through HomeGrown Purchase Assistance Program, on top of Illinois's statewide programs. Figures below were read from the administering agencies' own pages on September 11, 2026.
Local programs in Cook County
These are run by Cook County (countywide, including Chicago), City of Chicago, separate from the state housing finance agency, and can usually be combined with a state loan. Check the program page for current funding before you apply.
| Program | Type | Amount | Income limit | First-time only | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County Down Payment Assistance Program Cook County (countywide, including Chicago) (Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, in partnership with Club 720 Solutions LLC and Stifel, Nicolaus and Company Inc.) · source | subsidy toward down payment, closing costs, or mortgage rate buydown | 5% of the home's final first-loan amount, up to $25,000 | Up to 120% of Cook County's Area Median Income (4-person household: $145,800); | No | Anywhere in Cook County, including the City of Chicago |
| HomeGrown Purchase Assistance Program City of Chicago (Chicago Department of Housing (DOH), with The Resurrection Project as a program administrator) · source | direct grant (not a loan) for down payment and closing costs | Up to $70,000 | Income and mortgage eligibility requirements apply | Check | City of Chicago |
| TaxSmart (Mortgage Credit Certificate) City of Chicago (City of Chicago Department of Housing) · source | federal income tax credit (not a cash down payment grant) | Tax credit against a share of annual mortgage interest paid | First-time homebuyers, or any buyer purchasing in an economically troubled census tract | Yes | City of Chicago |
- Cook County Down Payment Assistance Program. Minimum credit score: 620 Open to both first-time and repeat buyers who meet the income criteria. 'First-time homebuyer' for the education-course requirement includes anyone who has not owned a home in the prior 3 years;
- HomeGrown Purchase Assistance Program. Funded with $21 million from Mayor Brandon Johnson's $1.25 billion Housing and Economic Development Bond.
- TaxSmart (Mortgage Credit Certificate). Reduces the buyer's federal tax liability rather than providing cash at closing.
Income limits in Cook County
Down payment programs here are keyed to HUD's income limits for Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area (Cook County) (fiscal year 2026): the area median family income is $121,500 and the 80% limit that most programs use is $97,200 for a four-person household. Limits scale with household size; each program page has the full table. HUD income limits
Illinois statewide programs you can also use in Cook County
Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) (homebuyer programs page) runs 4 statewide programs open to buyers anywhere in Illinois, with down payment help up to $15,000 through IHDAccess Home. Most local programs above can be combined with a state first mortgage; check each program's pairing rule.
| Program | Type | Amount | First-time only | Min. credit | Income limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IHDAccess Home source | Deferred second loan | 6% of the purchase price, up to $15,000 | Yes | 640 | Must fall within current IHDA income limits for the program and county; not itemized on this page |
| IHDA Mortgage down payment assistance option (4% / $6,000 / 10-year forgivable) source | Forgivable second loan | 4% of the purchase price, up to $6,000 | Check | 640 | Must fall within current IHDA income limits for the program and county; not itemized on this page |
| IHDA Mortgage down payment assistance option (5% / $7,500 / 30-year deferred) source | Deferred second loan | 5% of the purchase price, up to $7,500 | Check | 640 | Must fall within current IHDA income limits for the program and county; not itemized on this page |
| IHDA Mortgage down payment assistance option (10% / $10,000 / 10-year repayable) source | Second mortgage | 10% of the purchase price, up to $10,000 | Check | 640 | Must fall within current IHDA income limits for the program and county; not itemized on this page |
Cook County closing costs that differ from the rest of Illinois
Transfer tax: Property transfers in Cook County stack THREE to FOUR layers of real estate transfer tax. Illinois state transfer tax is $0.50 per $500 of value (seller-paid by default). Cook County adds $0.25 per $500 (seller-paid by default). Inside the City of Chicago specifically, an additional city transfer tax applies on top of the state and county tax: the buyer customarily pays $3.75 per $500 (the city's general-revenue/CTA-supporting portion) and the seller customarily pays $1.50 per $500 (the city's separate CTA portion) - for a combined city rate of $5.25 per $500 inside Chicago. Outside the City of Chicago, only the state ($0.50/$500) and county ($0.25/$500) taxes apply. These 'customary' payer splits are set by City of Chicago ordinance/practice and are commonly restated as buyer-pays-city-portion, seller-pays-state-and-county-and-CTA-portion; confirm the current split and rate with the Cook County Clerk and City of Chicago Department of Finance before publishing exact dollar splits, since transfer-tax payer allocation can be negotiated in the contract. Source
Recording the deed costs $94 and the mortgage $94. Fee schedule
Owner's title policy: seller (customary in the Chicago area)
Recording fees in Cook County are NOT the flat $10-first-page model used in Florida: the Cook County Clerk's Office (which absorbed the former Recorder of Deeds in December 2020) charges roughly $94 for the first 10 pages of most documents, plus $15 for each additional 10 pages - confirm the exact current fee table on the Clerk's Recording FAQs page, as Illinois recording fee schedules are revised periodically and vary by document type. Illinois/Cook County documentary transfer tax stamps ($0.50/$500 state + $0.25/$500 county = $0.75/$500 combined outside Chicago) are purchased through the Clerk's office and affixed at recording; inside Chicago, City of Chicago and MPEA/CTA transfer tax stamps are purchased separately through the City's Department of Finance. Who pays for the owner's title insurance policy is negotiable market custom in Illinois, not a statute.
Frequently asked questions
What down payment assistance is available in Cook County, IL?
Cook County Down Payment Assistance Program (Cook County (countywide, including Chicago), up to $25,000); HomeGrown Purchase Assistance Program (City of Chicago, up to $70,000); TaxSmart (Mortgage Credit Certificate) (City of Chicago). Illinois statewide programs can be used here too.
What is the income limit for first-time buyer programs in Cook County?
Most programs cap income at 80% of HUD's area median, which is $97,200 for a four-person household in Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area (Cook County) (FY2026). Some programs allow up to 120% or 150% of median; each program page lists its own table by household size.
Is there a transfer tax in Cook County?
Property transfers in Cook County stack THREE to FOUR layers of real estate transfer tax. Illinois state transfer tax is $0.50 per $500 of value (seller-paid by default). Cook County adds $0.25 per $500 (seller-paid by default). Inside the City of Chicago specifically, an additional city transfer tax applies on top of the state and county tax: the buyer customarily pays $3.75 per $500 (the city's general-revenue/CTA-supporting portion) and the seller customarily pays $1.50 per $500 (the city's separate CTA portion) - for a combined city rate of $5.25 per $500 inside Chicago. Outside the City of Chicago, only the state ($0.50/$500) and county ($0.25/$500) taxes apply. These 'customary' payer splits are set by City of Chicago ordinance/practice and are commonly restated as buyer-pays-city-portion, seller-pays-state-and-county-and-CTA-portion; confirm the current split and rate with the Cook County Clerk and City of Chicago Department of Finance before publishing exact dollar splits, since transfer-tax payer allocation can be negotiated in the contract.
Official sources
- Cook County (countywide, including Chicago): Cook County Down Payment Assistance Program
- City of Chicago: HomeGrown Purchase Assistance Program
- HUD income limits
- Cook County transfer tax
Cook County figures last verified against official sources on September 11, 2026.
This is general information, not financial advice. Program funding, limits and terms change; confirm the current rules with the administering agency and your lender before you rely on them.
See down payment help in all covered counties