Effingham County parcel 03-16-003-046
Is the assessment on 917 N Merchant St Effingham IL 62401 fair?
Assessed at $38,430 as residential, Douglas Township. Below: how the homes near it that actually sold are assessed against what they sold for, and where this one sits among them. Two facts from the county's own record — not an opinion of value, which is what an appeal ultimately needs and what we will give you if you ask.
How the neighbourhood is assessed
25.5%
of what it sold for (middle half 21.8–29.9%); the statute says 33.33%
This parcel among them
14 of 39
sold homes within half a mile are assessed below it
Their assessed values
$44,420
median; $10,290 to $136,200. This parcel: $38,430
Your assessment sits in the middle of the 39 homes near you that sold in the last 3 years. That is what a fair assessment usually looks like; the question is only whether those homes are like yours.
The homes that sold near it
Arm's-length sales recorded with the county in the last 3 years, nearest first, with the assessed value the county carries for each today. Whether any of them is like this house — size, age, condition — is the question the record cannot answer and an appeal turns on.
| Parcel | Distance | Recorded | Price | Assessed | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 403 Eden Dr Effingham IL 62401 | 0.1 mi | Mar 2026 | $211,000 | $48,020 | 22.8% |
| 404 W Illinois Av Effingham IL 62401 | 0.1 mi | Feb 2026 | $150,000 | $44,390 | 29.6% |
| 403 Flamingo Av Effingham IL 62401 | 0.1 mi | May 2026 | $269,000 | $67,680 | 25.2% |
| 808 N Main St Effingham IL 62401 | 0.1 mi | May 2026 | $70,000 | $33,520 | 47.9% |
| 808 N Main St Effingham IL 62401 | 0.1 mi | Apr 2026 | $50,000 | $33,520 | 67% |
| 1105 N Merchant St Effingham IL 62401 | 0.2 mi | Apr 2026 | $137,500 | $41,430 | 30.1% |
| 1105 N Merchant St Effingham IL 62401 | 0.2 mi | Mar 2026 | $137,500 | $41,430 | 30.1% |
| 605 Holiday Dr Effingham IL 62401 | 0.2 mi | Jun 2026 | $225,000 | $57,420 | 25.5% |
| 511 W Illinois Av Effingham IL 62401 | 0.2 mi | Feb 2026 | $209,500 | $42,270 | 20.2% |
| 412 W Kentucky Av Effingham IL 62401 | 0.3 mi | Jun 2026 | $78,000 | $35,440 | 45.4% |
| 1031 N Main St Effingham IL 62401 | 0.3 mi | Jul 2026 | $250,000 | $66,610 | 26.6% |
| 1032 N Main St Effingham IL 62401 | 0.3 mi | Jul 2026 | $360,000 | $89,030 | 24.7% |
| 100 E Temple Av Effingham IL 62401 | 0.3 mi | Dec 2025 | $135,500 | $49,590 | 36.6% |
| 510 N Merchant St Effingham IL 62401 | 0.3 mi | Aug 2026 | $170,000 | $34,680 | 20.4% |
| 821 N Second St Effingham IL 62401 | 0.3 mi | Jul 2026 | $160,000 | $33,630 | 21% |
Prices from PTAX-203 transfer declarations; assessed values from the county assessor's current file (so a home reassessed after its sale shows today's figure against yesterday's price). Not MLS figures. Nothing here names an owner.
How an appeal actually works here
- Talk to the assessor first. Many differences are a record error — a garage that came down, a square footage that was never right — and get fixed with a phone call, no appeal needed.
- The county Board of Review. A written complaint in the window after the township's assessments are published each year; the office can tell you the dates for this township. Evidence: a recent appraisal, comparable sales, or comparable assessments (the equity argument — the table above is where that starts).
- Then the state. A Board of Review decision can go to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board within 30 days of the decision — its forms and rules are on ptab.illinois.gov.
Effingham County Supervisor of Assessments
(217) 342-6711 · Effingham County Office Building, 101 N Fourth St, Effingham, IL 62401
We publish no appeal deadline: the window is set by the township's publication date each year, and the office is the authority on it. Contact details PTAB county sheet (ptab.illinois.gov/counties/Effingham.pdf), read 2026-09-21.
Ask us to look at it properly
The table above is where an equity argument starts, not where it ends: a Board of Review wants an opinion of market value, and that means someone who has stood in the houses. We will look at 917 N Merchant St Effingham IL 62401 against what has sold and tell you honestly whether an appeal looks worth the trouble. No cost, no obligation.