I was thinking the other day about the difference between living in an incorporated area and an unincorporated area of town. The first thing that came to mind was lower property taxes. Generally, that’s the case for unincorporated areas. But what are you giving up to have lower taxes? What are you gaining by living in an unincorporated area?
So I asked around, I did some research on-line, and what I found out was, it depends. It depends on each area, because they are all different.
In general, some things to consider include:
- If I dialed 911, who would come, if anyone?
- Is my area covered by city police or the county sheriff?
- What fire department would come to my home if there was a fire?
- Is there ambulance service available for my home?
- Who plows the street in front of my house in the winter?
- What city / county ordinances apply to my location?
- What elected officials will I be able to vote for?
- Will I be able to get a library card?
- Will I be able to take advantage of the park district facilities?
- Who will provide utilities like gas and electric to my home?
- What services are available to pick up my garbage?
- Who controls building permits and inspections?
Some of the infrastructure differences between incorporated and unincorporated areas include:
- Street lights
- Sidewalks
- Fire hydrants
- Storm drains
- Public water supply
- Public sewer system
And I’m sure the list goes on. Boy, that’s a lot of stuff to think about. What would I be gaining by living in an unincorporated area? Again, each area is different, but in general, it means lower property taxes, homes with more land (gotta love more space), less rules (that could be good or bad), and did I mention, lower taxes (oh yeah I did).
If you think of more differences, let me know. If you’ve got more pros and cons in mind, point those out too. When it comes right down to it, one is not necessarily better than the other. It’s more a personal choice that each of us would have to make on what area best fits our life style. The best thing I could suggest is to do your due diligence when you are looking to buy your home. Talk to the neighbors, ask the previous owner, look at the details on the tax bill, do some on-line research, and get the answers to your questions from your city, township and county officials.
Vince Coniglione
Real Estate Professional
Keller Williams Fox Valley Realty
630-391-8764
