Brokers — List your Company Here
Featured local agent — Forest Lake, IL
Sarah Mitchell
Compass Real Estate · Forest Lake, IL
“Your trusted relocation specialist since 2009. 350+ homes sold. Zero-pressure, data-first approach.”
This spot is open. Be the only brokerage featured on this page — one slot, no auction.
Claim this spot* Example only — dummy agent for illustration. Your logo, name, tagline, link, and lead routing replace this content.
Forest Lake, IL Housing Market
The typical home in Forest Lake, IL is worth $478,889, rose 6.8% over the past year (Zillow Home Value Index, July 2026). The last median sale price Redfin published was $460,000, +20.7% year over year (through May 2026). With 2.0 months of supply and homes going under contract in about 28 days, Forest Lake is a seller's market. At today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate, 20% down on a $478,889 home is about $2,462/mo in principal and interest.
Key numbers for Forest Lake, IL
Typical home value
$478,889
+6.8% in 12 months
Zillow, July 2026
Median sale price
$460,000
+20.7% year over year
Redfin, through May 2026
Days on market
28
Average pace
Redfin, through May 2026
Active listings
6
2.0 months of supply
Redfin, through May 2026
30-yr fixed rate
6.66%
Freddie Mac weekly average
Freddie Mac via FRED, August 2026
Median household income
$92,956
Home costs 5.2x income
U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Sale-to-list ratio
101.3%
Selling above asking
Redfin, through May 2026
Zillow figures are as of July 2026 and refresh monthly. Redfin figures are through May 2026 — Redfin stopped publishing its public market trackers in June 2026, so those numbers are final, not current. Mortgage rates come from Freddie Mac via FRED and update weekly.
Is Forest Lake a buyer's or seller's market?
Forest Lake, IL is a seller's market, based on 2.0 months of supply and homes selling in about 28 days. Under 4 months of supply tilts the market toward sellers: homes clear faster than they are replaced, so concessions are scarce.
Inputs are Redfin's final published period (May 2026). How we classify markets · Where the data comes from
What does the Forest Lake housing market data show?
Every row below is Redfin's final published month for Forest Lake, IL. Redfin, through May 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median sale price | $460,000 |
| Median list price | $450,000 |
| Year-over-year price change | +20.7% |
| Median price per sq ft | $299/sq ft |
| Median days on market | 28 days |
| Active inventory | 6 listings |
| Months of supply | 2.0 months |
| Sale-to-list price ratio | 101.3% |
| Homes sold (that month) | 3 |
| New listings (that month) | 5 |
| Listings with a price cut | 50.0% |
| Market condition | Seller's market |
How to read these numbers
- Median sale price
- Half the homes that closed sold for more than this, half for less. It moves with what kind of home sold that month, so a quiet month with two big sales can swing it. Redfin's figure for Forest Lake is frozen at May 2026.
- Typical home value (ZHVI)
- Zillow's estimate of what a mid-market home in Forest Lake is worth right now, whether or not it sold. It is smoother than the median sale price and it still refreshes monthly, which is why this page leads with it.
- Months of supply
- How long it would take to sell every active listing at the current pace. Under 3 favors sellers, over 6 favors buyers, and 3 to 6 is the balanced band.
- Days on market
- Median time from listing to accepted offer. Short means you should have financing ready before you tour; long means there is room to negotiate on price and repairs.
- Sale-to-list ratio
- Sale price divided by the last asking price. Above 100% means bidding above asking is normal here; below 100% means the typical buyer got a discount.
- Price per square foot
- The size-adjusted price. Use it to compare a 1,400 sq ft house to a 2,600 sq ft house, not to value your own home — lot, condition and age move it a lot.
- Listings with a price cut
- Share of active listings that dropped their asking price in the month. A high share is the earliest visible sign that sellers are ahead of what buyers will pay.
- Typical asking rent (ZORI)
- Zillow's repeat-rent index for asking rents on new leases. Paired with the home value it gives the price-to-rent ratio in the rent-vs-buy section below.
How have Forest Lake home prices moved?
Over the last three years the median sale price in Forest Lake, IL rose 7.0%, from $430,000 to $460,000. The live Zillow value series has rose 6.8% in the last 12 months, which is the more current read now that Redfin's series has stopped. 50.0% of Forest Lake listings cut their asking price in the final Redfin month — a high share, and the clearest sign that list prices were running ahead of what buyers would pay. For prices to fall meaningfully from here, supply would have to keep building past 2.0 months while the sale-to-list ratio slips below its current 101.3%. Watch those two together — they move before the median does.
Redfin, through May 2026 — the chart ends at Redfin's final published month.
Get Forest Lake market alerts
Weekly updates on prices, inventory, and trends. Free forever.
What does it cost to buy a home in Forest Lake?
Priced off the typical home value of $478,889 at the current 6.66% 30-year fixed rate. These are principal and interest only — property taxes, homeowner's insurance, HOA dues and mortgage insurance are on top, and they vary enough by property that we will not guess them for you.
| Down payment | Cash at close | Loan amount | Monthly P&I |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20% | $95,778 | $383,111 | $2,462/mo |
| 5% | $23,944 | $454,945 | $2,924/mo |
Zillow, July 2026 for the price · Freddie Mac via FRED, August 2026 for the rate
What income do you need?
Lenders generally want housing costs under 28% of gross income. On the 20%-down payment of $2,462, that implies roughly $105,513 a year before you add taxes and insurance. The median household in Forest Lake earns $92,956, about $12,557 short of that threshold — the typical local household needs a larger down payment, a co-borrower, or a home below the typical home value to fit the 28% rule. That puts the price-to-income ratio at 5.2x — well above the 3x that was historically considered affordable, which is why down payment size drives who can buy here.
Run it with your own numbers: affordability calculator · mortgage calculator
Buying in Forest Lake in the next 12 months?
Tell us your timeline. We send the Forest Lake market brief: the price ranges that actually clear, how long homes sit, and what to fix on your credit before you apply.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Forest Lake?
Zillow does not publish a rent index (ZORI) for Forest Lake, IL, so we cannot compute a price-to-rent ratio here without borrowing a nearby market's rents and calling them local — which we will not do. The rent vs. buy calculator works with a rent figure you supply.
Is inventory rising or falling in Forest Lake?
Active listings in Forest Lake, IL went from 6 in February 2025 to 6 in May 2026, a +0.0% change. Inventory has been roughly flat, which usually keeps prices moving with rates rather than with local supply.
| Month | Active listings | New listings |
|---|---|---|
| March 2025 | 7 | 4 |
| April 2025 | 4 | 2 |
| May 2025 | 8 | 5 |
| June 2025 | 7 | 4 |
| July 2025 | 8 | 3 |
| September 2025 | 4 | 1 |
| October 2025 | 7 | 3 |
| December 2025 | 12 | 1 |
| January 2026 | 7 | 2 |
| February 2026 | 7 | 3 |
| April 2026 | 6 | 1 |
| May 2026 | 6 | 5 |
Redfin, through May 2026
How does Forest Lake compare to Illinois and the U.S.?
Forest Lake homes sell for $460,000 — 36% above the Illinois median of $337,900. Against the national median of $410,700, Forest Lake runs 12% higher. Year-over-year, Forest Lake moved +20.7% against Illinois's +5.9% — a bigger swing than the state as a whole.
| Market | Median sale price | YoY | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Lake, IL | $460,000 | +20.7% | 28 days |
| Illinois statewide | $337,900 | +5.9% | 43 days |
| United States | $410,700 | not published | not published |
City and state rows: Redfin, through May 2026 · U.S. row: Freddie Mac via FRED, April 2026 (MSPUS, quarterly)
What to do next in Forest Lake
What buyers should watch
- Months of supply, currently 2.0. It turns before price does — when it climbs past 6, sellers start taking offers they would have rejected a quarter earlier.
- The share of listings cutting price, currently 50.0%. A listing that has already cut once is the one most likely to accept below asking.
- The gap between 5% and 20% down here is $462 a month in principal and interest alone, before mortgage insurance. That gap, not the price, is usually what decides your timeline.
- Rate moves. At 6.66%, every full point of rate change moves the payment on a $478,889 home more than a 5% price change does.
- Your credit tier before you shop, not after — it sets the rate you are quoted. Run your numbers first.
What sellers should know
- The median Forest Lake listing goes under contract in 28 days. If yours passes that mark, the market is telling you the price is wrong — not that you need more showings.
- Homes here close at 101.3% of asking. Price at the number you want and let competition do the rest.
- In the last published month Forest Lake added 5 new listings against 3 sales — more competition arriving than clearing, so early timing matters.
- Your equity moved +6.8% in the last 12 months on the Zillow value series. That, not the price you paid, is what sets your net proceeds.
- Comparable ZIP-level pricing inside Forest Lake varies more than the citywide median suggests — check the ZIP pages below before you set a number.
Homes for sale in Forest Lake
There are currently 6 homes listed for sale in Forest Lake, Illinois. The median listing price is $450K.
Active listings
6
Homes on market
Median list price
$450K
Avg. days on market
28
Days until sale
New this week
5
Newly listed
How much do homes cost in Forest Lake by property type?
How the Forest Lake, IL market breaks down across single-family homes, condos and townhouses. Redfin, through May 2026
| Property type | Median price | Price / sq ft | Homes sold | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family | $460,000 | $299/sq ft | 3 | 28 days |
Who lives in Forest Lake?
American Community Survey estimates for Forest Lake. U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Population
1,797
Households
659
Median income
$92,956/yr
Median age
40.8 years
Owner-occupied
94.5%
Median home value
$318,300
Mean commute
30.1 min
94.5% of occupied homes in Forest Lake are owner-occupied, and the rest are rented — which is the share that decides how much of the local housing stock ever reaches the for-sale market. The Census self-reported median home value is $318,300 against Zillow's $478,889 typical value; the gap is normal — ACS asks owners what they think their home is worth, Zillow models transactions.
Which cities are near Forest Lake, IL?
Ordered by distance from Forest Lake, not by size. Compare Forest Lake side by side with any of them.
Forest Lake housing market FAQ
Is Forest Lake a buyer's or seller's market?
Forest Lake, IL is currently a seller's market. That read comes from 2.0 months of supply, homes going under contract in about 28 days, and sellers getting 101.3% of their asking price in the last month Redfin published (May 2026).
How much do homes cost in Forest Lake?
The typical home in Forest Lake, IL is worth $478,889 (Zillow Home Value Index, July 2026). The median sale price in the last month Redfin published was $460,000, about $299 per square foot.
Is Forest Lake cheaper than the rest of Illinois?
Forest Lake's median sale price of $460,000 is 36% higher than the Illinois statewide median of $337,900, and 12% above the U.S. median of $410,700. Both figures are for the same period.
How long do homes take to sell in Forest Lake?
Homes in Forest Lake, IL spent a median of 28 days on market before going under contract, versus 43 days statewide. That is a normal pace: enough time to see a home twice, not enough to wait a month. (Redfin, through May 2026.)
What income do you need to buy a home in Forest Lake?
At the current 30-year fixed rate of 6.66%, 20% down on a $478,889 home is about $2,462 a month in principal and interest. Lenders typically want that under 28% of gross income, which works out to roughly $105,513 a year before taxes, insurance, HOA dues or mortgage insurance. The local median household income is $92,956.
Are home prices rising in Forest Lake?
The typical home value in Forest Lake, IL rose 6.8% over the last 12 months, from $448,273 to $478,889 (Zillow, July 2026). This is the live series — it refreshes monthly.
What are the cheapest ZIP codes in Forest Lake?
Forest Lake ZIP-level sale prices are not all published for the same period, so ranking them would compare different months. The ZIP pages listed on this page show what we hold for each one individually.
Is now a good time to buy in Forest Lake?
That depends on your timeline, not on a headline. What the data says today: Forest Lake, IL is a seller's market with 2.0 months of supply, the 30-year fixed rate is 6.66%. Properties Incorporated publishes the data; it does not give financial advice.
Be the brokerage on this page
1 slot per pageGet featured on Forest Lake, IL
Your logo, brokerage name, and direct link to your site — featured at the top of this page in front of every visitor researching this whole city. One brokerage, no rotation, no bidding war.
- Goes live in 24 hours
- Cancel anytime
- Do-follow backlink to your site
Keep researching Forest Lake
Nearby markets
Get the Forest Lake market brief
Get the Forest Lake, IL market brief
One email: what homes are actually clearing at around $478,889, how long they sit, which ZIPs run cheaper, and what to fix on your credit before you apply.