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Featured local agent — Lake Bluff, IL
Sarah Mitchell
Compass Real Estate · Lake Bluff, IL
“Your trusted relocation specialist since 2009. 350+ homes sold. Zero-pressure, data-first approach.”
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Lake Bluff, IL Housing Market
The typical home in Lake Bluff, IL is worth $669,380, rose 8.4% over the past year (Zillow Home Value Index, July 2026). The last median sale price Redfin published was $1.72M, +82.0% year over year (through May 2026). With 2.0 months of supply and homes going under contract in about 42 days, Lake Bluff is a seller's market. At today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate, 20% down on a $669,380 home is about $3,441/mo in principal and interest.
Key numbers for Lake Bluff, IL
Typical home value
$669,380
+8.4% in 12 months
Zillow, July 2026
Typical asking rent
$2,133/mo
Zillow Observed Rent Index
Zillow, July 2026
Median sale price
$1.72M
+82.0% year over year
Redfin, through May 2026
Days on market
42
Average pace
Redfin, through May 2026
Active listings
22
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
$205,735
Home costs 3.3x income
U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Sale-to-list ratio
100.8%
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 Lake Bluff a buyer's or seller's market?
Lake Bluff, IL is a seller's market, based on 2.0 months of supply and homes selling in about 42 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 Lake Bluff housing market data show?
Every row below is Redfin's final published month for Lake Bluff, IL. Redfin, through May 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median sale price | $1.72M |
| Median list price | $899,950 |
| Year-over-year price change | +82.0% |
| Median price per sq ft | $475/sq ft |
| Median days on market | 42 days |
| Active inventory | 22 listings |
| Months of supply | 2.0 months |
| Sale-to-list price ratio | 100.8% |
| Homes sold (that month) | 11 |
| New listings (that month) | 10 |
| Listings with a price cut | 13.6% |
| 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 Lake Bluff is frozen at May 2026.
- Typical home value (ZHVI)
- Zillow's estimate of what a mid-market home in Lake Bluff 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 Lake Bluff home prices moved?
Over the last three years the median sale price in Lake Bluff, IL rose 176.4%, from $620,500 to $1.72M. The live Zillow value series has rose 8.4% in the last 12 months, which is the more current read now that Redfin's series has stopped. 13.6% of Lake Bluff listings cut their asking price in the final Redfin month — a modest share, which is what a market looks like when sellers are pricing close to where homes actually clear. 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 100.8%. Watch those two together — they move before the median does.
Redfin, through May 2026 — the chart ends at Redfin's final published month.
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What does it cost to buy a home in Lake Bluff?
Priced off the typical home value of $669,380 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% | $133,876 | $535,504 | $3,441/mo |
| 5% | $33,469 | $635,911 | $4,087/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 $3,441, that implies roughly $147,484 a year before you add taxes and insurance. The median household in Lake Bluff earns $205,735, about $58,251 more than that threshold — the typical local household clears the payment on a typical local home with 20% down. That puts the price-to-income ratio at 3.3x — close to the historical 3x norm, which is unusual in 2026.
Run it with your own numbers: affordability calculator · mortgage calculator
Buying in Lake Bluff in the next 12 months?
Tell us your timeline. We send the Lake Bluff 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 Lake Bluff?
Typical asking rent in Lake Bluff, IL is $2,133/mo, against a typical home value of $669,380. That is a price-to-rent ratio of 26.2x, which means renting tends to be the cheaper monthly option unless you stay long enough for appreciation to close the gap. Compared head to head, 20% down puts principal and interest at $3,441 a month — $1,308 more than renting before taxes and insurance, so the ownership case here rests on equity and appreciation rather than monthly cash flow.
Zillow, July 2026 for both value and rent
Add your own down payment, tax rate and time horizon in the rent vs. buy calculator.
Is inventory rising or falling in Lake Bluff?
Active listings in Lake Bluff, IL went from 29 in May 2025 to 22 in May 2026, a -24.1% change. Falling inventory tightens competition. When supply drops while demand holds, sale-to-list ratios rise before the median sale price does.
| Month | Active listings | New listings |
|---|---|---|
| June 2025 | 21 | 5 |
| July 2025 | 25 | 11 |
| August 2025 | 20 | 7 |
| September 2025 | 24 | 6 |
| October 2025 | 22 | 6 |
| November 2025 | 24 | 10 |
| December 2025 | 16 | 2 |
| January 2026 | 16 | 5 |
| February 2026 | 12 | 6 |
| March 2026 | 14 | 10 |
| April 2026 | 20 | 17 |
| May 2026 | 22 | 10 |
Redfin, through May 2026
How does Lake Bluff compare to Illinois and the U.S.?
Lake Bluff homes sell for $1.72M — 408% above the Illinois median of $337,900. Against the national median of $410,700, Lake Bluff runs 318% higher. Year-over-year, Lake Bluff moved +82.0% against Illinois's +5.9% — a bigger swing than the state as a whole.
| Market | Median sale price | YoY | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Bluff, IL | $1.72M | +82.0% | 42 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 Lake Bluff
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 13.6%. 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 $645 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 $669,380 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 Lake Bluff listing goes under contract in 42 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 100.8% of asking. Price at the number you want and let competition do the rest.
- In the last published month Lake Bluff added 10 new listings against 11 sales — more clearing than arriving, which is the better window to list.
- Your equity moved +8.4% 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 Lake Bluff varies more than the citywide median suggests — check the ZIP pages below before you set a number.
Homes for sale in Lake Bluff
There are currently 22 homes listed for sale in Lake Bluff, Illinois. The median listing price is $900K.
Active listings
22
Homes on market
Median list price
$900K
Avg. days on market
42
Days until sale
New this week
10
Newly listed
How much do homes cost in Lake Bluff by property type?
How the Lake Bluff, 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 | $1.72M | $475/sq ft | 9 | 33 days |
| Condo / co-op | $1.76M | $584/sq ft | 1 | 464 days |
| Townhouse | $550,000 | $413/sq ft | 1 | 48 days |
Who lives in Lake Bluff?
American Community Survey estimates for Lake Bluff. U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Population
5,834
Households
2,174
Median income
$205,735/yr
Median age
44.9 years
Owner-occupied
91.5%
Median home value
$739,400
Median gross rent
$1,826/mo
Mean commute
27.9 min
91.5% of occupied homes in Lake Bluff 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 $739,400 against Zillow's $669,380 typical value; the gap is normal — ACS asks owners what they think their home is worth, Zillow models transactions. Census median gross rent (all leases, including long-held ones) is $1,826/mo, below Zillow's $2,133/mo asking rent on new leases — the difference is roughly what a mover pays over a stayer.
Which public schools serve Lake Bluff?
2 schools tracked · 881 students
The largest public schools serving Lake Bluff, IL by enrollment, drawn from the National Center for Education Statistics. School quality is a commonly cited factor in home-buying decisions — these are the campuses families in this area are most likely to encounter.
Lake Bluff Elem Sch
Grades PK-5 · 592 students
Lake Bluff Middle School
Grades 6-8 · 289 students
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data directory. Updated annually. Ratings and test scores are not currently displayed.
Which cities are near Lake Bluff, IL?
Ordered by distance from Lake Bluff, not by size. Compare Lake Bluff side by side with any of them.
Lake Bluff housing market FAQ
Is Lake Bluff a buyer's or seller's market?
Lake Bluff, IL is currently a seller's market. That read comes from 2.0 months of supply, homes going under contract in about 42 days, and sellers getting 100.8% of their asking price in the last month Redfin published (May 2026).
How much do homes cost in Lake Bluff?
The typical home in Lake Bluff, IL is worth $669,380 (Zillow Home Value Index, July 2026). The median sale price in the last month Redfin published was $1.72M, about $475 per square foot.
Is Lake Bluff cheaper than the rest of Illinois?
Lake Bluff's median sale price of $1.72M is 408% higher than the Illinois statewide median of $337,900, and 318% above the U.S. median of $410,700. Both figures are for the same period.
How long do homes take to sell in Lake Bluff?
Homes in Lake Bluff, IL spent a median of 42 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 Lake Bluff?
At the current 30-year fixed rate of 6.66%, 20% down on a $669,380 home is about $3,441 a month in principal and interest. Lenders typically want that under 28% of gross income, which works out to roughly $147,484 a year before taxes, insurance, HOA dues or mortgage insurance. The local median household income is $205,735.
Are home prices rising in Lake Bluff?
The typical home value in Lake Bluff, IL rose 8.4% over the last 12 months, from $617,301 to $669,380 (Zillow, July 2026). This is the live series — it refreshes monthly.
What are the cheapest ZIP codes in Lake Bluff?
Lake Bluff 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 Lake Bluff?
That depends on your timeline, not on a headline. What the data says today: Lake Bluff, IL is a seller's market with 2.0 months of supply, the 30-year fixed rate is 6.66%, and the price-to-rent ratio of 26.2x means renting tends to be the cheaper monthly option unless you stay long enough for appreciation to close the gap. Properties Incorporated publishes the data; it does not give financial advice.
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