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Featured local agent — Willow Lake, IL
Sarah Mitchell
Compass Real Estate · Willow Lake, IL
“Your trusted relocation specialist since 2009. 350+ homes sold. Zero-pressure, data-first approach.”
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Willow Lake, IL Housing Market
The last median sale price Redfin published was $258,000, +6.4% year over year (through May 2026). With homes going under contract in about 59 days, Willow Lake is a balanced market. At today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate, 20% down on a $258,000 home is about $1,326/mo in principal and interest.
Key numbers for Willow Lake, IL
Median sale price
$258,000
+6.4% year over year
Redfin, through May 2026
Days on market
59
Average pace
Redfin, through May 2026
30-yr fixed rate
6.66%
Freddie Mac weekly average
Freddie Mac via FRED, August 2026
Median household income
$93,750
Home costs 2.8x income
U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Sale-to-list ratio
103.2%
Selling above asking
Redfin, through May 2026
Zillow figures 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 Willow Lake a buyer's or seller's market?
Willow Lake, IL is a balanced market and homes selling in about 59 days. We classify markets from months of supply, sale-to-list ratio and days on market together — no single number decides it.
Inputs are Redfin's final published period (May 2026). How we classify markets · Where the data comes from
What does the Willow Lake housing market data show?
Every row below is Redfin's final published month for Willow Lake, IL. Redfin, through May 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median sale price | $258,000 |
| Median list price | $189,900 |
| Year-over-year price change | +6.4% |
| Median price per sq ft | $125/sq ft |
| Median days on market | 59 days |
| Sale-to-list price ratio | 103.2% |
| Homes sold (that month) | 1 |
| New listings (that month) | 1 |
| Market condition | Balanced 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 Willow Lake is frozen at May 2026.
- Typical home value (ZHVI)
- Zillow's estimate of what a mid-market home in Willow 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 Willow Lake home prices moved?
Over the last three years the median sale price in Willow Lake, IL rose 84.3%, from $140,000 to $258,000.
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 Willow Lake?
Priced off the median sale price of $258,000 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% | $51,600 | $206,400 | $1,326/mo |
| 5% | $12,900 | $245,100 | $1,575/mo |
Redfin, through May 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 $1,326, that implies roughly $56,845 a year before you add taxes and insurance. The median household in Willow Lake earns $93,750, about $36,905 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 2.8x — close to the historical 3x norm, which is unusual in 2026.
Run it with your own numbers: affordability calculator · mortgage calculator
Buying in Willow Lake in the next 12 months?
Tell us your timeline. We send the Willow 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 Willow Lake?
Zillow does not publish a rent index (ZORI) for Willow 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 Willow Lake?
Active listings in Willow Lake, IL went from 2 in November 2023 to 1 in April 2026, a -50.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| December 2023 | 1 | not published |
| March 2024 | 1 | 2 |
| October 2024 | 1 | 2 |
| November 2024 | 2 | 1 |
| February 2025 | 1 | 1 |
| October 2025 | 2 | 1 |
| November 2025 | 4 | 4 |
| December 2025 | 1 | 1 |
| January 2026 | 2 | 1 |
| February 2026 | 2 | 3 |
| March 2026 | 2 | 2 |
| April 2026 | 1 | 2 |
Redfin, through April 2026
How does Willow Lake compare to Illinois and the U.S.?
Willow Lake homes sell for $258,000 — 24% below the Illinois median of $337,900. Against the national median of $410,700, Willow Lake runs 37% lower. Year-over-year, Willow Lake moved +6.4% against Illinois's +5.9% — a bigger swing than the state as a whole.
| Market | Median sale price | YoY | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Lake, IL | $258,000 | +6.4% | 59 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 Willow Lake
What buyers should watch
- The gap between 5% and 20% down here is $249 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 $258,000 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 Willow Lake listing goes under contract in 59 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 103.2% of asking. Price at the number you want and let competition do the rest.
- In the last published month Willow Lake added 1 new listings against 1 sales — more clearing than arriving, which is the better window to list.
- Comparable ZIP-level pricing inside Willow Lake varies more than the citywide median suggests — check the ZIP pages below before you set a number.
Homes for sale in Willow Lake
Explore homes currently listed for sale in Willow Lake, Illinois across major real estate platforms.
How much do homes cost in Willow Lake by property type?
How the Willow 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 | $258,000 | $125/sq ft | 1 | 59 days |
Who lives in Willow Lake?
American Community Survey estimates for Willow Lake. U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Population
838
Households
378
Median income
$93,750/yr
Median age
56.6 years
Owner-occupied
94.7%
Median home value
$154,100
Mean commute
19.8 min
94.7% of occupied homes in Willow 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.
Which cities are near Willow Lake, IL?
Ordered by distance from Willow Lake, not by size. Compare Willow Lake side by side with any of them.
Willow Lake housing market FAQ
Is Willow Lake a buyer's or seller's market?
Willow Lake, IL is currently a balanced market based on the supply, pace-of-sale and sale-to-list data we hold for this city. Redfin's public market tracker last published in May 2026, so this classification will not move until a new source fills that gap.
How much do homes cost in Willow Lake?
The median sale price in the last month Redfin published was $258,000, about $125 per square foot.
Is Willow Lake cheaper than the rest of Illinois?
Willow Lake's median sale price of $258,000 is 24% lower than the Illinois statewide median of $337,900, and 37% below the U.S. median of $410,700. Both figures are for the same period.
How long do homes take to sell in Willow Lake?
Homes in Willow Lake, IL spent a median of 59 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 Willow Lake?
At the current 30-year fixed rate of 6.66%, 20% down on a $258,000 home is about $1,326 a month in principal and interest. Lenders typically want that under 28% of gross income, which works out to roughly $56,845 a year before taxes, insurance, HOA dues or mortgage insurance. The local median household income is $93,750.
Are home prices rising in Willow Lake?
Redfin's last published year-over-year change for Willow Lake, IL was +6.4%, measured through May 2026. That series is frozen; treat it as a historical reading rather than a current trend.
What are the cheapest ZIP codes in Willow Lake?
Willow 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 Willow Lake?
That depends on your timeline, not on a headline. What the data says today: Willow Lake, IL is a balanced market, the 30-year fixed rate is 6.66%. Properties Incorporated publishes the data; it does not give financial advice.
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One email: what homes are actually clearing at around $258,000, how long they sit, which ZIPs run cheaper, and what to fix on your credit before you apply.