Photo: Cosmo1976 · Public domain551 homes sold in Crystal Lake in the last year, at a typical $364K
About one sale in 3 is a condo. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Crystal Lake homes are listed.
Every place Crystal Lake homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Crystal Lake.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
16% of Crystal Lake’s sales are condos, at $212K less than a house
356 houses and 84 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Condos sell faster. Houses draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 356 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $195IL $180
- Days to sell
- 49
- Sold over asking
- 47%
- Listings with a price cut
- 18%
typical sale · 84 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $176IL $251
- Days to sell
- 43
- Sold over asking
- 33%
- Listings with a price cut
- 20%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 7 sold, typical $374K
Townhouses: 64 sold, typical $334K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at twice the 2016 price
551 sales in the last year, against 930 in 2021 and a low of 493 in 2025. The typical sale went from $185K in 2016 to $364K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales. Redfin stopped publishing towns’ figures by property type after May 2026, so houses and condos are shown for the year to then.
What $350K buys in Crystal Lake
Check a listing against what Crystal Lake homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Crystal Lake are more common than before the pandemic, but half fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Crystal Lake’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to September 2026, 551 sales.
If you’re buying in Crystal Lake
- Shop in March. It brings about 80 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (28% over asking).
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 100.1% of the list price on average; 41% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. 57% of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 88 a month), and the most competition: 37% close over asking. March offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (28%). January has the least competition (21%) but only about 45 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and about like Illinois as a whole
| Crystal Lake now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IL now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 41% | 20% | 48% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 57% | 39% | 61% | 45% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 100.1% | 98% | 100.5% | 99% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 48 | 62 | 13 | 51 |
106 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.2 times the 2021 low (86), 48% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2019’s 253.
Since 2019, houses are up 65%, condos 67%
A house typically sold for $405K in the year to May 2026 (356 sales), a condo for $194K (84).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Crystal Lake ranks 115th of 327 busy Illinois markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Crystal Lake is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2012 to September 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Crystal Lake home costs about $2,651 a month
Price: Crystal Lake’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Crystal Lake’s 2.5% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Crystal Lake is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 28.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $364K home, about $9,020 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Crystal Lake, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Crystal LakeTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Crystal Lake.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Lakewood and Prairie Grove sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Crystal Lake, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Lake | 551 | $364K | $192 | 41% | 48 |
| Algonquin | 464 | $416K | $202 | 34% | 65 |
| Lake in the Hills | 312 | $375K | $198 | 44% | 46 |
| Cary | 229 | $380K | $187 | 41% | 49 |
| Lakewood | 53 | $595K | $174 | 29% | 88 |
| Prairie Grove | 33 | $469K | $182 | 31% | 68 |
| Oakwood Hills | 21 | $364K | $224 | 44% | 71 |
Redfin Data Center, October 2025 to September 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Crystal Lake, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Crystal Lake. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Crystal Lake with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Crystal Lake
What do homes sell for in Crystal Lake, IL?
551 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $364K, $192 a square foot. Houses sold for about $405K, condos for about $194K in the year to May 2026.
Is Crystal Lake a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 116 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 50 sold, about 2.3 months of supply. Buyers paid 100.1% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Crystal Lake?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Crystal Lake?
About 2.5% of a home’s value a year. On a $364K home that’s near $9,020.
Where can I see homes for sale in Crystal Lake?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Crystal Lake’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Crystal Lake.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).