Photo: Madcoverboy · CC BY-SA 3.0849 homes sold in Evanston in the last year, at a typical $459K
Houses and condos split the market almost evenly. 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 Evanston homes are listed.
Every place Evanston 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 Evanston.
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.
Half of Evanston’s sales are condos, at $544K less than a house
317 houses and 429 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 317 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $373IL $180
- Days to sell
- 48
- Sold over asking
- 51%
- Listings with a price cut
- 15%
typical sale · 429 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $292IL $251
- Days to sell
- 48
- Sold over asking
- 38%
- Listings with a price cut
- 14%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 34 sold, typical $601K
Townhouses: 69 sold, typical $502K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.5 times the 2016 price
849 sales in the last year, against 1,229 in 2021 and a low of 777 in 2025. The typical sale went from $315K in 2016 to $459K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $450K buys in Evanston
Check a listing against what Evanston 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 Evanston are more common than before the pandemic, but half fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Evanston’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 May 2026, 849 sales.
If you’re buying in Evanston
- Shop in March. It brings about 127 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (20% over asking).
- Less room to haggle. Only 15% of listings cut their price, against 22% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 101.3% of the list price on average; 44% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. Half 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 133 a month), and the most competition: 29% close over asking. March and April offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (20%). January has the least competition (17%) but only about 77 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Hotter than in 2021, and hotter than Illinois
| Evanston now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IL now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 44% | 14% | 23% | 37% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 52% | 38% | 40% | 46% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 15% | 22% | 23% | 19% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 101.3% | 97.1% | 98.3% | 99.2% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 48 | 64 | 28 | 49 |
158 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 51% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 381.
1 in 7 listings has cut its price
15% in the last year, against 22% in 2017–19 and 19% across Illinois.
Since 2019, houses are up 64%, condos 41%
A house typically sold for $870K in the last year (317 sales), a condo for $326K (429).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Evanston ranks 84th of 324 busy Illinois markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Evanston is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Evanston home costs about $3,099 a month
Price: Evanston’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Evanston’s 1.8% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Evanston 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 34.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $459K home, about $8,460 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Evanston, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in EvanstonTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Evanston.
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.
Skokie, Niles Township and Lincolnwood sell for less a square foot; Wilmette, Kenilworth and Winnetka for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Evanston, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evanston | 849 | $459K | $323 | 44% | 48 |
| Skokie | 594 | $448K | $264 | 38% | 49 |
| Wilmette | 405 | $1.1M | $415 | 53% | 38 |
| Niles Township | 328 | $382K | $258 | 40% | 52 |
| Winnetka | 194 | $1.8M | $500 | 57% | 40 |
| Lincolnwood | 111 | $526K | $266 | 40% | 61 |
| Kenilworth | 52 | $2.2M | $576 | 31% | 54 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Evanston, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Evanston. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Evanston with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Evanston
What do homes sell for in Evanston, IL?
849 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $459K, $323 a square foot. Houses sold for about $870K, condos for about $326K.
Is Evanston a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 163 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 97 sold, about 1.7 months of supply. Buyers paid 101.3% of asking on average, and 15% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Evanston?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Evanston?
About 1.8% of a home’s value a year. On a $459K home that’s near $8,460.
Where can I see homes for sale in Evanston?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Evanston’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Evanston.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). 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).