Photo: Teemu08 · CC BY-SA 3.0316 homes sold in Lake Forest in the last year, at a typical $1.2M
About one sale in 6 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 Lake Forest homes are listed.
Every place Lake Forest 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 Lake Forest.
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.
11% of Lake Forest’s sales are condos, at $821K less than a house
262 houses and 34 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Condos sell faster. Houses draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 262 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $378IL $180
- Days to sell
- 64
- Sold over asking
- 36%
- Listings with a price cut
- 12%
typical sale · 34 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $300IL $251
- Days to sell
- 49
- Sold over asking
- 29%
- Listings with a price cut
- 26%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 3 sold, typical $675K
Townhouses: 17 sold, typical $882K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.7 times the 2016 price
316 sales in the last year, against 550 in 2021 and a low of 300 in 2012. The typical sale went from $742K in 2016 to $1.2M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $1.3M buys in Lake Forest
Check a listing against what Lake Forest 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 Lake Forest are more common than before the pandemic, but three quarters fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Lake Forest’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, 316 sales.
If you’re buying in Lake Forest
- Shop in February. It brings about 53 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (12% over asking).
- Less room to haggle. Only 12% of listings cut their price, against 21% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99% of the list price on average; 35% 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
April has the most new listings (about 63 a month), but May is the most competitive: 18% of May sales close over asking. February and March offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (12%). January has the least competition (10%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Hotter than in 2021, and about like Illinois as a whole
| Lake Forest now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IL now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 35% | 5% | 15% | 37% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 49% | 16% | 35% | 46% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 12% | 21% | 18% | 19% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99% | 93.6% | 96.3% | 99.2% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 60 | 139 | 42 | 49 |
81 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 72% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2019’s 307.
1 in 9 listings has cut its price
12% in the last year, against 21% in 2017–19 and 19% across Illinois.
Since 2019, houses are up 74%, condos 6%
A house typically sold for $1.4M in the last year (262 sales), a condo for $538K (34).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Lake Forest ranks 194th of 324 busy Illinois markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Lake Forest 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.
Five things worth knowing
New listings in April
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 13.
Best time to buySchools
The schools grade for Lake Forest, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Lake ForestTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Lake Forest.
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.
Highwood, Knollwood, Lincolnshire, Highland Park and Riverwoods sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Lake Forest, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Park | 429 | $796K | $299 | 47% | 44 |
| Lake Forest | 316 | $1.2M | $369 | 35% | 60 |
| Lincolnshire | 104 | $751K | $262 | 44% | 65 |
| Lake Bluff | 94 | $1.2M | $422 | 43% | 67 |
| Riverwoods | 45 | $949K | $281 | 38% | 43 |
| Highwood | 32 | $435K | $259 | 41% | 49 |
| Knollwood | 23 | $493K | $254 | 52% | 68 |
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 Lake Forest, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Lake Forest. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Lake Forest with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Lake Forest
What do homes sell for in Lake Forest, IL?
316 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $1.2M, $369 a square foot. Houses sold for about $1.4M, condos for about $538K.
Is Lake Forest a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 72 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 29 sold, about 2.5 months of supply. Buyers paid 99% of asking on average, and 12% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Lake Forest?
April brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
Where can I see homes for sale in Lake Forest?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Lake Forest’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Lake Forest.
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).