Photo: IvoShandor · CC BY-SA 3.0249 homes sold in Ottawa in the last year, at a typical $212K
Almost every sale is a house. 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 Ottawa homes are listed.
Every place Ottawa 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 Ottawa.
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.
Houses are 88% of Ottawa’s sales, at a typical $215K
249 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 220 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $145IL $180
- Days to sell
- 53
- Sold over asking
- 32%
- Listings with a price cut
- 19%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 18 sold, typical $209K
Townhouses: 9 sold, typical $233K
Condos: 2 sold, typical $186K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at twice the 2016 price
249 sales in the last year, against 315 in 2020 and a low of 203 in 2023. The typical sale went from $105K in 2016 to $212K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $200K buys in Ottawa
Check a listing against what Ottawa 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 Ottawa are more common than before the pandemic, but a third fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Ottawa’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, 249 sales.
If you’re buying in Ottawa
- Shop in March. It brings about 31 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (16% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 18% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 97.9% of the list price on average; 31% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. Half of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Summer brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
July has the most new listings (about 37 a month), but June is the most competitive: 27% of June sales close over asking. March and April offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (16%). January has the least competition (11%) but only about 19 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and calmer than Illinois
| Ottawa now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IL now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 31% | 11% | 25% | 37% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 48% | 27% | 43% | 46% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 18% | 21% | 27% | 19% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 97.9% | 94.7% | 96.9% | 99.2% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 55 | 82 | 24 | 49 |
81 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.9 times the 2023 low (44), 33% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 182.
1 in 6 listings has cut its price
18% in the last year, against 21% in 2017–19 and 19% across Illinois.
Ottawa ranks 245th of 324 busy Illinois markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Ottawa is one of the state’s calmer markets.
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 Ottawa home costs about $1,566 a month
Price: Ottawa’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Ottawa’s 2.6% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Ottawa is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in July
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 13.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $212K home, about $5,510 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Ottawa, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in OttawaCheck 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.
Marseilles, Seneca, Oglesby, LaSalle, Streator and Peru sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Ottawa, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 249 | $212K | $145 | 31% | 55 |
| Streator | 170 | $131K | $97 | 24% | 83 |
| LaSalle | 95 | $133K | $114 | 28% | 65 |
| Peru | 89 | $162K | $132 | 29% | 59 |
| Marseilles | 60 | $154K | $113 | 33% | 59 |
| Oglesby | 34 | $164K | $134 | 41% | 46 |
| Seneca | 28 | $253K | $136 | 46% | 79 |
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 Ottawa, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Ottawa. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Ottawa with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Ottawa
What do homes sell for in Ottawa, IL?
249 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $212K, $145 a square foot.
Is Ottawa a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 97 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 18 sold, about 5.4 months of supply. Buyers paid 97.9% of asking on average, and 18% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Ottawa?
July brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Ottawa?
About 2.6% of a home’s value a year. On a $212K home that’s near $5,510.
Where can I see homes for sale in Ottawa?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Ottawa’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Ottawa.
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).