Photo: David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA · CC BY 2.0291 homes sold in Park Forest in the last year, at a typical $155K
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 Park Forest homes are listed.
Every place Park 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 Park 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.
Houses are 94% of Park Forest’s sales, at a typical $157K
291 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 274 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $125IL $180
- Days to sell
- 82
- Sold over asking
- 32%
- Listings with a price cut
- 25%
Townhouses: 11 sold, typical $70K
Condos: 6 sold, typical $65K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 3.8 times the 2016 price
291 sales in the last year, against 423 in 2021 and a low of 259 in 2012. The typical sale went from $40K in 2016 to $155K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $150K buys in Park Forest
Check a listing against what Park 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 Park Forest are back to pre-pandemic levels, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Park 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, 291 sales.
If you’re buying in Park Forest
- Shop in June. It brings about 53 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (35% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 25% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 97.5% of the list price on average; 32% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 27% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 81 days.
Summer brings the homes; fall brings the bidding wars
June has the most new listings (about 53 a month), but October is the most competitive: 46% of October sales close over asking. January has the least competition (29%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than Illinois
| Park Forest now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | IL now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 32% | 27% | 58% | 37% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 27% | 23% | 54% | 46% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 25% | 23% | 10% | 19% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 97.5% | 96% | 102.1% | 99.2% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 81 | 78 | 16 | 49 |
156 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 2.3 times the 2021 low (69) and about the 2017–19 level.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
25% in the last year, against 23% in 2017–19 and 19% across Illinois.
Since 2019, houses are up 113%, condos 165%
A house typically sold for $157K in the last year (274 sales), a condo for $65K (6).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Park Forest ranks 237th of 324 busy Illinois markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Park 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.
Owning the typical Park Forest home costs about $1,325 a month
Price: Park Forest’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Park Forest’s 4% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Park Forest is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in June
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 27.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $155K home, about $6,180 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Park Forest, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Park ForestTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Park 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.
University Park sells for less a square foot; South Chicago Heights for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Park 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Forest | 291 | $155K | $122 | 32% | 81 |
| Chicago Heights | 225 | $194K | $142 | 40% | 73 |
| Matteson | 194 | $265K | $148 | 37% | 82 |
| Richton Park | 127 | $211K | $141 | 43% | 81 |
| University Park | 75 | $199K | $112 | 35% | 80 |
| Olympia Fields | 49 | $412K | $136 | 24% | 79 |
| South Chicago Heights | 27 | $187K | $159 | 33% | 88 |
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 Park Forest, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Park Forest. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Park Forest with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Park Forest
What do homes sell for in Park Forest, IL?
291 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $155K, $122 a square foot.
Is Park Forest a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A buyer’s market: 146 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 21 sold, about 7 months of supply. Buyers paid 97.5% of asking on average, and 25% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Park Forest?
June brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Park Forest?
About 4% of a home’s value a year. On a $155K home that’s near $6,180.
Where can I see homes for sale in Park Forest?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Park Forest’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Park 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).