Cook County, Illinois Housing Market Prices
Cook County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 66% above the Illinois median More expensive than 92% of counties in Illinois$248,814
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Median rent 13% above the Illinois median More expensive than 95% of counties in Illinois$1,434
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Cook County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $248,814 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 5.7% | 2.5% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,434 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.6% | 4.1% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Cook County is about 66% higher than in Illinois. Rent is about 13% higher than the Illinois average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Cook County, up about 5.7% and 4.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Cook County rose about 46.5% between 2015 and 2024, from $979 to $1,434. Over the same span, rent in Illinois rose about 40.4%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 3.0 yearly household incomes in Cook County.
Buying the median-priced home in Cook County costs roughly 14.5 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Cook County. The price-to-rent ratio in Illinois is about 9.8.
| Metric | Cook County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $248,814 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $84,208 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 3.0 | 1.8 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Cook County rose about 56.0%, while median household income rose about 52.4% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Cook County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 53.3% | 61.9% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 39.0% | 30.4% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 7.7% | 7.7% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 15.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2011 | 2010 | 2011 |
Cook County has a homeownership rate of 53.3%, lower than the Illinois average of 61.9%. Its housing vacancy rate is 7.7%, compared with 7.7% in Illinois.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Cook County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.42 people | 2.46 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1962 | 1969 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.1 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Cook County was built around 1962. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.1 rooms, staying for about 15.0 years on average.
Cook County, IL Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Cook County, IL is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 5,180,889 residents against a local median of 701,595. Where Cook County, IL breaks from the counties next to it is homeownership, sitting 21% below the local median of 73.1% at 57.7%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $248,814 against a local median of $214,302, 16% above it. The counties themselves spread 16.1% on homeownership, so Cook County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cook County, IL has the 6th highest homeownership of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County, IL | 5,180,889 | $248,814 #2/6 | $1,434 #4/6 | 57.7% #6/6 |
| Lake County, IL | 714,026 | $221,886 | $1,476 | 74.8% |
| DuPage County, IL | 929,812 | $400,376 | $1,688 | 73.1% |
| Lake County, IN | 498,291 | $107,473 | $1,132 | 71.7% |
| Will County, IL | 701,595 | $214,302 | $1,462 | 82.8% |
| Kenosha County, WI | 168,436 | $172,058 | $1,218 | 66.7% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Cook County, Illinois.
What is the median home price in Cook County, Illinois?
The median home price in Cook County, Illinois is $248,814, higher than the Illinois average of $149,936.
What is the average home price in Cook County, Illinois?
The typical home price in Cook County, Illinois, reported as the median sale price, is $248,814. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Cook County, Illinois?
The median gross rent in Cook County, Illinois is $1,434 per month, higher than the Illinois average of $1,274.
What was the median gross rent in Cook County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Cook County, Illinois was $1,160 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Cook County, Illinois?
The price-to-rent ratio in Cook County, Illinois is about 14.5, meaning it would take roughly 14.5 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Cook County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Cook County, Illinois?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Cook County, up about 5.7% and 4.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Cook County, Illinois?
53.3% of households in Cook County, Illinois own their home, lower than the Illinois average of 61.9%.
What is the vacancy rate in Cook County, Illinois?
The housing vacancy rate in Cook County, Illinois is 7.7%, about the same as the Illinois average.
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