Every analysis we publish about Chicago housing, in one place. Each one names its source. Most use the sale records the Cook County Assessor publishes from recorded deeds; city permit, license, notice and hearing files; and Census population estimates. A few read forecast or search-interest series and say so. The sale figures use no listings data and no modeled home values.
$320,000
median house sale, 2025
+62%
two-to-six-flat median since 2019
14.8%
of 2025 home purchases had a company as the buyer
7,875
fewer two-to-six-flats on the Assessor’s rolls than in 2006
Sale prices and the company-buyer share are from the county file as retrieved September 30, 2026, with sales through July 14, 2026. Every analysis carries its full sources and as-of dates.
What homes actually cost
MOVING HEREWhat a Chicago Home Actually Sold For245,849 deeds since 2018, all 77 community areas, with a map you can scrub through eight years of prices.LAND & BUILDINGS7,875 Fewer Two-to-Six-Flats Than in 2006Every flat parcel of 2006 followed to 2026. Of the 13,049 that left the count, 6,208 are now classed as houses and 2,729 as vacant land.THE NEW LAWThe Federal Housing Law, Measured Against ChicagoFour parts of the ROAD to Housing Act (Public Law 119-101), set against deed, mortgage, permit and inspection records.FINANCINGThe Loans That Weren’t WrittenAt least 1,532 homes sold for $100,000 or less in 2025; lenders wrote 289 mortgages that size. The gap, community area by community area.THE BUYERSWho Is Buying Chicago?Single-building buyouts, parcel-by-parcel buyers, a nonprofit receiver, and 11,443 homes resold by their buyers within two years: the names on the deeds since 2018.THE BUILDINGSCondo Buildings Bought in Bulk69 condominium buildings bought in bulk since 2018 have left the tax rolls as condominiums, the nearest parcels now classed as apartment buildings or two-to-six-flats, and the 85 percent of owners Chicago requires to sell one whole.MOVING HEREJanuary–April House Sales: 5.6 Percent Below Last Year, Not 23 Percent AboveOur July count was wrong: the county added 1,147 sales to early 2025 afterward. Both readings, and why the second is not final either.WHEN HOMES SELLChicago Home Sales, Month by MonthFrom 2018 through 2024, houses that closed in June sold for 12 percent more than January’s in the same community area. Where the calendar is strongest, and where it barely moves.
Market change, area by area
AREA BY AREAWhere Chicago’s Gentrification Signals Are ActiveFive market signals scored in every community area. East Garfield Park, New City and North Lawndale show four; Logan Square, Avondale and the Lower West Side show none.AREA BY AREALogan Square Is Climbing in the DataSearch interest up about 25 percent over eight weeks, and 31 new-construction permits in the first half of 2026, up from 21.
Forty-three community areas, by the numbers
AREA BY AREAEast Garfield Park, by the NumbersFour of five market signals active. New-construction permits went from 17 in 2018–19 to 64 in 2024–25.AREA BY AREANew City, by the NumbersFour of five market signals active. First-time business licenses went from 80 in 2019 to 214 in 2025.AREA BY AREANorth Lawndale, by the NumbersFour of five market signals active, one of them exactly at its bar. New-construction permits went from 27 in 2018–19 to 104 in 2024–25.AREA BY AREAWest Englewood, by the NumbersThe median house went from $40,000 in 2019 to $152,500 in 2025, the largest rise among 70 community areas.AREA BY AREAEnglewood, by the NumbersThe median house went from $32,341 to $115,000, and 358 two-to-six-flat parcels are now classed as vacant land.AREA BY AREAWoodlawn, by the NumbersThe median house price tripled on 39 sales, and the tax rolls show more two-to-six-flat parcels than in 2006.AREA BY AREAAvondale, by the NumbersHouse prices up 59 percent since 2019, no market signals active, and 142 two-to-six-flat parcels now classed as houses.AREA BY AREANear West Side, by the NumbersThe most new-construction permits of any area in the first half of 2026, and the smallest house-price rise of 70.AREA BY AREAPullman, by the NumbersThe median house went from $68,900 to $178,000 on 63 sales, and 15 percent of purchases were resold within two years.AREA BY AREALogan Square, by the NumbersNo market signals active. House prices up 45 percent since 2019, and 566 two-to-six-flat parcels now classed as houses.AREA BY AREALower West Side, by the NumbersThe area that includes Pilsen. No market signals active, house prices up 61 percent on 32 sales, and more two-to-six-flat parcels than in 2006.AREA BY AREARoseland, by the NumbersMore houses sold here in 2025 than in any other community area. The median house went from $70,000 to $144,000, and 15 percent of purchases were resold within two years.AREA BY AREAAuburn Gresham, by the NumbersThree of five market signals active, 17 percent of purchases resold within two years, and a median Assessor valuation at 66 percent of sale price.AREA BY AREASouth Shore, by the NumbersTwo of five market signals active. The median condominium went from $52,750 to $97,650, and house prices are up 74 percent.AREA BY AREAAustin, by the NumbersMore two-to-six-flat parcels than any other community area. The median house is up 71 percent, and new-construction permits went from 23 to 55.AREA BY AREAHumboldt Park, by the NumbersMore parcels joined the two-to-six-flat class here than in any other community area, and new-construction permits doubled, from 39 to 79.AREA BY AREAGreater Grand Crossing, by the NumbersThree of five market signals active. The median house doubled to $150,000, and first-time business licenses fell from 83 to 43.AREA BY AREASouth Chicago, by the NumbersThree of four measurable market signals active. The median two-to-six-flat went from $80,000 to $215,000, and 157 flat parcels are now classed as vacant land.AREA BY AREAChatham, by the NumbersCompanies bought 34.6 percent of the homes sold in 2024–25, the one active signal, and first-time business licenses fell from 65 to 37.AREA BY AREAWest Pullman, by the NumbersThe median house more than doubled, from $67,450 to $142,500, and 114 of the flat parcels that left the class are now vacant land.AREA BY AREAHegewisch, by the NumbersHouses and flats sold in 2025 were valued by the Assessor at 60 percent of their prices, the lowest of 64 areas once quick resales are set aside.AREA BY AREANorth Center, by the Numbers918 two-to-six-flats are now classed as single-family houses, the most of any area, and the median house sold for $1,622,500, the highest.AREA BY AREALincoln Park, by the NumbersThe two-to-six-flat count fell 35 percent since 2006, the steepest drop of 50 areas, and owners filed the most tax appeals per 100 houses.AREA BY AREALake View, by the Numbers1,030 fewer two-to-six-flats than in 2006, 683 now classed as houses and 289 as condominiums, and the second-most condominium sales in the city.AREA BY AREAWest Town, by the Numbers1,108 fewer two-to-six-flats than in 2006, the largest drop, 530 now classed as condominiums, and permits down from 285 to 152.AREA BY AREANear North Side, by the Numbers1,836 condominium sales in 2025, the most in Chicago, and company buyers down from 21.6 to 8.6 percent of home sales.AREA BY AREAEdgewater, by the NumbersCompany buyers down from 20.4 to 8.4 percent of home sales, the third-largest drop, and a median condominium of $235,000.AREA BY AREAUptown, by the NumbersThe median two-to-six-flat up from $645,500 to $1.23 million, the one active signal, and company buyers down from 15.5 to 6.6 percent.AREA BY AREARogers Park, by the NumbersNew-construction permits down from 25 to 7, the second-steepest drop among areas with 20 or more, and a median condominium up 46 percent to $226,000.AREA BY AREAHyde Park, by the NumbersA median house up 17 percent since 2019, the second-smallest rise, yet up $99,000, against $90,000 for the citywide median.AREA BY AREAIrving Park, by the Numbers264 former two-to-six-flats now classed as houses, the sixth-most, and a median house up 49 percent to $670,900.AREA BY AREABridgeport, by the NumbersCompany buyers up from 10.9 to 18.3 percent of home sales, the sixth-largest rise, and a median house up 25 percent to $542,500.AREA BY AREAGrand Boulevard, by the NumbersThe median two-to-six-flat up from $285,000 to $675,000, the seventh-largest rise, and the most units on the city’s affordable-rental list.AREA BY AREADouglas, by the NumbersThe median condominium up 16 percent to $140,000, the fifth-smallest rise among areas with enough condo sales, and the median house up 41 percent.AREA BY AREASouth Lawndale, by the NumbersThe median house up from $135,000 to $249,900, the one active signal, and 41 more two-to-six-flats than in 2006.AREA BY AREAArmour Square, by the NumbersCermak-Chinatown drew more weekday riders in 2026 than in 2019, one of the two L stations that did.AREA BY AREALincoln Square, by the NumbersTwo signals just short, company buyers up 4.8 points and licenses up 14 percent, and 260 former flats now classed as houses.AREA BY AREAPortage Park, by the Numbers93 more two-to-six-flats than in 2006, the largest gain, and new business licenses up from 92 to 112, the one active signal.AREA BY AREABelmont Cragin, by the Numbers75 more two-to-six-flats than in 2006, the second-largest gain, and a median condominium up 67 percent, the third-largest rise.AREA BY AREAWashington Park, by the NumbersThe median two-to-six-flat up from $215,000 to $562,500, the fourth-largest rise, and companies buying 35.1 percent of homes.AREA BY AREACalumet Heights, by the Numbers18.0 percent of homes bought 2018-2022 resold by their buyer within two years, the highest rate, and two active market signals.AREA BY AREAAvalon Park, by the NumbersCompany buyers up from 23.3 to 31.2 percent of home sales, the third-largest rise, and 14.5 percent of homes quickly resold.AREA BY AREAKenwood, by the NumbersThe median condominium up 10 percent since 2019, the second-smallest rise, while the median house rose 44 percent to $755,000.
What gets built
AREA BY AREA698 New-Construction Permits in Half a YearEvery new-construction permit the city issued in the first half of 2026, mapped to its community area.AREA BY AREA201 ADU Permits in Five YearsChicago re-legalized backyard apartments and coach houses in May 2021. The permit file counts fewer than one a week since.RENTERS & RULES495 ADU Applications Since the ExpansionThe application side of the 2026 program: 215 in April alone, from 42 wards against 25 before, 90.1 percent pre-certified at a median of 9.3 days.RENTERS & RULESThe City’s Affordable-Rental Inventory, Counted598 city-supported developments and 29,550 listed units, and the 1997 state law that bars rent control.RENTERS & RULESThe House-Share Ledger, Both Directions3,852 active registrations across all 50 wards, and 2,230 buildings totaling 184,978 units that filed to bar house-sharing, heaviest on the high-rise lakefront.LAND & BUILDINGS1.1 Million Houses and Small Apartment Buildings, by Year BuiltCook County, by the assessor’s count: just over half date from 1954 or earlier, the middle year is 1925 in Chicago’s townships and 1960 in the suburban ones, and 2.2 percent date from 2010 or later.LAND & BUILDINGS372,354 Condo Units, and a Plateau Since 2010Cook County, by the assessor’s count: up 73.2 percent from 1999 to 2010, half in new buildings and, by our reading, half in older ones becoming condominiums, then flat, with Chicago’s townships more than doubling.LAND & BUILDINGSHouses Gained and Lost, Township by TownshipSince 2008, by the assessor’s count: the suburban townships up 6,351 houses and small apartment buildings, Chicago’s down 3,260, and Lake township alone down 3,075.LAND & BUILDINGSAfter the Wrecking BallThe demolition-to-rebuild join, permit to permit: in the areas leading 2018–2022 demolitions, a rebuild permit followed more than 80 percent of the time.LAND & BUILDINGSThe City’s Land Ledger12,110 parcels listed as city-owned, 195 marked sold last year, and the median sold parcel held 23 years.LAND & BUILDINGSThe Demolition-Dust Paperwork, Mapped1,253 CDPH notices of intent with proposed 2026 starts, heaviest downtown and on the North lakefront. The demolition notices are concentrated in a different set of areas.LAND & BUILDINGS412 Individual Landmarks, by Era and AreaMore than half were designated under one mayor, about 10.4 a year, and the pace has been back near that level since 2023.LAND & BUILDINGS9,282 Red- and Orange-Rated Properties, by Community AreaThe survey ratings behind the demolition-delay rule: Lincoln Park holds about one in six, the Loop and Near North Side most of the red list, and four community areas none.LAND & BUILDINGSThe Vacant-Building Docket5,012 violations against financial-institution-owned vacant buildings; four in five ended in “City non-suit,” and $1.53 million was assessed at the docket grain.
The bigger picture
THE BIG PICTUREIllinois Has Gained Population Three Years StraightUp 23,812 in 2023, 69,644 in 2024 and 16,108 in 2025 on the Census Bureau’s current estimates, after a revision to the 2023 figure.THE BIG PICTUREWhere People Leaving Cook County Actually GoIRS tax-return counts: the top destination was DuPage County, and 39 percent of those who left stayed in Illinois.THE BIG PICTUREAmerica Is Short 4.7 Million HomesChicago isn’t on the worst-off lists. What its absence does and doesn’t mean.THE BIG PICTUREChicago Against the National Housing NumbersJanuary–April medians 18 to 29 percent above 2023’s and permits at a five-year high, beside the national figures. The sales rise we printed in July did not hold.
Renters and the rules
RENTERS & RULESPRO vs. FAIR, ComparedThe two renter ordinances before the City Council, compared from their texts as of September 30, 2026. Neither now requires just cause.RENTERS & RULESSouth Shore, the Obama Center, and the Renters Next DoorThe Obama Center opened in Jackson Park on June 19, 2026. What the records show for South Shore, and the housing ordinance that left it out.RENTERS & RULESThe Heat Ordinance, Area by AreaHeat is owed from September 15 to June 1. The city cited 1,605 buildings over the last five winters, and South Shore’s rate was more than five times the city’s.RENTERS & RULESForeclosed Rentals, Registered582 foreclosed-rental registrations since 2021, mostly on the South Side. Covered tenants can take $10,600 even when offered a new lease.
How this hub works
Analyses are added as they publish, and the numbers above refresh with each update; annual figures get a full revisit each winter, and counts for the most recent years are restated as the county adds late sales. Methods are disclosed inside every piece, including the screens we apply to raw records and the thresholds where we suppress thin data rather than guess. If you spot an error anywhere in the cluster, corrections come first.