Chicago Suburbs · Buyer & Seller Guides
The Most Popular Suburbs of Chicago (And How to Choose)
Compare fourteen western and southwest suburbs side by side: population, how many homes actually closed last year, attached and single-family price ranges, and how fast homes are selling. Every figure comes from MRED MLS.
Most Popular Suburbs in DuPage & Will County
Naperville
DuPage & Will County, IL
- Population: 150,000
- 2025 Homes Closed: 1,839
- Attached: $125,000 - $3.7M
- Single-Family: $275,000 - $3.8M
- Market Time: 12 Days
Plainfield
Will County, IL
- Population: 49,000
- 2025 Homes Closed: 1,523
- Attached: $170,000 - $825,000
- Single-Family: $186,000 - $1.6M
- Market Time: 22 Days
Wheaton
DuPage County, IL
- Population: 53,000
- 2025 Homes Closed: 665
- Attached: $145,000 - $910,000
- Single-Family: $230,000 - $3M
- Market Time: 7 Days
Downers Grove
DuPage County, IL
- Population: 50,000
- 2025 Homes Closed: 722
- Attached: $130,000 - $1M
- Single-Family: $175,000 - $2.8M
- Market Time: 12 Days
Bolingbrook
Will County, IL
- Population: 74,000
- 2025 Homes Closed: 747
- Attached: $110,000 - $600,000
- Single-Family: $150,000 - $1M
- Market Time: 15 Days
Lisle
DuPage County, IL
- Population: 23,500
- 2025 Homes Closed: 370
- Attached: $115,000 - $750,000
- Single-Family: $135,000 - $1.9M
- Market Time: 9 Days
New Lenox
Will County, IL
- Population: 28,000
- 2025 Homes Closed: 467
- Attached: $160,000 - $660,000
- Single-Family: $170,000 - $1.4M
- Market Time: 12 Days
Lockport
Will County, IL
- Population: 27,000
- 2025 Homes Closed: 445
- Attached: $185,000 - $600,000
- Single-Family: $100,000 - $800,000
- Market Time: 13 Days
Most Popular Suburbs in Kane & Kendall County
Aurora
Kane County, IL
- Population: 180,000
- 2025 Homes Closed: 1,617
- Attached: $100,000 - $615,000
- Single-Family: $100,000 - $1.39M
- Market Time: 11 Days
Elgin
Kane County, IL
- Population: 115,000
- 2025 Homes Closed: 1,247
- Attached: $100,000 - $420,000
- Single-Family: $100,000 - $1.3M
- Market Time: 16 Days
St. Charles
Kane County, IL
- Population: 33,000
- 2025 Homes Closed: 745
- Attached: $200,000 - $1.25M
- Single-Family: $180,000 - $2.9M
- Market Time: 12 Days
Oswego
Kendall County, IL
- Population: 38,000
- 2025 Homes Closed: 683
- Attached: $100,000 - $420,000
- Single-Family: $200,000 - $1.3M
- Market Time: 13 Days
Yorkville
Kendall County, IL
- Population: 26,000
- 2025 Homes Closed: 505
- Attached: $150,000 - $365,000
- Single-Family: $160,000 - $1.2M
- Market Time: 16 Days
Geneva
Kane County, IL
- Population: 21,000
- 2025 Homes Closed: 386
- Attached: $220,000 - $750,000
- Single-Family: $270,000 - $2.2M
- Market Time: 9 Days
Where the Most Homes Actually Trade
Four suburbs account for more than half of everything that sold across these fourteen towns in 2025. Naperville closed 1,839 homes, Aurora 1,617, Plainfield 1,523 and Elgin 1,247. If you want choice — more listings coming up each week, more chances to find your layout — those are the deepest markets.
At the other end, Geneva closed 386 homes, Lisle 370 and Lockport 445. Smaller towns mean fewer options at any given moment, so if you are set on one of them, expect to wait for the right house rather than choose between five.
How Fast Homes Sell
Market time is the clearest signal of demand, and the spread across these suburbs is wide. Wheaton is the fastest at 7 days, followed by Geneva and Lisle at 9 and Aurora at 11. Plainfield is the slowest at 22 days, with Elgin and Yorkville at 16.
A 7-day market changes how you shop. In Wheaton you need your financing settled and your schedule clear before you start looking, because the good listings will not survive a weekend of thinking about it. In Plainfield you have room to see a house twice.
What Your Budget Actually Buys
Under $200,000 — attached homes in the value markets
Attached homes start near $100,000 in Aurora, Elgin and Oswego, and near $110,000 to $130,000 in Bolingbrook and Downers Grove. These are townhomes and condos, usually 1980s to early 2000s, and the low end of each range will need work.
$200,000 to $400,000 — the widest choice
This is where the market is deepest across nearly every suburb here. It buys a well-kept townhome almost anywhere, or a single-family home in Aurora, Elgin, Yorkville, Lockport or Bolingbrook, where detached homes start between $100,000 and $186,000.
$400,000 to $700,000 — detached in the premium towns
In Naperville, Wheaton, Geneva, St. Charles and Downers Grove this is the realistic entry point for a detached home in good condition. Single-family prices in those five towns start at $230,000 to $275,000, but that bottom end is small or dated stock; the meaningful inventory sits above $400,000.
Above $700,000 — larger lots and custom homes
The ceilings tell you where the luxury market lives: Naperville reaches $3.8 million, Wheaton $3 million, St. Charles $2.9 million, Downers Grove $2.8 million and Geneva $2.2 million. Yorkville tops out at $1.2 million and Lockport at $800,000.
Attached vs Single-Family
Every suburb here has both, but the gap between them varies enormously. In Elgin and Oswego, attached homes top out around $420,000 while single-family reaches $1.3 million — the attached market is genuinely the affordable option. In Naperville, attached homes run to $3.7 million, so a townhome there is not automatically the cheaper choice; it is often a downsizing decision rather than a budget one.
If you are trading a large family home for something smaller without leaving your town, this distinction matters more than the headline price range.
2025 Market Snapshot
| Suburb | Market Time | Homes Closed | Attached Range | Single-Family Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheaton | 7 Days | 665 | $145,000 - $910,000 | $230,000 - $3M |
| Geneva | 9 Days | 386 | $220,000 - $750,000 | $270,000 - $2.2M |
| Lisle | 9 Days | 370 | $115,000 - $750,000 | $135,000 - $1.9M |
| Aurora | 11 Days | 1,617 | $100,000 - $615,000 | $100,000 - $1.39M |
| Naperville | 12 Days | 1,839 | $125,000 - $3.7M | $275,000 - $3.8M |
| Downers Grove | 12 Days | 722 | $130,000 - $1M | $175,000 - $2.8M |
| St. Charles | 12 Days | 745 | $200,000 - $1.25M | $180,000 - $2.9M |
| New Lenox | 12 Days | 467 | $160,000 - $660,000 | $170,000 - $1.4M |
| Lockport | 13 Days | 445 | $185,000 - $600,000 | $100,000 - $800,000 |
| Oswego | 13 Days | 683 | $100,000 - $420,000 | $200,000 - $1.3M |
| Bolingbrook | 15 Days | 747 | $110,000 - $600,000 | $150,000 - $1M |
| Elgin | 16 Days | 1,247 | $100,000 - $420,000 | $100,000 - $1.3M |
| Yorkville | 16 Days | 505 | $150,000 - $365,000 | $160,000 - $1.2M |
| Plainfield | 22 Days | 1,523 | $170,000 - $825,000 | $186,000 - $1.6M |
Data provided by MRED MLS, homes closed 1/1/25 – 12/31/25. Ranges show the lowest and highest closed prices, not medians.
Taxes, commute and what your budget buys change a lot between these towns. Get a side by side answer instead of guessing.
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Frequently Asked Questions About the Chicago Suburbs
Which Chicago suburb is the most affordable to buy in?
On closed 2025 sales, Aurora, Elgin and Oswego have the lowest entry points, with attached homes starting near $100,000 and single-family homes from $100,000 to $200,000. Yorkville and Lockport are close behind. Affordability is not only the purchase price though — property taxes vary widely by town and can change what you can carry each month.
Which suburb has the fastest-moving market?
Wheaton, at an average of 7 days on market in 2025, followed by Geneva and Lisle at 9 days and Aurora at 11. Plainfield is the slowest of the fourteen at 22 days. In the fast markets you should have your mortgage pre-approval and your showing availability sorted before you start looking.
Where is the largest selection of homes?
Naperville closed 1,839 homes in 2025, Aurora 1,617, Plainfield 1,523 and Elgin 1,247. Those four have by far the most listings moving through the market. Geneva, Lisle and Lockport each closed under 450, so inventory there is thin and worth being patient for.
How much are property taxes in the Chicago suburbs?
Illinois has some of the highest effective property tax rates in the country, and the rate differs by county, municipality and school district. Kane and Will County towns often run higher than DuPage. On a $400,000 to $500,000 home you should budget several thousand dollars a year more in one town than another, so always check the actual bill on a specific address rather than a town average.
Which suburbs have the best commute into Chicago?
Downers Grove, Lisle and Naperville sit on the BNSF line, the busiest and fastest route into Union Station. Wheaton and Geneva are on the Union Pacific West line, and Elgin on the Milwaukee District West. The far southwest towns like Yorkville and Oswego have no Metra station of their own, so the commute means driving to a nearby station first.
Are there 55+ communities in these suburbs?
Yes. Naperville, Aurora, Plainfield, Elgin, Huntley, Lockport, Shorewood and several others have established 55+ and active adult communities, ranging from a few hundred homes to more than 5,000. Each has its own guide on this site with HOA fees, closed prices and what the dues actually cover.
Not sure which suburb fits
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Commute, schools, taxes, budget and how quickly you need to move all point to different towns. Tell me what matters most and I will send the suburbs — and the homes — that actually fit.