Crystal Lake, IL housing market
The typical Crystal Lake home is worth about $385,000, up 4.4% in a year, 29% above the Illinois typical home. Homes typically sell in 43 days, close to asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Crystal Lake compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Crystal Lake at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 2.5 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Crystal Lake | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $217,000 | $181,000 |
| 2018 | $228,000 | $190,000 |
| 2019 | $233,000 | $195,000 |
| 2020 | $240,000 | $200,000 |
| 2021 | $259,000 | $215,000 |
| 2022 | $292,000 | $236,000 |
| 2023 | $315,000 | $248,000 |
| 2024 | $335,000 | $263,000 |
| 2025 | $361,000 | $278,000 |
| 2026 | $377,000 | $290,000 |
| August 2026 | $385,000 | $298,000 |
152 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 152 new homes in Crystal Lake in 2025: 95 single-family houses and 57 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $30.5 million to build. That's 3.7 per 1,000 residents, faster than across Illinois (1.6). Over the past 10 years, Crystal Lake has permitted 1,353 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Crystal Lake's population fell by 474 even though 336 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 327 | 80 | 247 | $50.7 million |
| 2025 | 152 | 95 | 57 | $30.5 million |
| 2024 | 400 | 139 | 261 | $72.4 million |
| 2023 | 235 | 214 | 21 | $82.1 million |
| 2022 | 133 | 85 | 48 | $43.4 million |
| 2021 | 225 | 103 | 122 | $62.8 million |
| 2020 | 83 | 83 | 0 | $17.7 million |
| 2019 | 95 | 89 | 6 | $19.2 million |
| 2018 | 20 | 20 | 0 | $6.2 million |
| 2017 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $3.4 million |
| 2016 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $530,000 |
| 2014 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $2.9 million |
| 2013 | 92 | 24 | 68 | $12.1 million |
| 2012 | 77 | 17 | 60 | $10.1 million |
| 2011 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2010 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2009 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $2.7 million |
| 2008 | 72 | 72 | 0 | $9.6 million |
| 2007 | 107 | 107 | 0 | $14.4 million |
| 2006 | 155 | 155 | 0 | $23.8 million |
| 2005 | 172 | 172 | 0 | $25.5 million |
| 2004 | 160 | 160 | 0 | $27.1 million |
| 2003 | 202 | 202 | 0 | $30.5 million |
| 2002 | 246 | 244 | 2 | $34.9 million |
| 2001 | 278 | 271 | 7 | $43.9 million |
| 2000 | 310 | 252 | 58 | $43.4 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Crystal Lake and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Lake | $385K | +4.4% | $1,840 | 152 | $108,418 |
| Lake in the Hills | $381K | +3.9% | $2,100 | 21 | $117,151 |
| Prairie Grove | — | +2.8%† | $1,960 | 4 | $141,389 |
| Lakewood | — | +5.2%† | $1,750 | 10 | $173,625 |
| Ridgefield | — | +5.3%† | $1,680 | — | — |
| Cary | $384K | +5.4% | $1,940 | 55 | $113,026 |
| Grafton | — | +7.3%† | $1,940 | — | $130,767 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
3.5 years of income
The typical Crystal Lake home costs about 3.5 years of the town's median household income, about the same as across Illinois (3.6).
How Crystal Lake ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,840
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Crystal Lake is $1,840 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Crystal Lake pay a median of $1,468, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 20% of the town's median household income.
Studio $1,530 · 4 bedrooms $2,750
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (60012, 60014, 60098, 60156; Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.