Berkeley · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Berkeley.
- Active listings
- 5
- Median list
- $365K
- Avg time on market
- 13 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Map data, Mapbox / OpenStreetMap contributors
About the community
Living in Berkeley.
Berkeley is a roughly one-square-mile village in Cook County's Proviso Township, sitting between Hillside to the south, Bellwood to the east, and Northlake to the north. Most of the housing stock dates to the postwar boom of the 1950s and 60s, when the population tripled from about 1,900 to nearly 5,800 in a decade. Today the village holds steady around 5,200 residents with a median household income just over $83,000. The grid is bracketed by the Union Pacific West Metra line on the south and the I-290 / I-294 interchange on the north, so a Loop commute by train runs roughly 30 minutes and O'Hare is a short drive up I-294. Berkeley School District 87 covers K-8 in-village and Proviso West High School in adjacent Hillside picks up grades 9-12.
At a glance
~5,200 residents
Berkeley counted 5,338 at the 2020 census. The village has held steady in the 5,000s since the 1960 postwar growth burst.
UP-West Metra
Berkeley station at 5900 W Park Ave, 14.3 miles from Ogilvie, with 125 parking plus 5 ADA spaces. Bellwood and Elmhurst are the adjacent stops.
I-290 + I-294 interchange
Exit 15 sits inside the village. Direct access to the Eisenhower east into the Loop and the Tri-State north to O'Hare.
Berkeley SD 87 + Proviso 209
District 87 covers K-8 for Berkeley plus parts of Bellwood, Hillside, Melrose Park, Northlake, and Stone Park (about 2,143 students across six schools). High schoolers attend Proviso West in Hillside.
Median income ~$83K
Median household income of $83,224 (2023), up 4.43 percent year over year per Data USA.
Median home ~$262K to $307K
Berkeley's housing skews 1950s and 60s ranches and Cape Cods. Zillow's typical value runs in the high $200s to low $300s.
Incorporated 1924
Officially incorporated May 20, 1924. The Sunnyside school name dates back to an 1848 one-room schoolhouse on the same ground.
Sales tax 10.00 percent
Combined 6.25 percent state plus 1.0 percent village, Cook County, and RTA components.
What’s close
Berkeley sits at the Cook to DuPage border, with Elmhurst just across the line to the west and the I-290 / I-294 interchange directly north of the village.
- I-290 / I-294 interchange (Exit 15)
- Inside village limits. The biggest reason small Berkeley has such outsized commute access.
- Berkeley Metra station
- UP-West Line at 5900 W Park Ave. 14.3 miles to Ogilvie Transportation Center, with 125 parking spaces plus 5 ADA spaces.
- Proviso West High School
- Located in adjacent Hillside, part of Proviso Township District 209. Berkeley HS students are zoned here.
- Berkeley Park District
- Anchors recreation at Berkeley Park with volleyball, baseball, pickleball, tennis, playgrounds, and an Illinois Prairie Path connection.
- Adventure Bay Pool (Memorial Park District)
- Outdoor aquatic facility operated by Memorial Park District, which spans Berkeley plus several neighboring villages.
- St. Charles Road corridor
- East-west village arterial through the heart of Berkeley. Tight cluster of independent restaurants and small commercial blocks.
What it’s actually like to live here
Daily life in Berkeley is small-village scale. The Berkeley Park District anchors recreation at Berkeley Park with two sand volleyball courts, t-ball and baseball fields, pickleball, tennis, two picnic pavilions, and playgrounds, plus a connection to the Illinois Prairie Path. The Lind Park Building at 1200 Lind Avenue handles indoor programs, parties, and exercise classes year-round.
Pool time and larger-scale recreation come via the Memorial Park District, which covers parts of Berkeley along with Bellwood, Stone Park, Hillside, Melrose Park, and Northlake, and operates Adventure Bay Pool. St. Charles Road through the village carries a tight cluster of independent restaurants, and bigger shopping and dining sit a few minutes south in Hillside or west in Elmhurst.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Berkeley community pages coming soon.
Browse the listings above. Detailed neighborhood pages with market stats, school info, and lifestyle take-downs land here as we roll them out.
Schools
Districts serving Berkeley.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- SD87Grades K - 8
Berkeley School District 87
Schools serving the area
- Sunnyside Intermediate School
- MacArthur Middle School
- Riley Intermediate School
- Whittier Primary School
- Jefferson Primary School
District 87 serves portions of six villages (Bellwood, Berkeley, Hillside, Melrose Park, Northlake, Stone Park) across six schools and about 2,143 students.
- D209Grades 9 - 12
Proviso Township High Schools District 209
Schools serving the area
- Proviso West High School (Hillside)
- Proviso East High School (Maywood)
- Proviso Mathematics and Science Academy (Forest Park)
Berkeley students attend Proviso West in Hillside. Proviso Math and Science Academy is the district's selective-enrollment magnet, open to all Proviso 209 residents by application.
From the neighborhood
Around Berkeley
Real local creators on TikTok. Tap a tile to play it right here.
☕️✨ First sip at the brand new 7 Brew Coffee in Huntley, IL! 🚗💨 The drive-thru vibes are fast, friendly & full of flavor - definitely a new go-to! Who’s trying it next? #7brewcoffee #HuntleyIL #coff
@itsabbysworldafterallDeicke Park 📍 Huntley, Illinois Hidden gem! This place is amazing, has two playgrounds with lots of activities for kids all ages! Huge slide, sandbox, playhouses, picnic tables and more. Beautifu
@chicagoland_explorer🚨GRAND OPENING TODAY🚨#algonquin #chicago #westdundee #lakeinthehills #chitown #illinois #Foodie #huntley #chicagobears #breakfast#bagel #chicagotiktok #nearme #Foodie #catering #goldcoast #lunch #ch
@.coreybagelsFun family day out idea: berry picking at Huntley Berry Farm, a not for profit working farm 🍓 #huntleyberryfarm #familydayout #activities #fyp #berrypicking
@acontentqueenAround town
What there is to do in Berkeley.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Parks
Berkeley Park
Village park with volleyball, baseball, pickleball, tennis, playgrounds, and direct access to the Illinois Prairie Path.
- Family
Adventure Bay Pool
Memorial Park District outdoor pool serving Berkeley along with Bellwood, Hillside, Stone Park, Melrose Park, and Northlake.
- Parks
Illinois Prairie Path
61-mile biking and hiking network accessible from Berkeley Park. One of the country's earliest rail-to-trail conversions, dedicated 1971.
- Family
Brookfield Zoo
2,400+ animals on 200+ acres, a short drive south of Berkeley. One of the Chicago region's flagship family destinations.
- Culture
Berkeley Public Library
Village library with a local-history collection covering the Sunnyside school and early Berkeley settlement.
- Family
Lind Park Building
Berkeley Park District indoor facility at 1200 Lind Avenue. Year-round classes for toddlers through adults, plus party and event rentals.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Berkeley.
MetraUP-W line
- Stations: Berkeley
- Terminal: Chicago Ogilvie (OTC)
- Distance: 14.3 miles to downtown Chicago
DriveBy car
- Routes: I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway) · I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) · St. Charles Road · Wolf Road
- Chicago Loop: ~30 min
- O'Hare Airport: ~20 min
By the numbers
Berkeley taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
3.56%
effective avg
Sales tax
10.00%
combined
Median sold price
$319,000
MRED · last 12 mo (51 sales)
Median household income
$83,224
ACS
How Berkeley got here
A bit of history.
German and Dutch farm families began settling the area around 1835. The community got its first passenger rail stop when the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin interurban railroad opened a station called Berkeley in 1902, and English-speaking residents arriving with the 1908 and 1914 to 1915 subdivisions pushed for incorporation. The Village of Berkeley was officially incorporated on May 20, 1924. The exact name origin is uncertain, with one theory tying it to a settler with ties to Berkeley, California, and another to a misspelled railroad sign reading 'Berkley.'
The Sunnyside name predates the village. A one-room schoolhouse called Sunnyside was established in 1848 by early farm families, and Sunnyside Intermediate School in the current Berkeley District 87 still carries the name. Berkeley's defining growth came after World War II: the village tripled from 1,882 residents in 1950 to 5,792 by 1960 as Chicago's western suburbs absorbed returning servicemen and their families, and the population has held in the 5,000s ever since.
The questions buyers actually ask
Berkeley FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Berkeley. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- Which schools serve Berkeley?
- Berkeley K-8 students attend Berkeley School District 87 (Jefferson, Whittier, Riley, Sunnyside, MacArthur, and Northlake Middle). High school is Proviso West in Hillside, part of Proviso Township District 209. Proviso Mathematics and Science Academy in Forest Park is open by application to district residents.
- How long is the train commute from Berkeley to downtown Chicago?
- The Berkeley Metra station on the UP-West Line is 14.3 miles from Ogilvie Transportation Center, with travel times of about 29 to 36 minutes depending on the run. The station has 125 parking spaces plus 5 ADA spaces.
- What makes Berkeley different from Hillside, Northlake, or Bellwood?
- Berkeley is smaller and more strictly residential than its neighbors. It is the village that actually contains the I-290 / I-294 interchange (Exit 15), and it shares District 87 schools with parts of Hillside, Northlake, Bellwood, Melrose Park, and Stone Park rather than having its own elementary district.
- How high are property taxes in Berkeley?
- Berkeley's median effective property tax rate runs around 3.56 percent per Ownwell, with a median annual bill near $6,294. That is well above the national median, in line with the broader Cook County structure.
- What is the sales tax rate in Berkeley?
- The combined 2026 sales tax rate in Berkeley is 10.00 percent, including 6.25 percent state, 1.0 percent village, plus Cook County and RTA components.
- What does the housing stock look like?
- Berkeley is dominated by 1950s and 1960s ranches and Cape Cods from the postwar building boom that grew the village from 1,882 to 5,792 between 1950 and 1960. Typical Zillow values run roughly $262K to $307K in early 2026.
Nearby
Towns next to Berkeley.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the places that border Berkeley.
Your local agent
Joe knows Berkeley
Most agents will list anything. I focus on the communities I actually know, and the details that determine resale value here aren't in the MLS write-up: which lots back to open space, which streets carry the most consistent demand, which floor plans buyers ask for by name, and what each HOA actually covers.
When you're ready to tour or list, you want someone who's walked the streets, talked to the residents, and read the last 50 closed comps in this market specifically. That's how I work. Text or call any time, and I'll give you a real take, not a brochure.
- Lives in McHenry County
- Local specialist
- Berkeley specialist
- Honest local market take
- Brokerocity
Thinking of selling?
What's your home actually worth?
Not a Zestimate. A real CMA from someone who's sold this neighborhood, knows the floor plan premiums, and can tell you which upgrades the buyer pool here actually pays for.
- Pricing range with comp-by-comp logic
- Pre-list improvements that pay back, and the ones that don't
- No obligation, no spam, no auto-dialer