Braidwood, IL·255U
Homes in the
Reed-Custer HS district.
Small-town Comet pride in Braidwood, where affordable Will County homes sit close to open prairie, the I-55 corridor, and an easy run toward Joliet.
- Homes for sale
- 34
- Typical list
- $267,400
- Most expensive
- $400,000
- Most affordable
- $88,000
34830 State Route 129 →
115 Fossil Ridge Road →
Comets · Black, White & Gold · 397 students · Illinois Central Eight Conference
Active listings
34 homes on the market
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Market snapshot
The Reed-Custer HS area, by the numbers
Live MRED data, refreshed daily. What this market is actually doing right now, sales included, not a portal estimate.
Homes for sale now
40
Typical list price
$277,000
Avg time on market
24 days
Sold in the last year
3
Typical sale price · last 90 days
$259,900
Living near Reed-Custer HS
The area, not just the school
Braidwood is a small Will County city about 53 miles southwest of Chicago and roughly 18 miles south of Joliet, which makes it a real option for buyers who want breathing room and a lower price point while still reaching the metro. The town grew up around coal: a farmer digging for water in 1864 struck coal instead, a mining boomtown followed, and the city was incorporated in 1873 and named for early mine engineer James Braidwood. That history still shapes the grounded, working-town feel of the area.
Today the local economy leans on a very different kind of energy. The Braidwood Generating Station sits nearby and is one of the region's major employers. That anchor, plus proximity to Interstate 55, gives the surrounding towns steady jobs and easy highway access for commuters heading north toward Joliet and Chicago.
The vibe is small and familiar. Braidwood had a population of about 6,200 at the 2020 census, and the Reed-Custer district pulls together several even smaller neighbors, including Custer Park, Essex, Braceville, Godley, and much of Diamond, so families here tend to know one another and rally around the Comets. Housing skews toward attainable single-family homes on generous lots, with open prairie and farmland close at hand. A fun bit of local trivia: the old Braidwood Inn, now the Sun Motel, appeared in the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
🎓Comet Country
Reed-Custer enrolls about 397 students in grades 9 to 12 as the district's only high school.
⚛️Big local employer
The nearby Braidwood Generating Station is one of the area's major employers.
🚗Commuter reach
Braidwood sits about 53 miles from Chicago and 18 miles south of Joliet, near the I-55 corridor.
⛏️Coal-town roots
The city grew from an 1864 coal strike and was incorporated in 1873.
⚾State champions
Reed-Custer won the IHSA Class A baseball state championship in 1985.
🎬Movie cameo
The former Braidwood Inn, now the Sun Motel, was featured in Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
The school
About Reed-Custer High School
Reed-Custer High School traces back to 1929, when it became the high school of the Reed-Custer Community Unit School District serving the Braidwood area. The district takes its name and territory from the old Braidwood-area coal townships, and today the high school educates students from Braidwood plus Custer Park, Essex, and the Will County portions of Braceville, Godley, and much of Diamond. Alongside the high school, the district runs Reed-Custer Elementary and Reed-Custer Middle School.
Reed-Custer teams compete as the Comets and play in the Illinois Central Eight Conference against neighbors such as Coal City, Wilmington, Herscher, Manteno, and Peotone. The program's signature achievement is the 1985 IHSA Class A baseball state championship, capped by future Detroit Tigers pitcher Brian DuBois, who closed his high school career with a shutout in the state title game.
- District
- 255U
- Founded
- 1929
- Principal
- Chad Klover
- Conference
- Illinois Central Eight Conference
- Address
- 249 Comet Drive, Braidwood, IL 60408
Trophy case
- 🏆 Baseball Class A · 1985
Notable alumni
- Kay Cannon. Comedy writer and producer, creator of the Pitch Perfect film series and a writer on 30 Rock.
- Brian DuBois. Left-handed pitcher who reached the Detroit Tigers and led Reed-Custer to the 1985 state baseball title.
- Brent Headrick. Professional baseball pitcher drafted by the Minnesota Twins.
- Les Norman. Outfielder who played in the majors with the Kansas City Royals.
Facts on this page sourced from Wikipedia and the District 255U website. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Listings filtered by the school the MRED listing agent assigned. Roughly 7 in 10 active listings have this field populated; the remaining listings will surface once the school-district boundary pipeline ships. School assignment is not a guarantee. Always verify with the district before writing an offer.
The questions buyers actually ask
Reed-Custer HS FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping the Reed-Custer HS district. If yours isn't here, text 224-385-8779, same-day reply.
- What district is Reed-Custer High School in?
- Reed-Custer is the high school for Reed-Custer Community Unit School District 255U, which serves Braidwood, Custer Park, Essex, and the Will County portions of Braceville, Godley, and much of Diamond.
- How big is Reed-Custer High School?
- About 397 students in grades 9 to 12, making it a small, close-knit school where the community rallies around the Comets.
- What is Reed-Custer known for in sports?
- The Comets won the IHSA Class A baseball state championship in 1985, and they compete today in the Illinois Central Eight Conference.
- What is the commute like from the Reed-Custer area?
- Braidwood sits near Interstate 55, about 18 miles south of Joliet and roughly 53 miles from downtown Chicago, so it works for drivers who want more house for the money and do not mind a longer commute.
- How do I find homes that feed Reed-Custer?
- The listings on this page are filtered to homes whose MRED listing agent assigned Reed-Custer as the high school. School assignment can change year to year, so always confirm with District 255U before you write an offer based on schools. If you want alerts for new homes in the area, text 224-385-8779.
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This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC for the period July 21, 2025 through July 21, 2026. Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC does not guarantee nor is it in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by Midwest Real Estate Data LLC may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.