Calumet Heights · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Calumet Heights.
- Active listings
- 16
- Median list
- $281K
- Avg time on market
- 45 days
- Sold · last year
- 115
Active listings
16 homes on the market
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About the community
Living in Calumet Heights.
Calumet Heights is Community Area 48 on Chicago's Far Southeast Side, roughly 11 miles southeast of the Loop, bounded by 87th Street on the north, South Chicago Avenue on the east, and railroad lines on the west and south along 95th Street. The community takes its name from the nearby Calumet River and from a ridge of Niagara limestone that runs through the area, the high ground early settlers called Stony Island. Its housing stock leans toward mid-century single-family homes, including brick bungalows, ranches, and split-levels, with roughly three-quarters of homes being single-family as of 1990 and four of five of those owner-occupied. The community's most distinctive section is Pill Hill, an affluent enclave of spacious homes perched on the Stony Island ridge that became a favored address for African American doctors from the nearby South Chicago Community Hospital. Calumet Heights is a stable, predominantly Black, middle and upper-middle class community, well suited to buyers who want a quiet, owner-occupied residential neighborhood with durable masonry homes and yards. Today the community is home to about 11,645 residents across 1.77 square miles.
At a glance
Community Area 48
Calumet Heights is Chicago Community Area 48 on the Far Southeast Side, about 11 miles southeast of the Loop.
About 11,645 residents
The community had a population of 11,645 across 1.77 square miles as of 2023.
Median household income
The community's median household income was reported at $49,923.
Predominantly owner-occupied
As of 1990, nearly three-quarters of homes were single-family, and four of five of those were owner-occupied.
Median sale price near $208K
In October 2025 the median sale price in Calumet Heights was about $207,950, per Redfin.
Walk Score of 62
Calumet Heights is somewhat walkable with a Walk Score of 62, the 88th most walkable Chicago neighborhood.
Metra Electric line
The Metra Electric District line runs along the western border, with the 87th Street (Woodruff) station serving the area.
Pill Hill on the ridge
Pill Hill is the more affluent enclave atop the Stony Island ridge, named for doctors from the nearby South Chicago Community Hospital.
What it’s actually like to live here
Daily life in Calumet Heights centers on a quiet, residential grid of well-kept single-family homes with private yards and built-in one-car garages, a community with little commercial development inside its borders and a strong owner-occupant character. The housing reflects mid-century tastes, well-preserved brick ranches, split-levels, and bungalows, and Pill Hill in particular is known for its grand homes on the ridge. Everyday errands and culture draw on assets just at the edges of the community, such as the Avalon Branch of the Chicago Public Library at 8148 South Stony Island Avenue, a 14,000-square-foot branch that opened in 2006 and serves Calumet Heights along with several neighboring community areas. Walk Score rates Calumet Heights as somewhat walkable with a Walk Score of 62, the 88th most walkable of Chicago's neighborhoods.
Getting around is anchored by a mix of rail, bus, and expressway access. The Metra Electric District line runs along the community's western edge, with the 87th Street (Woodruff) station providing a direct rail commute toward downtown Chicago, and Walk Score reports good transit with about six bus lines passing through the area, giving it a Transit Score of 58. Drivers reach the rest of the region quickly via the Chicago Skyway and Interstate 90 corridor along the community's eastern and southern edges. For green space, residents have Jesse Owens Park at 8800 South Clyde Avenue, an 18.4-acre park with a 2009 fieldhouse, ball diamonds, tennis courts, and an Olympic-themed playground, plus the much larger lakefront Calumet Park just to the southeast at 9801 South Avenue G, which spans 181.70 acres with a beach, boat launch, and fieldhouse.
Around town
What there is to do in Calumet Heights.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Parks
Jesse Owens Park
An 18.4-acre park within Calumet Heights with a 2009 green fieldhouse, four ball diamonds, tennis courts, and an Olympic-themed playground, named for the four-time 1936 Olympic gold medalist.
- Recreation
Calumet Park and Beach
A 181.70-acre lakefront park just southeast of the community with a Lake Michigan beach, boat launch, fieldhouse, and a Lake Shore Model Train exhibit.
- Family
Bronzeville Children's Museum
Located at 9301 South Stony Island Avenue in Calumet Heights, this is the first and only African American children's museum in the United States.
- Culture
Avalon Branch, Chicago Public Library
A 14,000-square-foot branch at 8148 South Stony Island Avenue, opened in 2006, that serves Calumet Heights and neighboring community areas with free internet, programs, and collections.
- Recreation
Calumet Beach
A Lake Michigan swimming beach at Calumet Park with restrooms, food concessions, and an ADA-accessible beach walk, open from the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day.
- Family
Jesse Owens Nature Garden
A nature garden surrounding the green-roofed Jesse Owens fieldhouse at 8800 South Clyde Avenue, part of the park's sustainable design features.
By the numbers
Calumet Heights taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Median sold price
$224,900
MRED · last 12 mo (115 sales)
How Calumet Heights got here
A bit of history.
The land that became Calumet Heights was swampy and largely unoccupied through much of the nineteenth century, with travelers passing through but few settling. In the 1870s the Calumet and Chicago Canal and Dock Company acquired property in what was then the Township of Hyde Park, and in 1881 the New York, Chicago & St. Louis railroad built rail yards at the area's western border, prompting a small settlement to grow nearby. A new limestone quarry near 92nd Street drew further settlement, and in 1887 real-estate developer Samuel E. Gross purchased part of the company's land to create the Calumet Heights subdivision. Chicago annexed Hyde Park Township in 1889, and the adjacent Stony Island and South Chicago Heights subdivisions followed in 1890 and 1891. The geographic feature the community is named for, the stony ridge beginning around 91st Street and Constance Avenue, was once an island in glacial Lake Chicago.
Residential growth was slow for decades, then surged: the population more than doubled from 3,248 in 1920 to 7,343 in 1930, with many Polish, Italian, Irish, and Yugoslavian residents, before the postwar years brought renewed building when the 92nd Street quarry was filled in and lined with small homes. Population grew to 9,349 in 1950 and surged to 19,352 in 1960. Between 1960 and 1980 the community underwent a major change, as African American families who first arrived in the early 1960s grew to about 45 percent of the population by 1970 and more than 86 percent by 1980, and unlike many areas that lost wealth to white flight, Calumet Heights remained solidly middle class. The more affluent Pill Hill neighborhood, said to be named for the many doctors from the nearby South Chicago Community Hospital who owned spacious homes atop the Stony Island ridge, earned its reputation for quality residences by the 1970s.
The questions buyers actually ask
Calumet Heights FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Calumet Heights. If yours isn't here, text 224-385-8779, same-day reply.
- What is Pill Hill, and does it cost more than the rest of Calumet Heights?
- Pill Hill is an affluent enclave occupying part of Calumet Heights, set on the Stony Island limestone ridge, and named for the many doctors from the nearby South Chicago Community Hospital who bought spacious homes there. The Encyclopedia of Chicago describes Pill Hill as more affluent than the rest of the community area, which itself historically ran above Chicago's statistical averages, so buyers should expect Pill Hill addresses to command a premium for their larger homes and prestige.
- What kind of homes will I find here?
- The community is dominated by mid-century single-family homes, including brick bungalows, ranches, and split-levels, many with private yards and built-in one-car garages. As of 1990 roughly three-quarters of homes were single-family and four of five of those were owner-occupied, so this is a stable, owner-heavy market with relatively little commercial development inside the residential streets.
- What are recent home prices like?
- According to Redfin, the median sale price in Calumet Heights was about $207,950 in October 2025, down 20.0 percent year over year, with homes selling in around 64 to 70 days and Redfin rating the market as somewhat competitive. Because conditions shift month to month, ask your agent for the latest comparable sales before making an offer.
- Which public schools serve Calumet Heights, and how do I confirm boundaries?
- Calumet Heights is part of the City of Chicago School District 299, Chicago Public Schools. Attendance boundaries are assigned by address and can change, so confirm your specific home's assigned schools directly with Chicago Public Schools rather than relying on a listing.
- How is the commute downtown?
- The Metra Electric District line runs along the western edge of the community, and the 87th Street (Woodruff) station offers a direct rail ride toward downtown Chicago. Walk Score also reports good transit with about six bus lines and a Transit Score of 58, and drivers can use the Chicago Skyway and Interstate 90 corridor near the eastern and southern edges.
- What gives Calumet Heights its character compared to other South Side areas?
- Calumet Heights stands out as a community that held onto its middle-class stability through the racial transition of the 1960s and 1970s, unlike many Chicago areas that lost wealth to white flight. It remained solidly middle class and drew professionals and white-collar workers to its well-kept homes, and it is the boyhood neighborhood of rapper and actor Common.
- Is there green space and recreation nearby?
- Yes. Jesse Owens Park sits within the community at 8800 South Clyde Avenue with 18.4 acres, a modern fieldhouse, ball fields, tennis courts, and a playground, and the much larger Calumet Park lies just to the southeast with 181.70 acres, a Lake Michigan beach, and a boat launch. Families also have the Bronzeville Children's Museum on Stony Island Avenue.
- Who is the real estate agent for Calumet Heights?
- Joe Keegan is the local licensed Illinois real estate broker who covers Calumet Heights in Calumet Heights, IL through Subdiview, a neighborhood-first home search for the Chicago suburbs and collar counties. Joe prices and negotiates from the live MRED sold comps for Calumet Heights specifically, not national averages, and can help you buy or sell here. Reach Joe at 224-385-8779 or joe@joekeeganhomes.com.
Nearby
Neighborhoods near Calumet Heights.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the neighborhoods right next to Calumet Heights.
Your local agent
Joe knows Calumet Heights
Most agents will list anything. I focus on the places I actually know, and the things that move value here don't show up in the MLS write-up: which streets and buildings hold demand, what the HOA or assessments really cover, how the comps read once you account for condition and location, and where buyers consistently want to be.
When you're ready to tour or list, you want someone who has read the last 50 closed comps in this specific market, not a national average, and can tell you what they actually mean for your price. That's how I work. Text or call any time, and I'll give you a real take, not a brochure.
- Licensed Illinois broker
- Comp-driven pricing
- Calumet Heights specialist
- Honest local market take
- Brokerocity
Thinking of selling?
What's your home actually worth?
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