Crestwood · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Crestwood.
- Active listings
- 25
- Median list
- $335K
- Avg time on market
- 20 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Map data, Mapbox / OpenStreetMap contributors
Active listings
25 homes on the market
About the community
Living in Crestwood.
Crestwood is a south-suburban Cook County village of about 10,800 residents, sitting roughly 23 miles southwest of downtown Chicago along the Route 83 and Cicero Avenue retail corridor. The village is best known for the Rivercrest Shopping Center, a sprawling retail district built on the site of a former airfield that anchors the local economy and tax base. For decades Crestwood earned statewide attention for its unusually small, low-cost government and a property-tax rebate program that returned millions of dollars to residents. The Cal-Sag Channel runs along the village's southern edge, and Ozinga Field gives Crestwood the distinction of hosting the only professional sports team in town, the Windy City ThunderBolts. Housing here leans toward modestly priced single-family homes, which keeps Crestwood attractive to first-time buyers and downsizers. The median home value sits well below the national average, a defining feature of the local market.
At a glance
~10,800 residents
Crestwood counted 10,826 residents at the 2020 census, with a 2024 estimate near 10,579.
District 130 + High School District 218
Most elementary students attend Cook County School District 130, with parts in Atwood Heights SD 125; high schoolers attend Community High School District 218.
Rivercrest Shopping Center
A large retail center built on a former airfield site, anchoring the Cicero Avenue and Route 83 corridor and the village tax base.
Ozinga Field
Home of the Windy City ThunderBolts of the Frontier League since 1995, the only professional sports team in Crestwood.
~2.38% effective property tax rate
Ownwell lists a median effective property tax rate of 2.38 percent, with a median annual bill near $2,746.
~$195,000 median home value
A median property value well below the national average, keeping Crestwood affordable for first-time buyers and downsizers.
Transit via nearby stations
No in-village rail stop, but Pace routes 383 and 385 reach the CTA Orange Line at Midway, and Midlothian (Rock Island) and Worth (SouthWest Service) stations are close.
Cal-Sag Channel
The shipping channel runs along the village's southern edge, crossed by the 127th Street bridge.
What’s close
Crestwood sits at the crossroads of two major south-suburban retail routes and is shaped by the Cal-Sag Channel to the south, putting shopping, dining, and Chicago-bound transit all within a short drive.
- Rivercrest Shopping Center
- A large retail center built on a former airfield, home to dozens of stores plus restaurants and an AMC theater.
- Cicero Avenue / Route 83 corridor
- The commercial spine of the village, lined with big-box and chain retail that anchors Crestwood's tax base.
- Cal-Sag Channel
- The shipping channel forming Crestwood's southern boundary, crossed by the 127th Street bridge.
- Nearby Metra access
- No in-village station, but the Midlothian station on the Rock Island District and the Worth station on the SouthWest Service line are both close by.
- Walker Park and Playfield Park
- Village parks providing playgrounds and green space for residents.
- Ozinga Field
- A 3,200-seat ballpark just off the retail corridor hosting minor-league baseball from spring through summer.
What it’s actually like to live here
Day-to-day life in Crestwood revolves around its retail corridor and a quiet, established residential grid. The housing stock is dominated by modestly sized single-family homes, with a homeownership rate of about 76 percent, well above the national average, and a median property value around $195,200, far below the U.S. median. That affordability draws first-time buyers, working families, and a notable share of older residents, with a median age near 49 years. The largest local employment sectors are health care and social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing, reflecting the village's service-and-retail economy.
Commuting is overwhelmingly car-based: about 80 percent of workers drive alone, with an average commute of roughly 33 minutes, slightly longer than the national norm. Crestwood has no Metra station of its own, so transit-oriented commuters typically drive to the nearby Midlothian (Rock Island District) or Worth (SouthWest Service) stations, or ride Pace routes 383 and 385 to the CTA Orange Line at Midway. The result is a community that feels suburban and self-contained, with retail, parks, and recreation close to home and downtown Chicago reachable in well under an hour by car.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Crestwood 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 Crestwood.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- SD130Grades Pre-K – 8
Cook County School District 130
Schools serving the area
- Kerkstra School
- Nathan Hale Intermediate
- Veterans Memorial Middle School
- Lincoln School
- Whittier School
Serves portions of Alsip, Blue Island, Crestwood, and Robbins across about a dozen sites. Crestwood elementary boundaries are fragmented, so confirm the assigned district per address.
- SD125Grades Pre-K – 8
Atwood Heights School District 125
Schools serving the area
- Atwood Heights Elementary
- Highland Elementary
Serves portions of the Crestwood and Alsip area, feeding into Community High School District 218.
- CHSD218Grades 9 – 12
Community High School District 218
Schools serving the area
- Dwight D. Eisenhower High School (Blue Island)
- Harold L. Richards High School (Oak Lawn)
- Alan B. Shepard High School (Palos Heights)
The high school district for much of Crestwood and surrounding southwest Cook elementary districts. Some Crestwood addresses fall in Bremen HSD 228; verify by parcel.
Around town
What there is to do in Crestwood.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Family
Ozinga Field
A 3,200-seat ballpark, home of the Windy City ThunderBolts minor-league baseball team, hosting home games from spring through summer.
- Shopping
Rivercrest Shopping Center
A large retail center on a former airfield site with dozens of stores, restaurants, and an AMC movie theater.
- Parks
Walker Park
A village park with playground facilities, part of the Crestwood parks system.
- Parks
Playfield Park
A neighborhood park with playground space for families and children in Crestwood.
- Family
Crestwood Recreation & Wellness Center
The village recreation hub hosting seasonal community events such as a holiday market and an annual Easter egg hunt.
- Family
In The Game Hollywood Park
An indoor-outdoor amusement center near Crestwood with bumper cars, go-karts, and an arcade.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Crestwood.
DriveBy car
- Routes: Cicero Avenue (US 83 / IL 50) · I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) · I-57 · 127th Street
- Chicago Loop: ~37 min
- O'Hare Airport: ~38 min
By the numbers
Crestwood taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
2.38%
effective avg
Sales tax
10.00%
combined
Median sold price
$189,500
MRED · last 12 mo (179 sales)
Median household income
$75,752
ACS
How Crestwood got here
A bit of history.
Crestwood was incorporated in 1928 and grew through the mid-twentieth century as a small residential village in Worth and Bremen townships in southern Cook County. For much of its modern history the village was defined politically by long-serving mayor Chester Stranczek and, later, his son Robert Stranczek. Under their leadership Crestwood became nationally known among small-government advocates for running a lean, low-cost municipal operation and for an unusual practice: rebating to residents a portion of their property and other municipal tax payments. The program returned tens of millions of dollars to taxpayers over the years and made Crestwood a frequently cited example of cheap local government.
That reputation was overtaken by a serious public-health scandal. In April 2009 the Chicago Tribune published an investigation reporting that a village well used to supply drinking water had been contaminated with chemicals, including compounds linked to dry-cleaning solvents. Village officials were accused of secretly using the contaminated well for years and concealing it from regulators. The matter generated class-action and wrongful-death lawsuits and federal investigations, and a former water supervisor was later convicted of lying to regulators. The legal costs tied to the water case ended Crestwood's signature tax-rebate program in 2009.
The questions buyers actually ask
Crestwood FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Crestwood. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- What is Crestwood, Illinois known for?
- Crestwood is a small south-suburban village best known for its large Rivercrest Shopping Center, built on a former airfield, and for decades of unusually low-cost local government. It also drew statewide attention for a 2009 drinking-water contamination scandal involving a secretly used village well. Today it remains a value-oriented residential community along the Cicero Avenue retail corridor.
- What school districts serve Crestwood?
- Most Crestwood elementary students attend Cook County School District 130, with parts of the village in Atwood Heights SD 125 and other neighboring districts. High school students generally attend Community High School District 218. Because boundaries are fragmented, families should confirm the assigned district by their specific address.
- How long is the commute to downtown Chicago?
- By car, downtown Chicago's Loop is about 37 minutes away, roughly 25 miles, under typical conditions. O'Hare International Airport is about 38 minutes north. Most Crestwood residents drive alone to work, with an average commute near 33 minutes.
- Does Crestwood have a Metra station?
- No. Crestwood does not have its own Metra station. The closest options are the Midlothian station on Metra's Rock Island District and the Worth station on the SouthWest Service line, both a short drive away. Pace bus routes 383 and 385 also connect to the CTA Orange Line at Midway.
- What are property taxes like in Crestwood?
- Crestwood's median effective property tax rate is about 2.38 percent, higher than the national median but near the Illinois state median. The median annual tax bill is roughly $2,746. Cook County homeowners can appeal their assessment to potentially lower the bill.
- What is the sales tax rate in Crestwood?
- The combined sales tax rate in Crestwood is about 10.0 percent. That breaks down to the 6.25 percent Illinois state rate plus a village rate and additional county and regional transit components.
- Did Crestwood really rebate property taxes to residents?
- Yes. For years, Crestwood's village government rebated a portion of residents' property and municipal tax payments, earning it a national reputation for cheap, small government. The rebate program ended in 2009 as the village faced legal costs tied to the water-contamination case.
Nearby
Towns next to Crestwood.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the places that border Crestwood.
Your local agent
Joe knows Crestwood
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
- Crestwood 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