East Hazel Crest · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
East Hazel Crest.
- Active listings
- 4
- Median list
- $267K
- Avg time on market
- 23 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Map data, Mapbox / OpenStreetMap contributors
Active listings
4 homes on the market
About the community
Living in East Hazel Crest.
East Hazel Crest is one of the smallest municipalities in the south suburbs of Cook County, with a 2020 census population of 1,297 spread across just 0.78 square miles. It is its own incorporated village, separate from the larger Hazel Crest next door. The village sits about 21 to 26 miles south of downtown Chicago, with direct access to Interstate 80, Interstate 294, and Halsted Street (Illinois Route 1). Housing is overwhelmingly single-family, more than 90 percent of units, and the community has long held its identity as a quiet residential pocket. Children are served by Hazel Crest School District 152.5 for elementary and middle grades and Thornton Township High School District 205 for high school. Commuters ride the Metra Electric line from the Calumet station inside the village straight to downtown Chicago, and the recent arrival of the Wind Creek casino has brought a large new employer to the Halsted corridor.
At a glance
~1,300 residents
The 2020 census counted 1,297 people, making East Hazel Crest one of the smallest municipalities in the south suburbs.
0.78 square miles
The entire village covers less than a square mile of land, all of it urban and fully built out.
Two school districts
Elementary and middle grades fall under Hazel Crest School District 152.5; high schoolers attend Thornton Township High School District 205.
I-80 at Halsted
The village sits at the I-80 and I-294 interchange with Halsted Street (Illinois Route 1) running through it.
Metra Electric
The Calumet station on the Metra Electric District line is inside the village, 22.8 miles from Millennium Station downtown.
Wind Creek Southland
The 529 million dollar Wind Creek casino opened in the village in November 2024, with its hotel and spa following in April 2025.
~$172K typical value
The Zillow Home Value Index for East Hazel Crest was about 172,049 dollars as of April 2026.
High property tax rate
The median effective property tax rate is about 3.89 percent, well above the Illinois median, with a roughly 9.5 percent combined sales tax.
What’s close
East Hazel Crest sits in Thornton Township in south Cook County, about 21 to 26 miles south of the Chicago Loop, wrapped by the larger village of Hazel Crest and pressed against the I-80 and I-294 corridor and Halsted Street.
- Wind Creek Chicago Southland
- A 529 million dollar casino, 250-plus room hotel, and spa at 17300 S. Halsted, at the I-80 and Halsted interchange, opened in 2024 and 2025.
- Calumet Metra station
- Metra Electric District stop providing rail service north to Millennium Station and south to University Park.
- I-80 and I-294 interchange
- The village's commercial and fuel district clusters at I-80 Exit 2 at Halsted Street (Illinois Route 1).
- Pace bus service
- Pace Route 356 connects East Hazel Crest to destinations across the Chicago Southland.
- Schools
- Hazel Crest School District 152.5 is headquartered in East Hazel Crest and serves the village's K-8 students; high schoolers attend District 205.
- Hazel Crest Park District
- The adjacent Hazel Crest Park District operates parks and recreation facilities open to area residents.
What it’s actually like to live here
Daily life in East Hazel Crest is shaped by its small size and residential makeup. More than 90 percent of housing is single-family, and the 2020 census recorded 545 households across the village's 0.78 square miles. The typical home value sits around 172,000 dollars, with Cook County records showing a median sale price closer to 120,000 dollars, so the market skews toward modestly priced single-family houses rather than new construction or condos.
The village is a majority-Black community, with the 2020 census reporting a median age of about 40.7 years and a median household income of 50,583 dollars. With the Calumet Metra station and a Pace bus route inside the village and the I-80 and I-294 interchange at its edge, residents lean on a mix of rail and highway commuting. The recent arrival of the Wind Creek casino has brought a large new employer and entertainment anchor to the Halsted corridor.
Neighborhoods
Detailed East Hazel Crest 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 East Hazel Crest.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- D152.5Grades Pre-K – 8
Hazel Crest School District 152.5
Schools serving the area
- Barack H. Obama Learning Academy
- Jesse C. White Learning Academy
The district is headquartered in East Hazel Crest and serves the village plus portions of Markham, Hazel Crest, and a section of Harvey. Confirm the assigned school per address.
- D205Grades 9 – 12
Thornton Township High School District 205
Schools serving the area
- Thornton Township High School (Harvey)
- Thornridge High School (Dolton)
- Thornwood High School (South Holland)
District 205 serves grades 9-12 across portions of Thornton Township, including East Hazel Crest, across its three campuses.
Around town
What there is to do in East Hazel Crest.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Culture
Wind Creek Chicago Southland Casino & Resort
A 70,000 square foot casino with a hotel, spa, dining, and entertainment at 17300 S. Halsted Street, opened in 2024 and 2025.
- Family
Calumet Metra Station
The village's elevated rail station offers Metra Electric service to downtown Chicago and south to University Park.
- Parks
Hazel Crest Park District
The adjacent park district operates parks, recreation facilities, and programming open to area residents.
- Family
The Spa at Wind Creek
A full-service spa on the 16th floor of the Wind Creek hotel tower, located within the East Hazel Crest resort.
- Food & Drink
Dining at Wind Creek Southland
The Wind Creek resort houses multiple restaurants and bars, the largest cluster of sit-down dining in the village.
- Shopping
Wind Creek retail and gift shop
The Wind Creek resort complex includes on-site retail within the East Hazel Crest property.
Getting around
Commute + transit from East Hazel Crest.
MetraME line
- Stations: Calumet
DriveBy car
- Routes: I-80 · I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) · Halsted Street / Illinois Route 1
- O'Hare Airport: ~49 min
- Chicago Loop: ~35 min
By the numbers
East Hazel Crest taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
3.89%
effective avg
Sales tax
9.50%
combined
Median sold price
$163,000
MRED · last 12 mo (14 sales)
Median household income
$50,583
ACS
How East Hazel Crest got here
A bit of history.
East Hazel Crest began as part of Hazel Crest, which incorporated in 1911. When the Illinois Central Railroad elevated its commuter and mainline tracks above grade, the move physically cut off the rural eastern portion of the community from the rest of Hazel Crest. Isolated by the raised tracks, residents on the east side voted to incorporate their own village in 1918. The two communities have remained separate municipalities ever since.
The village later annexed a small commercial area and a residential subdivision, Bremerton Woods, that lies west of the Illinois Central Railroad, the area where the village administration building and the Metra station now stand. As the south and southwest suburbs of Cook County grew rapidly over the following decades, East Hazel Crest deliberately stayed small, remaining the smallest of the southern suburbs and keeping a predominantly residential character. In November 2024 the 529 million dollar Wind Creek Chicago Southland casino opened in the village at the I-80 and Halsted interchange, with its hotel and spa following in April 2025.
The questions buyers actually ask
East Hazel Crest FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping East Hazel Crest. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- What school districts serve East Hazel Crest?
- Elementary and middle school students attend Hazel Crest School District 152.5, which is headquartered in East Hazel Crest and also serves parts of Markham, Hazel Crest, and Harvey. High schoolers attend Thornton Township High School District 205, choosing among Thornton, Thornridge, and Thornwood high schools. Always confirm the assigned school per address before writing an offer.
- How is the commute to downtown Chicago?
- The Calumet station on Metra's Electric District line sits inside the village and is 22.8 miles from Millennium Station downtown, in fare zone 2. By car, downtown is roughly 21 to 26 miles and about 35 minutes via I-80 and I-294.
- What are property taxes like in East Hazel Crest?
- Property taxes here run high, which is typical for south Cook County. The median effective property tax rate is about 3.89 percent, above the Illinois median, with a median annual tax bill near 4,981 dollars. Bills vary with assessed value and available exemptions, so confirm by pulling the actual tax bill for the specific address.
- How much do homes cost?
- The Zillow Home Value Index for East Hazel Crest was about 172,049 dollars as of April 2026, while Cook County records show a median sale price closer to 120,000 dollars. The market is dominated by modestly priced single-family homes rather than new construction or condos.
- What is there to do in the village?
- The biggest draw is the Wind Creek Chicago Southland Casino & Resort, a 70,000 square foot casino with a hotel, spa, and dining that opened in 2024 and 2025 on Halsted Street. Beyond that, the village is small and residential, with the nearby Hazel Crest Park District facilities for recreation.
- What kind of community is East Hazel Crest?
- It is one of the smallest south-suburban villages, under one square mile with about 1,300 residents, and is predominantly residential with more than 90 percent single-family housing. The 2020 census recorded a majority-Black community with a median age around 40.7 and median household income of 50,583 dollars.
Your local agent
Joe knows East Hazel Crest
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
- East Hazel Crest 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
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