Evanston · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Evanston.
- Active listings
- 73
- Median list
- $510K
- Avg time on market
- 24 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Map data, Mapbox / OpenStreetMap contributors
Active listings
73 homes on the market
About the community
Living in Evanston.
Evanston is the first suburb directly north of Chicago, sitting right on the Lake Michigan shoreline about 12 miles north of the Loop. It is best known as the home of Northwestern University, which was founded in 1851, several years before the city itself was incorporated. The housing here runs the full range, from historic lakefront mansions on landscaped boulevards to walk-up condos near the train stations. It is one of the most transit-rich suburbs in the region, served by the Metra Union Pacific North line and the CTA Purple Line. The 2024 median household income was about 96,434 dollars and the population sits around 78,000. Property taxes are high, in line with Cook County, but buyers get a genuinely walkable, lake-facing community with a real downtown.
At a glance
~78,000 residents
Evanston had a population of 78,110 at the 2020 census, the largest of Chicago's North Shore suburbs.
Northwestern University
A leading research university founded in 1851 whose lakefront campus anchors the north and east sides of the city.
Metra plus CTA
The Metra Union Pacific North line and the CTA Purple Line both run through Evanston, an unusually deep transit setup for a suburb.
Lake Michigan shoreline
Evanston sits directly on the lake and operates public beaches including Lee Street, Greenwood Street, and Clark Street beaches.
D65 and D202 schools
Served by Evanston/Skokie School District 65 for K-8 and Evanston Township High School District 202, plus Northwestern University.
Property tax ~2.28%
The median effective property tax rate is about 2.28 percent, higher than the national median, roughly in line with Cook County.
12 miles to the Loop
The Chicago Loop is roughly 19 minutes by car and O'Hare Airport about 22 minutes, with a one-seat train ride downtown.
Walkable downtown
Downtown Evanston is a walkable retail and dining district centered around the Davis Street stations.
What’s close
Evanston is compact and walkable, packing a major research university, a real downtown, miles of public lakefront, and several train stations into less than eight square miles.
- Northwestern University
- A leading research university founded in 1851 whose lakefront campus anchors the north and east sides of the city.
- Downtown Evanston
- A walkable district of shops, restaurants, and offices clustered around Davis Street and the Metra and CTA stations.
- Lakefront and beaches
- Public Lake Michigan beaches including Lee Street, Greenwood Street, and Clark Street, with parks and bike paths along the shore.
- Metra and CTA stations
- Metra UP-N stops at Main Street, Davis Street, and Central Street, with adjacent CTA Purple Line stations for transfers.
- Central Street district
- A north-side retail and dining corridor near the Central Street Metra and CTA stops and the Mitchell Museum.
- Parks and arboretum
- Ladd Arboretum runs along the North Shore Channel, with the city-run Evanston Ecology Center on its grounds.
What it’s actually like to live here
Living in Evanston means access to a wide spectrum of housing, from historic mansions on landscaped lakefront boulevards to tree-lined neighborhoods and condos near the train stations. The 2024 median property value was about 481,200 dollars and the homeownership rate was around 56 percent, reflecting a real mix of owners and renters, the latter driven in part by the student and university population. The median age is about 38.4, and the population is ethnically diverse, with white, Black, and Asian residents making up the largest groups.
Daily life leans walkable and transit-oriented for a suburb. A higher-than-typical share of workers use public transit or work from home, and downtown Evanston puts shopping, dining, and the train within walking distance for many residents. The lakefront, beaches, and parks give the city an outdoor, recreational character right on Lake Michigan, and the economy is dominated by educational services and health care, anchored by Northwestern.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Evanston 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 Evanston.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- D65Grades Pre-K – 8
Evanston/Skokie School District 65
Schools serving the area
- Dewey Elementary
- Lincoln Elementary
- Willard Elementary
- Nichols Middle School
- Haven Middle School
Serves the City of Evanston plus a small neighboring section of the Village of Skokie, roughly 6,500 students across attendance-area elementary schools, middle schools, and magnet schools.
- D202Grades 9 – 12
Evanston Township High School District 202
Schools serving the area
- Evanston Township High School
Most of Evanston, plus a small part of the Village of Skokie, is within ETHS District 202, a single comprehensive high school enrolling over 3,300 students.
Around town
What there is to do in Evanston.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Culture
Block Museum of Art
A free public art museum on the Northwestern University campus with three galleries and a collection of more than 6,000 works.
- Culture
Grosse Point Lighthouse
A lighthouse on Evanston's Lake Michigan shoreline, built in 1873, with a 141-step tower open for tours at 2601 Sheridan Road.
- Culture
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
A museum at 3001 Central Street focused on the art, history, and culture of Native American and First Nation peoples of the U.S. and Canada.
- Parks
Ladd Arboretum
A 23-acre arboretum along the North Shore Channel with walking trails and the Evanston Ecology Center on its grounds.
- Family
Welsh-Ryan Arena
Northwestern's renovated indoor arena, home to the Wildcats men's and women's basketball, volleyball, and wrestling teams.
- Shopping
Downtown Evanston
A walkable downtown district of shops, restaurants, and offices centered on Davis Street next to the Metra and CTA stations.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Evanston.
MetraUP-N line
- Stations: Davis Street, Main Street, Central Street
DriveBy car
- Routes: Sheridan Road · Ridge Avenue · Green Bay Road · McCormick Boulevard · I-94 (Edens) nearby
- O'Hare Airport: ~22 min
- Chicago Loop: ~19 min
By the numbers
Evanston taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
2.28%
effective avg
Sales tax
10.25%
combined
Median sold price
$429,250
MRED · last 12 mo (500 sales)
Median household income
$96,434
ACS
How Evanston got here
A bit of history.
The area that became Evanston was largely wetland and swampy forest before the 1830s, used by Potawatomi people whose trails followed the higher ridges, and French explorers called the lakeside point Grosse Pointe. In 1850 a township called Ridgeville was organized in the area, and in 1851 a group of Methodist business leaders founded Northwestern University, selecting a wooded bluff site along Lake Michigan as the campus. In 1854 the founders submitted plans for a city to be named Evanston after John Evans, one of their leaders, and the request was granted in 1857 when Evanston Township was split off from Ridgeville.
Evanston was formally incorporated as a town on December 29, 1863. It expanded after the Civil War by annexing the village of North Evanston, and in early 1892, following the annexation of South Evanston, voters elected to organize as a city, with boundaries that are largely those of today. The city retained a strong civic and institutional character, becoming headquarters for organizations including Rotary International and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and in the 1960s Northwestern reshaped the shoreline by adding a 74-acre lakefill.
The questions buyers actually ask
Evanston FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Evanston. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- Where is Evanston and how far is it from Chicago?
- Evanston is in Cook County, directly north of Chicago on the Lake Michigan shoreline, about 12 miles north of the Loop. By car the Loop is roughly 19 minutes and O'Hare Airport is about 22 minutes, and Evanston is one of the most transit-served suburbs in the region.
- What are property taxes like in Evanston?
- The median effective property tax rate is about 2.28 percent, higher than the national median and roughly in line with Cook County. The median annual tax bill is around 7,604 dollars, and rates vary slightly by ZIP code. Always confirm by pulling the actual tax bill for the specific address.
- How much do homes cost in Evanston?
- The 2024 median property value was about 481,200 dollars per Census data, and prices have stayed high. Inventory ranges from lakefront mansions to condos near the train, so the market spans a wide price range depending on neighborhood and home type.
- What schools serve Evanston?
- K-8 students are served by Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and high school students by Evanston Township High School District 202, which operates the single Evanston Township High School. The city is also home to Northwestern University.
- How is the commute into the city from Evanston?
- Evanston is unusually transit-rich for a suburb, with the Metra UP-N line (Main, Davis, and Central stops) and the CTA Purple Line both running through town. The Davis and Main CTA stations sit immediately next to their Metra counterparts for easy transfers, and the Loop is roughly 19 minutes by car.
- What is there to do in Evanston?
- Attractions include the public Lake Michigan beaches, the Grosse Point Lighthouse, the free Block Museum of Art at Northwestern, the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, Ladd Arboretum, and a walkable downtown. Northwestern athletics at Welsh-Ryan Arena are also a draw.
Your local agent
Joe knows Evanston
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
- Evanston 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