Hazel Crest · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Hazel Crest.
- Active listings
- 59
- Median list
- $196K
- Avg time on market
- 62 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Photo: Marcusmax / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Active listings
59 homes on the market
About the community
Living in Hazel Crest.
Hazel Crest is a village in Cook County, Illinois, with a population of 13,382 at the 2020 census. It sits in the area known as the Chicago Southland, roughly 25 miles south of the Chicago Loop. The community is overwhelmingly residential, built out largely between the 1950s and 1980s, with a high homeownership rate of about 75 percent. Commuters are served by the Hazel Crest station on Metra's Metra Electric Line, which runs north to Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and south to University Park. The village also sits where Interstate 80 meets the Tri-State Tollway (Interstate 294), giving residents strong regional highway access.
At a glance
~13,382 residents
About 13,382 residents as of the 2020 census in the Chicago Southland.
Metra Electric station
The Hazel Crest station on the Metra Electric Line sits 22.3 miles from Millennium Station.
~75 percent homeownership
About 75 percent of housing units are owner-occupied, well above the national average.
~$185,000 home values
A 2024 median property value of about $185,300, far below the national median.
I-80 at I-294
The village sits where Interstate 80 merges with the Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
Advocate South Suburban Hospital
An acute-care hospital on Kedzie Avenue and one of the village's largest employers.
Incorporated 1912
The village was incorporated in 1912 after settlement began in 1870 as South Harvey.
Annual Hazelnut Festival
The name honors the hazelnut bushes that once grew on the local ridge, still celebrated each year.
What’s close
Hazel Crest occupies a strategic spot in southern Cook County where Interstate 80 merges with the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), with the Metra Electric Line running through its eastern edge. The village spreads across three townships and is centered roughly at 175th Street and Kedzie Avenue.
- Highways
- The village is where Interstate 80 merges with the Tri-State Tollway (I-294); major arteries include 167th, 175th, and 183rd Streets, Kedzie Avenue, Pulaski Road, and Dixie Highway.
- Metra Electric station
- At Park Avenue and 170th Street, 22.3 miles from Millennium Station, in fare zone 2.
- Townships
- Primarily in Bremen Township, with the portion south of 183rd Street in Rich Township and the portion east of I-80/94 in Thornton Township.
- Schools
- Served by elementary districts Prairie-Hills SD 144, Hazel Crest SD 152.5, and Flossmoor SD 161, with high schoolers split among three high school districts.
- Advocate South Suburban Hospital
- A not-for-profit acute-care hospital at 17800 Kedzie Avenue.
- Grande Prairie Public Library
- Shared with Country Club Hills, located at 3479 W. 183rd Street.
What it’s actually like to live here
Hazel Crest offers a mix of single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and apartments, with most subdivisions built between the 1950s and 1980s. Established neighborhoods include Hazel Crest Proper, the Chateaux and Versailles areas, Pottawatomie Hills, the Highlands, and Dynasty Lakes. The median property value was about $185,300 in 2024, well below the national median, and the homeownership rate of roughly 75 percent is higher than the national average. Affordability is a defining feature, though Cook County's effective property tax rates are high.
The typical commute for Hazel Crest workers is about 26.8 minutes, close to the national average, with most residents driving alone and a growing share working from home. For transit commuters, the Metra Electric Line provides a direct ride to downtown Chicago. Local amenities include more than 200 acres of parks operated by the Hazel Crest Park District, the Grande Prairie Public Library shared with Country Club Hills, and Advocate South Suburban Hospital. The village also hosts the annual Hazelnut Festival with carnival rides, live music, and local vendors.
Neighborhoods
Detailed 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 Hazel Crest.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- D152.5Grades K-8
Hazel Crest School District 152.5
Schools serving the area
- Woodland Elementary School
- Wm. Palm Elementary School
- Robert Frost Middle School
Serves much of central and eastern Hazel Crest. Middle-school students east of California Avenue attend Robert Frost. Confirm per address.
- D144Grades K-8
Prairie-Hills School District 144
Schools serving the area
- Mae Jemison Elementary School
- Highlands Elementary School
- Chateaux Elementary School
- Prairie-Hills Junior High School
Operates several elementary schools in Hazel Crest plus the junior high serving most of the village. Flossmoor SD 161 serves neighborhoods south of 183rd Street.
- D228Grades 9-12
Bremen Community High School District 228
Schools serving the area
- Hillcrest High School (Country Club Hills)
- Bremen High School (Midlothian)
- Oak Forest High School
- Tinley Park High School
Most Hazel Crest high schoolers attend Hillcrest High School. Portions of the village are served by Thornton Township HS District 205 (east of California Avenue) and Homewood-Flossmoor HS District 233 (south of 175th Street).
Around town
What there is to do in Hazel Crest.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Parks
Hazel Crest Park District
The district operates more than 200 acres of parks and recreational programming, coterminous with the village boundaries, with programs for all ages.
- Culture
Grande Prairie Public Library
At 3479 W. 183rd Street, this library serves Hazel Crest and neighboring Country Club Hills with programs, events, and free cards for district residents.
- Family
Hazelnut Festival and Parade
The village's signature annual community event features carnival rides, live music, local artists, and vendors, organized by all-volunteer committees.
- Family
Advocate South Suburban Hospital
A not-for-profit acute-care hospital at 17800 Kedzie Avenue with a maternity center and emergency services, and one of the village's largest employers.
- Parks
Hazel Crest recreation programs
The village's recreation portal lists seasonal programs, leagues, and facility activities for Hazel Crest residents.
- Culture
Hazel Crest Creative Arts District
A village economic-development initiative profiling local arts, culture, and business in the community.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Hazel Crest.
MetraME line
- Stations: Hazel Crest
- Terminal: Millennium Station
- Distance: 22 miles to downtown Chicago
DriveBy car
- Routes: I-80 · I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) · Kedzie Avenue · Dixie Highway
- Chicago Loop: ~35 min
- O'Hare Airport: ~49 min
By the numbers
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
4.92%
effective avg
Sales tax
10.50%
combined
Median sold price
$197,000
MRED · last 12 mo (182 sales)
Median household income
$68,393
ACS
How Hazel Crest got here
A bit of history.
Hazel Crest was first settled in 1870 as a farming community known as South Harvey. In 1890 an enterprising newspaper editor named William McClintock moved from Ohio and bought 80 acres from farmer Fred Puhrman. McClintock built a depot so the local milk train would stop in the area, opening transportation connections to Chicago and beyond. That small depot doubled as the area's first real estate office, public meeting place, Sunday school, day school, and post office. The village was incorporated in 1912.
In 1900 the community's name was changed to Hazel Crest to reflect the many hazelnut bushes that grew on a rise of land just south of town. At that time the southern border was 175th Street and the western edge was Kedzie Avenue. Significant milestones came from residents organizing around common goals, from the construction of the Community Church in 1894 to the 1984 conversion of an elementary school building into the Martin J. Kauchak Municipal Center, named for a village president who served for twenty years. Many descendants of the early families still live in the village and continue its tradition of community involvement.
The questions buyers actually ask
Hazel Crest FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Hazel Crest. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- What school districts serve Hazel Crest?
- Hazel Crest is served by three elementary districts: Hazel Crest School District 152.5, Prairie-Hills School District 144, and Flossmoor School District 161. There are no schools above 8th grade located within the village, so high schoolers attend schools in three different high school districts depending on where they live, with most attending Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills (Bremen District 228). Families should verify their specific address, since boundaries split along streets like California Avenue and 183rd Street.
- How is the commute to downtown Chicago from Hazel Crest?
- The Hazel Crest station on the Metra Electric Line sits about 22.3 miles from Millennium Station and offers a direct ride into downtown Chicago, with University Park as the line's southern terminus. By car, downtown is roughly 26 miles, about 35 minutes, and the average commute time for local workers is about 26.8 minutes. The village also has direct access where I-80 meets the Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
- Are property taxes high in Hazel Crest?
- Yes, like much of south Cook County, property taxes are relatively high. The median effective property tax rate in Hazel Crest is about 4.92 percent according to Ownwell, well above national norms. Because home values are low, the actual median bill is more modest, but buyers should factor it into affordability. Always confirm the actual bill for a specific address.
- Is Hazel Crest affordable for homebuyers?
- Hazel Crest is one of the more affordable communities in Cook County, with a 2024 median property value of about $185,300, well below the national median. The homeownership rate is roughly 75 percent, higher than the national average, reflecting a stable owner-occupied housing base. Housing stock includes single-family homes, townhomes, and condominiums built mostly between the 1950s and 1980s.
- What is the history behind the name Hazel Crest?
- The community was first settled in 1870 as a farming area called South Harvey. In 1900 the name was changed to Hazel Crest to reflect the many hazelnut bushes growing on a rise of land just south of town, and the village was incorporated in 1912. That heritage is still celebrated today through the annual Hazelnut Festival.
- What healthcare and amenities are available locally?
- Hazel Crest is home to Advocate South Suburban Hospital, a not-for-profit acute-care facility on Kedzie Avenue and one of the village's largest employers. Residents also have the Grande Prairie Public Library, shared with Country Club Hills, and an extensive Hazel Crest Park District system with more than 200 acres of parkland.
- What makes Hazel Crest distinctive among Chicago's south suburbs?
- Hazel Crest combines affordability, strong homeownership, and direct Metra Electric commuter rail access within the Chicago Southland. It is a compact village of about 3.42 square miles spread across three townships, anchored by Advocate South Suburban Hospital and more than 200 acres of park district land. Its established neighborhoods and community traditions give it a settled, family-oriented character.
Nearby
Towns next to Hazel Crest.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the places that border Hazel Crest.
Your local agent
Joe knows 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
- 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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