Norwood Park Township · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Norwood Park Township.
- Active listings
- 2
- Median list
- $525K
- Avg time on market
- 51 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Map data, Mapbox / OpenStreetMap contributors
About the community
Living in Norwood Park Township.
Norwood Park Township is a small, established slice of northwest Cook County, covering about 3.7 square miles split into disjointed sections by a century of Chicago annexations. It is technically a civil township rather than an incorporated city, and its most distinctive feature is geographic: the township fully wraps the independent villages of Norridge and Harwood Heights, which sit as island cities surrounded by the City of Chicago. The area reads as a mature bungalow and ranch belt with an older, family-anchored population and a median age around 45. Commuters have two Metra stations nearby on the Union Pacific Northwest line, and O'Hare is only a few miles away. Shopping along Harlem Avenue, an established park district, and a public library district round out the day-to-day fabric.
At a glance
~27,400 residents
About 27,441 at the 2020 census across the township's 3.7 square miles.
Island cities
The township wraps the independent villages of Norridge and Harwood Heights, which sit surrounded by the City of Chicago.
Metra UP-NW
Two Union Pacific Northwest line stations, Norwood Park and Edison Park, run inbound to Ogilvie Transportation Center.
Minutes from O'Hare
O'Hare International Airport is roughly 6 miles away, about a 9 minute drive.
Median home value ~$381k
An older, well-kept bungalow and ranch belt, with median owner-occupied home value around $381,300.
Property taxes ~2.02%
The Norridge area carries an average property tax rate near 2.02 percent, below the Cook County average.
Small school districts
Served by elementary districts such as Pennoyer 79, Union Ridge 86, and Norridge 80, feeding Ridgewood High School District 234.
Established feel
Median age around 45, older than Cook County overall, with a strong married-family share and long tenures.
What’s close
The township's life runs along the Harlem Avenue corridor and the Union Pacific Northwest rail line, with the island villages of Norridge and Harwood Heights at its center.
- Norwood Park Metra Station
- On the Union Pacific Northwest line in fare zone 2, with daily parking and inbound service to Ogilvie Transportation Center.
- Edison Park Metra Station
- The next UP-NW stop north of Norwood Park, also serving the township's residents.
- Harlem Avenue corridor
- The main north-south commercial spine, anchored by Harlem Irving Plaza at 4104 North Harlem Avenue in Norridge.
- Norridge and Harwood Heights
- Two independent villages that sit inside the township and are surrounded by Chicago, the island within a city.
- Park Ridge edge
- The township touches Park Ridge along its southeast edge and Maine Township to the northwest.
- Cemeteries and country club
- Home to Acacia Park and Westlawn cemeteries and adjacent to Ridgemoor Country Club near Harwood Heights.
What it’s actually like to live here
Life here runs at the pace of an established, family-rooted neighborhood rather than a fast-turning suburb. The population skews older, with a median age around 45 and a high share of married-couple households, and many residents are long-tenured. The area also has a notably large foreign-born population, giving the local food and retail scene a layered, multi-generational character.
Day-to-day amenities are close and practical. Harlem Irving Plaza, the enclosed mall locals call The HIP, brings more than 140 retailers and a food court to Harlem Avenue. The Norridge Park District, established in 1955, manages about 20 acres of parks plus a recreation center and an outdoor pool and fitness center. The Eisenhower Public Library District serves Harwood Heights and Norridge residents, and the Norwood Park Historical Society keeps local history alive at the Noble-Seymour-Crippen House.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Norwood Park Township 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 Norwood Park Township.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- D79Grades K-8
Pennoyer School District 79
Schools serving the area
- Pennoyer School
A single-school K-8 district serving Norridge, Harwood Heights, and parts of Norwood Park Township. Confirm the assigned district by exact address.
- D80Grades K-8
Norridge School District 80
Schools serving the area
- James Giles School
- John V. Leigh School
One of the area's elementary districts, serving Norridge. Union Ridge School District 86 serves other parts of the township, so verify by address.
- D234Grades 9-12
Ridgewood Community High School District 234
Schools serving the area
- Ridgewood High School
Serves portions of Norridge, Harwood Heights, and unincorporated Norwood Park Township at the high school level. Verify by address for boundary edges.
From the neighborhood
Around Norwood Park Township
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@mamma.in.the.middleAround town
What there is to do in Norwood Park Township.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Culture
Noble-Seymour-Crippen House
A local history museum in what is widely called Chicago's oldest building, run by the Norwood Park Historical Society with Saturday tours.
- Shopping
Harlem Irving Plaza
An enclosed regional mall on Harlem Avenue in Norridge with more than 140 retailers and a food court.
- Family
Norridge Park District Pool
An outdoor aquatic complex with a lap pool, baby pool, splash pad, and water slides at 4631 N Overhill Avenue.
- Culture
Eisenhower Public Library District
A public library at 4613 N Oketo Avenue in Harwood Heights serving Harwood Heights and Norridge residents.
- Parks
Norridge Park District
A park district established in 1955 managing roughly 20 acres of parks plus a recreation center.
- Culture
Norwood Park Historical Society
A non-profit historical society offering exhibits, archives, and programs centered on the township's railroad-suburb history.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Norwood Park Township.
MetraUP-NW line
- Stations: Norwood Park, Edison Park
- Terminal: Chicago Ogilvie (OTC)
DriveBy car
- Routes: Harlem Avenue · Northwest Highway (US 14) · Devon Avenue · Lawrence Avenue
- O'Hare Airport: ~9 min
- Chicago Loop: ~30 min
By the numbers
Norwood Park Township taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
2.02%
effective avg
Sales tax
10.25%
combined
Median sold price
$834,500
MRED · last 12 mo (2 sales)
Median household income
$90,376
ACS
How Norwood Park Township got here
A bit of history.
Norwood Park was organized as a township in 1873, formed from parts of the adjacent Jefferson, Leyden, Niles, and Maine townships. The name was drawn from Henry Ward Beecher's 1868 novel Norwood, or Village Life in New England, and Park was appended because another Illinois post office already carried the Norwood name. The community incorporated as a village in 1874, then was annexed to the City of Chicago in 1893, which began the carving up of township land that left it in disjointed sections.
The township's deep roots are anchored by the Noble-Seymour-Crippen House at 5624 North Newark Avenue, whose southern wing was built in 1833 and is widely considered the oldest existing building in Chicago. The Norwood Park Historical Society, established in 1973, has owned the house since 1987 and runs a local history museum there. The villages within the township have postwar origins, with Harwood Heights and Norridge incorporating in the late 1940s as residents chose self-governance over Chicago annexation, Norridge incorporating in December 1948.
The questions buyers actually ask
Norwood Park Township FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Norwood Park Township. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- Is Norwood Park Township a city or a suburb?
- It is technically a civil township, one of the townships in Cook County, not an incorporated city. It covers about 3.7 square miles and includes unincorporated residential areas plus the independent villages of Norridge and Harwood Heights within its bounds. Because of past Chicago annexations, the township exists in disjointed sections, but for homebuyers it functions as a recognizable northwest-side place.
- What are the island cities people mention here?
- Norridge and Harwood Heights are two independent villages that sit inside Norwood Park Township and are surrounded by the City of Chicago, so they are sometimes called the island cities. They stayed independent when area residents in the mid-1900s chose self-governance over Chicago annexation, with Norridge incorporating in December 1948. That is why you can be in a suburb while seemingly inside the city.
- How is the commute downtown and to O'Hare?
- The township is served by two Union Pacific Northwest Metra stations, Norwood Park and Edison Park, with trains running inbound to Ogilvie Transportation Center in the Loop. By car, O'Hare International Airport is roughly 6 miles and about 9 minutes away. The typical resident commute to work runs around half an hour.
- What do homes cost in the area?
- The median value of owner-occupied homes in the township is about $381,300 according to recent census data. Expect an older bungalow and ranch housing stock rather than new construction, with prices varying by whether the address is in Norridge, Harwood Heights, or an unincorporated pocket. A Subdiview agent can frame realistic options by location.
- How high are the taxes?
- The Norridge area within the township carries an average property tax rate near 2.02 percent, actually below the Cook County average. Combined sales tax in Harwood Heights is about 10.25 percent, while Norridge addresses run higher, so confirm the exact municipality for any property. Both sales and property tax depend on which village or unincorporated pocket the address falls in.
- Which schools serve the township?
- Elementary students attend small districts including Pennoyer School District 79 (K-8), Norridge School District 80, and Union Ridge School District 86, depending on location. High schoolers in the unincorporated township and the villages attend Ridgewood High School in District 234. Boundaries vary by exact address, so verify the assigned schools for any specific home.
Nearby
Towns next to Norwood Park Township.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the places that border Norwood Park Township.
Your local agent
Joe knows Norwood Park Township
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
- Norwood Park Township 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
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