Palos Heights · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Palos Heights.
- Active listings
- 29
- Median list
- $425K
- Avg time on market
- 33 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Photo: Unknown / Wikimedia Commons (Unknown)
Active listings
29 homes on the market
About the community
Living in Palos Heights.
Palos Heights is a roughly 3.9-square-mile city in southwest Cook County, sitting in both Palos and Worth townships about 20 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. The Calumet Sag Channel forms its northern edge, Cook County Forest Preserve land lies to the south, and the city is best known for Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens, an 85-acre preserve with a 10-acre lake redeveloped from old channel land. Downtown runs along the Harlem Avenue corridor, and Trinity Christian College anchors the community as its largest school. Families are served by several public school districts plus private and parochial options, and an active Metra SouthWest Service station on Southwest Highway gives commuters a one-seat ride to Chicago Union Station. With a median age above 50 and a homeownership rate over 90 percent, it reads as a settled, owner-occupied community rather than a transient one.
At a glance
~12,000 residents
About 12,068 residents at the 2020 census and roughly 12,150 in recent estimates.
93 percent ownership
Homeownership rate is about 93 percent, far above the national average, reflecting a settled community.
Median age 50.2
The median age is 50.2 years, well above the U.S. median, a mature and established population.
Trinity Christian College
Trinity Christian College, a private four-year college, is the city's largest school.
Lake Katherine
Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens is an 85-acre preserve with a 10-acre lake.
SWS Metra station
The Palos Heights station on the SouthWest Service line runs to Chicago Union Station.
Median income ~$109k
Median household income was about $108,740 in recent estimates.
Median home value ~$379k
The Zillow Home Value Index for Palos Heights as of spring 2026.
What’s close
Palos Heights occupies the southwest corner of Cook County, hemmed by the Calumet Sag Channel on the north and Forest Preserve land on the south, with its commercial life concentrated along the Harlem Avenue (Illinois Route 43) corridor.
- Harlem Avenue corridor
- The city's commercial spine runs along Harlem Avenue (Illinois Route 43), the dividing line that also splits high-school attendance areas.
- Lake Katherine
- An 85-acre nature center and botanic garden with a 10-acre lake on the city's north side, at 7402 W Lake Katherine Drive.
- Calumet Sag Channel
- The Calumet Sag Channel forms the city's northern boundary.
- Trinity Christian College
- A private four-year college located within Palos Heights and the city's largest school.
- Forest Preserve frontage
- Cook County Forest Preserve land borders the city to the south, adding open space and trails.
- Metra station
- The Palos Heights SouthWest Service station sits at 11451 Southwest Highway, with parking and a Pace bus connection.
What it’s actually like to live here
Daily life in Palos Heights centers on the outdoors and a small-city downtown. Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens draws residents for trails, gardens, and a 10-acre lake, and the adjacent Cook County Forest Preserve land adds more open space on the south side. The Harlem Avenue corridor carries the city's restaurants, shops, and services, and the Palos Heights Public Library serves the community. With about 12,000 residents in under four square miles, the feel is compact and neighborhood-oriented rather than sprawling.
The city skews older and settled, with a median age above 50 and a homeownership rate over 90 percent, and median household income above $108,000. Trinity Christian College gives the city a college-town layer, and nearby Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills adds further higher-education access. Commuters can drive the short distance to downtown Chicago, about 27 miles, or ride the Metra SouthWest Service from the local station to Union Station. The result is a community that combines suburban quiet with real transit and education anchors.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Palos Heights 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 Palos Heights.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- SD128Grades Pre-K-8
Palos Heights School District 128
Schools serving the area
- Chippewa Elementary School
- Navajo Heights Elementary School
- Independence Junior High School
- Indian Hill Preschool
District 128 serves Palos Heights proper and neighboring unincorporated areas, about 770 students across its schools. Confirm the assigned attendance area by address.
- CHSD218Grades 9-12
Community High School District 218
Schools serving the area
- Alan B. Shepard High School
- Eisenhower High School
- Richards High School
Alan B. Shepard High School is located in Palos Heights and serves the city and neighboring communities. Students living west of Harlem Avenue may instead attend Stagg High School in Consolidated High School District 230, so verify by address.
From the neighborhood
Around Palos Heights
Real local creators on TikTok. Tap a tile to play it right here.
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@.coreybagelsCome support an amazing cause for Special Olympics at their Don’t Be Fooled 5K in downtown Huntley, IL on April 11th, 2026 and experience this joy too ❤️🔥. Link to sign up in bio!
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@tacosdelbarrio01Today’s Chamber Check-In is at Patrick Michael Jewelers on the downtown Huntley Square! 💎💍
@huntleyareachamberAround town
What there is to do in Palos Heights.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Parks
Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens
An 85-acre nonprofit preserve with woodlands, prairie, wetlands, gardens, and a 10-acre lake, open daily dawn to dusk.
- Culture
Palos Heights Public Library
The city's public library serving Palos Heights residents with programs and resources.
- Family
Trinity Christian College
A private four-year college campus in Palos Heights, the city's largest higher-education institution.
- Parks
Cook County Forest Preserves, Palos area
Forest Preserve land borders the city to the south, offering trails and open space minutes from home.
- Culture
Moraine Valley Community College
A community college in neighboring Palos Hills offering classes, concerts, and plays accessible to Palos Heights residents.
- Food & Drink
Downtown Harlem Avenue dining district
The Harlem Avenue corridor carries the city's restaurants, shops, and services in a walkable downtown setting.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Palos Heights.
MetraSWS line
- Stations: Palos Heights
- Terminal: Chicago Union Station
DriveBy car
- Routes: IL 43 (Harlem Avenue) · Southwest Highway · IL 83 (Cal-Sag Road)
- O'Hare Airport: ~43 min
- Chicago Loop: ~40 min
By the numbers
Palos Heights taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
2.66%
effective avg
Sales tax
10.00%
combined
Median sold price
$346,353
MRED · last 12 mo (200 sales)
Median household income
$108,740
ACS
How Palos Heights got here
A bit of history.
Palos Heights was incorporated on April 11, 1959, succeeding on its fourth attempt at the ballot by a vote of 850 to 684, and it officially became a city on April 16, 1959. Its first mayor, Z. Erol Smith, was re-elected three times and served until 1973. The city takes its name from the surrounding Palos Township, which was renamed in 1850, on the recommendation of early postmaster Melanchan A. Powell, after Palos de la Frontera in Spain. The area's early identity was tied to the wider Palos community of townships and small farming settlements southwest of Chicago.
In 1965 a group of scholars met in Palos Heights to discuss the need for a contemporary Bible translation, and the project that became the New International Version was initiated in the city. Beginning in the late 1980s under Mayor Eugene Simpson, the city redeveloped land along the Calumet Sag Channel into what is now Lake Katherine, and a nonprofit nature center was formalized in 2005 to manage the site. In 2000 a dispute over a mosque foundation's plan to buy a former church drew national attention after the city council offered the group money to drop the sale, a payout Mayor Dean Koldenhoven vetoed, an act for which he received a 2002 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
The questions buyers actually ask
Palos Heights FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Palos Heights. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- What school districts serve Palos Heights?
- Several public districts serve the city. Palos Heights School District 128 covers Pre-K through 8 for much of the city, Community High School District 218 operates Shepard High School within Palos Heights, and Consolidated High School District 230 serves students living west of Harlem Avenue at Stagg High School. Palos Community Consolidated School District 118 also serves part of the city. Always confirm the assigned schools by address.
- Can I take the train to downtown Chicago?
- Yes. The Palos Heights station on Metra's SouthWest Service, at 11451 Southwest Highway, runs to Chicago Union Station, with parking and a Pace bus connection. Driving, downtown is about 27 miles and roughly 40 minutes off-peak.
- What are property taxes like in Palos Heights?
- Palos Heights has a high effective property tax rate of about 2.66 percent, typical of Cook County, with a median annual tax bill well above the national average. Always confirm by pulling the actual tax bill for the specific address.
- What is the sales tax rate?
- The combined sales tax rate is about 10.0 percent, made up of 6.25 percent state, 1.75 percent Cook County, and special district taxes. Rates can vary slightly within special taxing districts.
- What is Lake Katherine?
- Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens is an 85-acre nonprofit preserve with a 10-acre lake, woodlands, prairie, wetlands, and gardens, open daily from dawn to dusk at 7402 W Lake Katherine Drive. It was redeveloped from old Calumet Sag Channel land and is the city's signature outdoor destination.
- Is there a college in Palos Heights?
- Yes. Trinity Christian College, a private four-year college, is located in Palos Heights and is the city's largest school. Moraine Valley Community College is a short drive away in neighboring Palos Hills.
Nearby
Towns next to Palos Heights.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the places that border Palos Heights.
Your local agent
Joe knows Palos Heights
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
- Palos Heights 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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