Palos Hills · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Palos Hills.
- Active listings
- 46
- Median list
- $284K
- Avg time on market
- 23 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Photo: Unknown / Wikimedia Commons (Unknown)
Active listings
46 homes on the market
About the community
Living in Palos Hills.
Palos Hills sits in the heart of southwest Cook County, wrapped on its southern and western edges by the 15,000-acre Palos Forest Preserves, the largest block of protected land in the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. It is best known as the home of Moraine Valley Community College, one of the largest community colleges in Illinois, which anchors the city's western side. The community is compact, just over 4 square miles, with established mid-century subdivisions, a strong Polish, Irish, and Arab heritage, and a settled feel reflected in a median age in the low 40s. Most students attend North Palos School District 117 schools and then Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Consolidated High School District 230, both well regarded across the Southland. Commuters reach the Chicago Loop or O'Hare in roughly 35 minutes by car, with the SouthWest Service Metra line accessible at nearby Palos Heights. For buyers who want trails, lakes, and a quiet suburban base without giving up access to the city, Palos Hills delivers an uncommon balance.
At a glance
Southwest Cook County
A southwest suburb of Chicago in Cook County, just over 4 square miles in size.
~18,000 residents
Home to roughly 18,000 residents, about 18,530 at the 2020 census.
Palos Forest Preserves
Bordered by the 15,000-acre Palos Forest Preserves, the largest natural area in the Cook County system.
Moraine Valley College
Home of Moraine Valley Community College, one of the largest community colleges in Illinois.
North Palos and D230
Served by North Palos School District 117 for K-8 and Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in District 230.
Median home value ~$246k
Typical home value around $246,000 per Zillow's index, among the more affordable Palos communities.
~35 minute commute
About 35 minutes to both O'Hare and the Chicago Loop by car, with Metra accessible in nearby Palos Heights.
Diverse heritage
Top reported ancestries include Polish, German, Irish, Arab, and Italian.
What’s close
Palos Hills occupies just over 4 square miles of southwest Cook County, hemmed by the Palos Forest Preserves to the south and west and by a ring of close-knit suburbs on its other sides. Major arterials put residents minutes from the preserves, the college, and the regional road network.
- Moraine Valley Community College
- Main campus at 9000 W. College Parkway on the city's west side, one of the largest community colleges in Illinois.
- Palos Forest Preserves
- 15,000 acres of woods, lakes, and trails adjacent to the south and west, including the Palos Trail System and lakes such as Saganashkee Slough and Bullfrog Lake.
- Major roads
- Laid out along arterials including 103rd Street, 111th Street, Roberts Road, and Harlem Avenue, tying it to neighboring towns and the regional grid.
- Closest Metra
- No station lies within the city; the nearest is Palos Heights on the SouthWest Service line, about 18.6 miles from Chicago Union Station.
- Pace bus service
- Pace runs multiple suburban bus routes through Palos Hills, connecting it across the Chicago Southland.
What it’s actually like to live here
Daily life in Palos Hills is shaped by its setting on the edge of the Palos Forest Preserves. The preserves offer some of the best mountain biking in Illinois along the Palos Trail System, plus hiking, equestrian trails, fishing, and paddling on lakes including Saganashkee Slough, Maple Lake, and Bullfrog Lake, with Camp Bullfrog Lake providing year-round camping and canoe rentals. For a city of its size, that immediate access to thousands of acres of woods and water is the defining lifestyle perk.
The city's other center of gravity is Moraine Valley Community College, whose campus brings cultural programming, athletics, and a steady student presence to the west side. Neighborhoods are largely established single-family subdivisions built from the 1950s onward, with a notably international fabric, Polish, German, Irish, Arab, and Italian roots are the most commonly reported. The motto Pride In Progress captures a community that values its settled, family-oriented character while sitting within easy reach of Chicago.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Palos Hills 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 Hills.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- NP117Grades Pre-K-8
North Palos School District 117
Schools serving the area
- Conrady Junior High School
- Glen Oaks Elementary School
- Dorn Primary Center
- Oak Ridge Elementary School
- Hilltop Elementary School
North Palos SD 117 is the primary elementary and middle district for most of Palos Hills; a portion of the city falls within Palos School District 118 instead, so verify by address.
- D230Grades 9-12
Consolidated High School District 230
Schools serving the area
- Amos Alonzo Stagg High School
- Carl Sandburg High School
- Victor J. Andrew High School
Palos Hills students attend Amos Alonzo Stagg High School within District 230. Sandburg and Andrew serve nearby areas, so confirm the assigned school by address.
From the neighborhood
Around Palos Hills
Real local creators on TikTok. Tap a tile to play it right here.
#huntley #tacos locos
@tacosdelbarrio01Sunday, April 19th from noon to 4pm at Sew Hop'd Brewery in Huntley, Il The Metaphysical Market, hosted by Paranormal Chicago! You can find me there! #withloveproducts #supportsmallbusiness #parano
@withloveproducts#tacosdelbarrio#mexicanfood #burritos#huntleytacoslocos #breakfastburritos
@tacosdelbarrio01🏌️♂️✨ Simulators on, swings strong. Who said golf season has an off-season? $40 an hour ✔️ Indoors✔️ Bar open ✔️ #golfsimulator #public #huntley #fyp #golf
@pinecrest.golf.clAround town
What there is to do in Palos Hills.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Parks
Palos Trail System
A premier mountain-biking and hiking trail network within the Palos Forest Preserves, with rolling hills, ravines, and dozens of trails for biking, hiking, and horseback riding.
- Family
Camp Bullfrog Lake
A year-round camping and day-use site in the Palos preserves offering cabins, canoe and kayak rentals, fishing, and trail access.
- Parks
Maple Lake
A popular Cook County preserve lake with a boating area, canoe and kayak rentals, fishing, and a scenic overlook.
- Culture
Moraine Valley Community College
A major regional community college whose campus hosts the Fine and Performing Arts Center, the DeCaprio Art Gallery, athletics, and public events.
- Parks
Saganashkee Slough
The largest lake in the Palos Trail System, a 377-acre man-made lake popular for fishing and paddling.
- Family
Town Square Park
City green space and gathering spot, featured on the municipal seal, serving as a community focal point in Palos Hills.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Palos Hills.
DriveBy car
- Routes: 111th Street · 103rd Street · Roberts Road · IL 43 (Harlem Avenue)
- O'Hare Airport: ~35 min
- Chicago Loop: ~35 min
By the numbers
Palos Hills taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
2.73%
effective avg
Sales tax
9.00%
combined
Median sold price
$271,500
MRED · last 12 mo (236 sales)
Median household income
$83,969
ACS
How Palos Hills got here
A bit of history.
Palos Hills takes its name from Palos de la Frontera, Spain, the port from which Christopher Columbus set sail for the New World. The area was farmland through the first half of the twentieth century, part of the territory then known as North Palos. Growth arrived in the World War II era, when the Chrysler Corporation built an aircraft plant at nearby Ford City and land developers turned their attention to the region, drawing workers who needed housing close to the industrial corridor.
Postwar home building accelerated through the late 1940s and 1950s, the first firehouse went up in 1946, and residents organized the North Palos Community Council in 1957 to push for incorporation. The City of Palos Hills was formally established in 1958. It has grown into a city of roughly 18,000 residents governed under a mayor-council system, with Moraine Valley Community College, founded in 1967, becoming its defining civic institution.
The questions buyers actually ask
Palos Hills FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Palos Hills. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- What schools serve Palos Hills?
- Most of the city is in North Palos School District 117 for grades Pre-K through 8, with a portion in Palos School District 118, and students attend Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Consolidated High School District 230. Attendance depends on your address, so confirm with each district before buying.
- Is Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills?
- Yes. Moraine Valley Community College's main campus is on the west side of Palos Hills at 9000 W. College Parkway and is one of the largest community colleges in Illinois, bringing cultural programming, athletics, and public events to the city.
- How long is the commute to downtown Chicago?
- By car it is roughly 24 miles and about 33 to 35 minutes to the Loop. Commuters can also use the SouthWest Service Metra line from nearby Palos Heights, about 38 minutes to Union Station.
- What are property taxes like in Palos Hills?
- The median effective property tax rate is about 2.73 percent, higher than the national median, with bills that scale to assessed value. Always confirm the actual tax bill for a specific property.
- What is the sales tax rate in Palos Hills?
- The combined sales tax rate is 9 percent, which includes 6.25 percent state, 1.75 percent Cook County, and 1 percent for the Regional Transportation Authority. That is notably lower than several neighboring towns.
- What outdoor recreation is nearby?
- The Palos Forest Preserves wrap the city with 15,000 acres of trails and lakes, including the Palos Trail System for mountain biking and hiking, Saganashkee Slough for fishing and paddling, and Camp Bullfrog Lake for camping and canoe rentals.
Nearby
Towns next to Palos Hills.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the places that border Palos Hills.
Your local agent
Joe knows Palos Hills
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 Hills 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