Wilmette · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Wilmette.
- Active listings
- 18
- Median list
- $868K
- Avg time on market
- 21 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Photo: Soueric / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
About the community
Living in Wilmette.
Wilmette is an affluent North Shore village in Cook County, sitting on Lake Michigan roughly 14 to 15 miles north of downtown Chicago. Commuters have two rail options: the Metra Union Pacific North line stops at the Wilmette station on Green Bay Road, and the CTA Purple Line ends at the Linden terminal on the village's east side. Public schooling is a major draw, with elementary students attending Wilmette Public Schools District 39, and portions of Avoca District 37, before feeding into the highly regarded New Trier Township High School District 203. Housing runs heavily to single-family homes, from historic lakefront properties to mid-century and newer construction, with comparatively few apartment buildings. The village is home to the Baha'i House of Worship, a domed National Historic Landmark on Sheridan Road that draws visitors from around the world. Along the lake, Gillson Park offers about 60 acres of beach, harbor, and open space, while downtown Wilmette and the lakeside Plaza del Lago anchor local retail and dining. The result is a family-oriented, schools-driven community with strong demand and one of the higher costs of living on the North Shore.
At a glance
~28,000 residents
Wilmette's 2020 census population was 28,170, a slight increase over 2010.
New Trier + District 39 schools
Elementary students attend Wilmette Public Schools District 39 for K-8 and feed into New Trier Township High School District 203.
Metra UP-N + CTA Purple Line
The Metra Union Pacific North line stops at the Wilmette station, and the CTA Purple Line terminates at the Linden terminal.
Baha'i House of Worship
The domed temple on Sheridan Road, dedicated in 1953, is a National Historic Landmark and the oldest surviving Baha'i House of Worship in the world.
Gillson Park lakefront
About 60 acres of Lake Michigan beach, harbor, and open space sit along the village's eastern edge.
~$961K home value
Zillow's home value index for Wilmette was roughly $961,000 in early 2026.
~$191K median income
Median household income in Wilmette was about $190,662 as of recent Census estimates.
What’s close
Wilmette stretches west from its Lake Michigan beaches and harbor, with the Green Bay Road and Sheridan Road corridors carrying the Metra line and threading together the downtown business district, the Baha'i Temple, and the lakefront parks.
- Baha'i House of Worship
- A nine-sided domed temple at 100 Linden Avenue on Sheridan Road, a National Historic Landmark open to visitors of all faiths.
- Gillson Park and Beach
- About 60 acres of Lake Michigan shoreline with a swimming beach, a sailing beach, and a harbor along the village's eastern edge.
- Downtown Wilmette and Plaza del Lago
- The central business district sits along the Metra line, with the lakeside Plaza del Lago, one of the nation's oldest shopping centers, on Sheridan Road.
- Linden CTA Terminal
- The northern terminus of the CTA Purple Line at 349 Linden Avenue, giving Wilmette a direct rapid-transit connection toward Chicago.
- Wilmette Metra Station
- The Union Pacific North line station at 722 Green Bay Road, with inbound trains reaching downtown in roughly 27 to 31 minutes.
- Centennial Recreation Complex
- A park-district campus on Old Glenview Road with ice rinks, a tennis club, and the Centennial Family Aquatic Center.
What it’s actually like to live here
Life in Wilmette revolves around family and schools. Demand for housing here is driven heavily by the strength of the public schools, with Wilmette Public Schools District 39 serving roughly 3,500 K-8 students across neighborhood elementary schools before they feed into the acclaimed New Trier Township High School District 203. That reputation, combined with leafy residential streets and a low poverty rate, makes the village a magnet for families who want top schools within commuting distance of the city. The housing stock skews strongly toward single-family ownership, with a homeownership rate near 88 percent, and apartment buildings remain comparatively rare.
The other half of Wilmette life is the lakefront and downtown. Gillson Park's roughly 60 acres of beach, harbor, and green space anchor summer recreation, while the Centennial complex adds ice rinks, tennis, and an aquatic center year-round. Residents can walk to a compact downtown for dining and shopping, browse the lakeside Plaza del Lago, or visit the Baha'i House of Worship and its gardens. With a median household income near $191,000 and median property values well above the national average, Wilmette delivers an affluent, walkable, North Shore lifestyle with easy Metra and CTA access to Chicago.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Wilmette 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 Wilmette.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- D39Grades K-8
Wilmette Public Schools District 39
Schools serving the area
- Central Elementary
- Harper Elementary
- McKenzie Elementary
- Highcrest Middle School
- Wilmette Junior High School
Serves most of Wilmette. Roughly 3,500 students attend neighborhood K-4 elementary schools, then Highcrest for grades 5-6 and Wilmette Junior High for 7-8, before feeding into New Trier.
- D37Grades K-8
Avoca School District 37
Schools serving the area
- Avoca West Elementary
- Marie Murphy School
Serves western parts of Wilmette along with portions of Glenview, Northfield, and Winnetka, and also feeds into New Trier. Confirm the elementary district by exact address.
- D203Grades 9-12
New Trier Township High School District 203
Schools serving the area
- New Trier High School (Winnetka campus)
- New Trier High School (Northfield freshman campus)
The high school district for Wilmette. Both the District 39 and District 37 elementary districts feed into New Trier.
From the neighborhood
Around Wilmette
Real local creators on TikTok. Tap a tile to play it right here.
Cheers! Thats a rap on the season! Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us this year!! 🥳🥂 (its grape juice) #weddings #events #banquethall #huntley #fyp
@pinecrest.golf.cl#huntley #tacos locos
@tacosdelbarrio01Behind the Masks… an Unforgettable Night 🎭✨ From start to finish, Adult Prom brought the energy! The night kicked off at the pre-game party at @D.C. Cobb's , where the vibes were already flowing. Th
@huntleyparkdistrictHow to get to @QahwaCaféatHuntleys #fyp #viral #coffee @Qahwa Café at Huntleys
@mosidatfakechef1Around town
What there is to do in Wilmette.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Culture
Baha'i House of Worship
A nine-sided domed temple and National Historic Landmark on Sheridan Road, open free to visitors of all faiths, with surrounding ornamental gardens.
- Parks
Gillson Park and Lakefront
About 60 acres of Lake Michigan shoreline with a swimming beach, sailing beach, picnic areas, and trails along the village's eastern edge.
- Family
Centennial Recreation Complex
A park-district campus with the Centennial Ice Rinks, the Wilmette Tennis Club, and the Centennial Family Aquatic Center.
- Shopping
Plaza del Lago
A lakeside shopping center on Sheridan Road and one of the oldest in the nation, with shops, dining, and Spanish-revival architecture.
- Culture
Wilmette Historical Museum
A free local-history museum at 609 Ridge Road, jointly run by the village and the Wilmette Historical Society, exploring the community's past.
- Parks
Wilmette Harbor and Sheridan Shore
A Lake Michigan harbor next to the Baha'i property, home to the Sheridan Shore Yacht Club and a hub for North Shore sailing.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Wilmette.
MetraUP-N line
- Stations: Wilmette
- Terminal: Chicago Ogilvie
- Distance: 14 miles to downtown Chicago
DriveBy car
- Routes: Sheridan Road · Green Bay Road · Lake Avenue · I-94 / Edens Expressway (via Skokie)
- O'Hare Airport: ~22 min
- Chicago Loop: ~25 min
By the numbers
Wilmette taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
1.90%
effective avg
Sales tax
10.00%
combined
Median sold price
$1,087,500
MRED · last 12 mo (388 sales)
Median household income
$190,662
ACS
How Wilmette got here
A bit of history.
Wilmette takes its name from Antoine Ouilmette, an early French-Canadian settler whose family received a federal land reservation in the area in the 1820s. The Potawatomi had lived along these wooded lakeshore bluffs before being removed by treaties in the 1820s and 1830s, after which the Ouilmette family eventually left and their children petitioned the federal government for permission to sell the land. The community was officially incorporated as the Village of Wilmette on September 19, 1872, with John Westerfield elected as the first village president. The arrival and expansion of railroad service, including the double-tracking of the Chicago and Milwaukee line through Wilmette by the early 1890s, knit the village into Chicago's growing commuter network and helped turn it into a North Shore suburb.
Through the early twentieth century Wilmette took on its modern character. The village established an official swimming beach at the foot of Lake Avenue in 1914, today's Gillson Beach, and electric interurban and streetcar service connected residents to the city, with the North Shore Line serving Wilmette from 1899 until 1955. Construction of the Baha'i House of Worship began in 1920 on Sheridan Road, and though it took decades to complete, the temple was finally dedicated on May 2, 1953, and remains the oldest surviving Baha'i House of Worship in the world. Postwar decades brought further change, including the 1942 annexation of the former 'No Man's Land' district, the redevelopment that produced the Plaza del Lago shopping center, and the consolidation of CTA rapid transit at the Linden terminal.
The questions buyers actually ask
Wilmette FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Wilmette. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- What school districts serve Wilmette?
- Most of Wilmette is served by Wilmette Public Schools District 39 for grades K through 8, with western parts in Avoca School District 37. Both feed into the highly regarded New Trier Township High School District 203 for grades 9 through 12. Because a few western addresses fall in District 37, confirm the elementary district per address before writing an offer.
- How is the commute from Wilmette to downtown Chicago?
- Wilmette has two rail options. The Metra Union Pacific North line runs from the Wilmette station to Ogilvie Transportation Center in roughly 27 to 31 minutes, and the CTA Purple Line terminates at the Linden terminal for a direct rapid-transit ride toward the city. Driving to the Loop takes about 25 minutes off-peak.
- Are property taxes high in Wilmette?
- Yes. As a Cook County North Shore community, Wilmette carries a high property tax burden, with an effective rate around 1.9 percent, well above the national median. Always confirm by pulling the actual tax bill for the specific address.
- How much do homes cost in Wilmette?
- Wilmette is one of the pricier North Shore markets. Zillow's home value index for the village was roughly $961,000 in early 2026, and the housing stock runs from historic lakefront homes to mid-century and newer construction.
- Where should I look first when house-hunting in Wilmette?
- Buyers often start near downtown Wilmette and the Metra station for walkability, the streets east of Green Bay Road toward the lake for premium lakefront and CTA access, and west Wilmette for newer construction. The right block often comes down to which elementary school you want, so tell a Subdiview agent what matters most.
- Can the public visit the Baha'i Temple?
- Yes. The Baha'i House of Worship at 100 Linden Avenue is open free of charge to visitors of all faiths, with public gardens, a visitor center, and devotional services. It is a National Historic Landmark and the oldest surviving Baha'i House of Worship in the world.
- Is there public beach access on Lake Michigan?
- Yes. Gillson Park offers about 60 acres of lakefront with a swimming beach, a sailing beach, and a harbor, operated by the Wilmette Park District. Seasonal beach access typically requires a park-district beach token or daily fee.
Nearby
Towns next to Wilmette.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the places that border Wilmette.
Your local agent
Joe knows Wilmette
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
- Wilmette 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