Is the housing market slowing down in Cook County, IL?
Yes — sales activity in Cook County, IL is down. 4,963 homes sold during May 2026, against 5,211 in the same months a year earlier, a drop of 5%.
This page is about how many homes changed hands, not what they cost. The two move separately: prices are set by the homes that did sell, and volume tells you how many people managed to transact at all. A market can hold its prices while activity quietly drains out of it.
The change clears both tests we require before naming a direction: it is more than 3% in relative terms, and it is larger than the ordinary month-to-month variation you would expect on a market that sells 4,963 homes at a time.
The longer view, all measured over the May window so the season is held constant: 5,568 homes sold two years ago, 5,211 last year, 4,963 now. Activity is meaningfully below where it was two years ago.
What is on the shelf next to what is selling: 14,057 homes were on the market in Cook County, IL, and 4,963 sold. At that pace it would take about 2.8 months to clear them all. There are more buyers than homes for sale. Sellers have the edge.
Every comparison on this page is to the SAME calendar months a year earlier, never to last month. Home sales roughly double between January and May in most of the country, so a month-over-month reading would tell you about the season and nothing about the market.
Source: Redfin's published market data for the Cook County, IL area, through May 2026.
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More about the Cook County, IL market
- When is the best month to sell a house in Cook County, IL?
- How long does it take to sell a house in Cook County, IL?
- Do homes sell above asking price in Cook County, IL?
- Are home prices going up or down in Cook County, IL?
- Is Cook County, IL a buyer's market or a seller's market?
- Are sellers cutting prices in Cook County, IL?
- What is the average home price in Cook County, IL?
- How many homes are for sale in Cook County, IL?
- All Cook County, IL housing numbers
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- Is the housing market slowing down in Peoria, IL?
- Is the housing market slowing down in Rockford, IL?
- Is the housing market slowing down in Springfield, IL?
- Is the housing market slowing down in Champaign, IL?
- Is the housing market slowing down in Bloomington, IL?
Figures come from Redfin's published market data for the Cook County, IL area, through May 2026. Neighborhood Numbers is an independent data publisher and is not affiliated with Redfin. We update these pages when Redfin publishes, once a month.