39Alpha

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL Housing Market Brief

metro · IL · score computed September 2026

Buyer's

What is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL’s Alpha Score?

The Alpha Score is a composite 0–100 index of market strength, a weighted blend of five dimensions. See the methodology.

Price Momentum20%
●83
Inventory Health25%
●13

Population band 5 of 5 (population 278,335–19,798,537) · comparable within its band

Affordability20%
●37
Economic Strength20%
●25
Rental Yield15%
●45

Where is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL in its market cycle?

EmergingGrowingMaturePeakingDecliningRecovering

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL is classified as Declining — cooling, with scores declining over recent months. This is a classification of recent (1–12 month) momentum, not a price forecast.

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL housing market data

MetricValueYoY
Median Days on Market36 days▼ -2.7%

Markets like Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL

Frequently asked questions

Is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL a buyer's or seller's market?

In the scores computed September 2026, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL is classified as a Buyer's Market, based on its Alpha Score of 39 out of 100. The classification reflects current price, building, affordability, economic, and rental-yield conditions.

How affordable is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL scores 37 out of 100 on affordability — relatively unaffordable relative to local incomes and prevailing mortgage rates compared with other metros.

What's driving Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL's Alpha Score?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL's strongest dimension is Price Momentum (83/100) and its weakest is Inventory Health (13/100). The Alpha Score is a weighted blend of all five dimensions.

Want the live, interactive view of Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL? Open the full market dashboard — charts, ZIP-level drill-down, and watchlist tracking. Explore the map or read the methodology.