Most town comparisons are written about people. This one is written about houses, because that’s the part you’re actually buying and the part that can be measured.
Below is what each western suburb offers in housing stock, what a typical home costs, and what the tax bill looks like. If you need four bedrooms and a yard, or a walk to the train, or a single-storey floor plan, this tells you where those exist and what they run.
How we put this together
Typical home values are Zillow’s Home Value Index for July 2026, pulled 7 September 2026. That’s a measure of typical value for all homes in a town, not an average sale price. Effective property tax rates are 2025 county figures via Ownwell; Illinois averages about 2.30% and the national figure is about 1.02%. Housing stock descriptions come from our own work in these towns. Verify any specific home’s taxes and assessment with the county before you offer.
We don’t rank towns and we don’t describe who lives in them. Both are the buyer’s business, not ours, and characterising communities by their residents is exactly what fair housing law exists to prevent.
The eight-town picture
| Town | Typical home value | Effective tax rate | What the housing stock is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hinsdale | $1,282,503 | 1.75% | Village-scale lots clustered around a walkable downtown, heavy teardown and rebuild activity, large new construction south of the tracks |
| Oak Brook | $1,003,334 | 1.33% | Large lots, often half an acre and up, mid-century estates alongside newer builds, no traditional downtown, lowest tax rate in the group |
| Western Springs | $904,552 | 1.97% | Older housing stock on village lots, walkable to the train, substantial renovation activity |
| Burr Ridge | $863,499 | 1.74% | Subdivision-style lots, many built 1980s onward, larger square footage per dollar than the village towns |
| Clarendon Hills | $697,430 | 1.96% | Smaller lots than Hinsdale with similar architecture, compact walkable centre, strong rebuild market |
| Naperville | $629,473 | 2.05% | The widest range in the region, from townhomes to large new subdivisions, a genuine downtown and the Riverwalk |
| Glen Ellyn | $584,435 | 2.35% | Older character homes near Lake Ellyn and downtown, wide price spread, highest tax rate in this group |
| Downers Grove | $513,663 | 1.85% | The broadest entry range, three train stations, north side rebuilds running well above the village-wide figure |
What the numbers mean in practice
The tax rate matters more than people plan for. Oak Brook at 1.33% and Glen Ellyn at 2.35% are a full percentage point apart. On a $700,000 home that’s about $7,100 a year, every year. A cheaper house in a higher-rate town can cost more to hold. Run your own numbers with the tax estimator.
Lot size and price move independently. Oak Brook and Western Springs sit within about $100,000 of each other on typical value, but they’re completely different products: half-acre-plus lots with no downtown versus village lots you can walk from. Neither is better. They answer different questions.
The village towns charge for walkability. Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Western Springs and La Grange all price a walk to the train and a downtown into the number. If that isn’t something you’ll use, you’re paying for it anyway.
If you need a specific thing
The most space per dollar
Burr Ridge and south Downers Grove generally deliver the largest square footage and lot for the money among these towns. Subdivision-built stock from the 1980s and 1990s is where that value sits.
Walk to the train
Downers Grove has three stations, which is unusual. Clarendon Hills, Western Springs, La Grange and Hinsdale all have compact centres built around one.
Newer construction
Naperville’s southern and western subdivisions, Burr Ridge, and the rebuild pockets in Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills and north Downers Grove.
The lowest entry price
Downers Grove and Wheaton have the broadest entry ranges in the cluster. Glen Ellyn has a wide spread, with older stock at the lower end.
Larger lots
Oak Brook and Burr Ridge, comfortably. Half an acre is common in both and rare in the village towns.
Common questions
Which town should I choose?
That depends on what you need from a house and how you’ll actually spend your week, and it’s your call rather than ours. What we can do is show you what exists at your number in each town and tell you honestly what you’d be giving up in each case.
Why don’t you compare the schools here?
Because district boundaries don’t follow town lines, so the town-level comparison is misleading. We’ve mapped which district covers which town separately: which district serves each western suburb.
Is the typical value the same as the average sale price?
No. Zillow’s index measures typical value across all homes in a town, including those not for sale. Actual sale prices in a given quarter can differ substantially, especially in towns with heavy teardown activity.
How much does a teardown change the picture?
Considerably, in Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills and north Downers Grove. In those markets a share of what’s selling is being bought for the lot, which pulls the typical value figure and the sale price figures apart.
Next step
Tell us the streets you’re considering and what you need from a house, and we’ll give you a straight read on the housing stock, the price history and the trade-offs. Start here.
Related reading: the property tax estimator and DuPage school districts by address.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index, July 2026, pulled 7 September 2026. Tax rates: 2025 county figures via Ownwell. Next review: March 2027.
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