Westmont and Wheaton Lead, Clarendon Hills Slips Again: Your July 2026 Western Suburbs Price Report
If you own a home in the western suburbs, July brought more good news: values are still climbing across nearly all of DuPage County. But the spread between the strongest and weakest markets keeps widening — and that’s exactly why the headlines you read about “the market” rarely tell you what’s happening on your street.
I pulled the July 2026 numbers for detached single-family homes across 13 communities, comparing each against the same month last year. Here’s what the data actually shows.
The Big Picture
Of the 13 communities I track, 12 posted higher average sale prices than July of last year. Two crossed into double digits. Only one — Clarendon Hills — came in below where it was a year ago, and it’s now the second month in a row (more on that below).
Here’s the full breakdown, sorted by year-over-year growth:
Community July 2026 Avg. Sale Price Year-Over-Year
Westmont $512,984 +10.6%
Wheaton $674,939 +10.3%
Hinsdale $1,805,717 +7.0%
Villa Park $408,108 +6.5%
Elmhurst $882,462 +6.5%
Downers Grove $697,688 +6.5%
Lombard $450,045 +6.0%
Glen Ellyn $782,296 +5.7%
Warrenville $445,595 +5.5%
West Chicago $458,129 +3.9%
Naperville $796,216 +3.2%
Oak Brook $1,388,714 +1.5%
Clarendon Hills $982,797 −3.2%
Source: InfoSparks / MRED, detached single-family homes, July 2026 vs. July 2025.
The Standouts
Westmont and Wheaton are the only double-digit markets this month. Westmont at +10.6% and Wheaton at +10.3% have both been consistent top performers all year, and neither is a fluke.
Westmont’s story is value. Buyers who get priced out of Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, or Downers Grove keep discovering that Westmont delivers a lot of home for the money — and that competition is pushing prices up month after month.
Wheaton is the opposite story: it’s not the value play, it’s the destination. Top-rated schools, a walkable downtown, and Metra access into the city. When demand is high and quality inventory is tight, this is what happens.
Hinsdale posted a strong +7.0% — notable because luxury markets often move slower in the summer when high-end buyers are traveling. At $1.8 million average, that’s meaningful appreciation at the top of the market.
The Steady Middle
Here’s what stood out to me this month: how tightly clustered the middle of the pack is.
Villa Park (+6.5%), Elmhurst (+6.5%), and Downers Grove (+6.5%) all landed on exactly the same number — despite Villa Park averaging $408K and Elmhurst averaging $882K. Add Lombard (+6.0%), Glen Ellyn (+5.7%), and Warrenville (+5.5%), and you’ve got six communities across a $475,000 price spread all appreciating at roughly the same rate.
That’s a healthy sign. It means the growth isn’t concentrated in one price tier — buyers are active at the entry level, the mid-market, and the premium end simultaneously.
The Slower Movers
West Chicago (+3.9%) and Naperville (+3.2%) both posted solid but more measured gains.
Naperville deserves a note. It’s the largest market on this list, and at a $796,216 average it’s holding strong. Big markets move at a steadier pace almost by definition — more transactions means more averaging out. That stability is a feature, not a weakness.
Oak Brook came in at +1.5%, the lowest positive number in the group. Like Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills, it’s a lower-volume luxury market where a handful of sales can swing the average significantly in either direction. One month of modest growth at a $1.39 million average isn’t a trend — it’s a data point.
What’s Going On in Clarendon Hills?
Clarendon Hills is down again — −3.2% to an average of $982,797, following a −3.9% reading last month. Two consecutive negative months is worth paying more attention to than one.
That said, the fundamentals here still point to a mix issue more than a market issue. Clarendon Hills is a small, high-end community where a limited number of sales determines the entire average. If last summer saw a few $1.5M+ closings and this summer skewed toward homes in the $800Ks, the average drops — even if every individual home sold for a strong price.
Two months in a row makes it worth watching. It does not make it a decline. What it does make clear is that if you own in Clarendon Hills, the town-wide average tells you almost nothing about your own home. The comps on your block tell you everything.
The Real Lesson Here
The most important takeaway from this data isn’t any single town’s number — it’s the spread between them.
A +10.6% market and a −3.2% market sit about ten minutes apart. Homes averaging $408,000 and homes averaging $1.8 million are appreciating at rates within a point and a half of each other. “The DuPage market” isn’t one thing. It’s thirteen distinct micro-markets, each with its own pace, price point, and buyer pool.
That’s why regional headlines can be so misleading. Whether you’re thinking about selling, buying, or just want a clear read on your equity position, the number that matters is the one for your community, your price range, and your street.
If you’d like a specific breakdown for your home or neighborhood, I’m always happy to put one together — no pressure, no obligation. Just reach out.
— Nick Chiaramonte
Northwest Real Estate Group | Your Chicago & Suburbs Real Estate Expert
📩 nick@sellwithnickc.com
📸 @realtornickc
🌐 realtornickc.com
