Published October 18, 2026 in Market Update

One part of Evanston stayed tight even with more listings

By Thurston Gayle

Real estate, Evanston

Nationally, Realtor.com counted price cuts on 20.8% of listings in September 2026, the highest share since October 2022. Evanston did not follow that script in every ZIP code. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted homes across three ZIP codes for the three months ending August 31, 2026, and the numbers tell three different stories.

ZIP 60203: the tightest corner of Evanston

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 21 homes sold in ZIP 60203 in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 50% from the same months of 2025. Supply fell to 1.5 months, down 0.9 months from a year before. Homes went under contract in a median of 34 days, 7 days shorter than last year.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows the average sale price in ZIP 60203 came in at 104.3% of list price. More than half of homes, 57.1%, sold above asking. That share rose 28.5 points from a year before. More listings came in, up 16.7%, yet supply still fell. Buyers absorbed the new inventory.

ZIP 60201: more listings, but buyers kept up

ZIP 60201 is the largest of the three by volume. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 159 homes sold there in the three months ending August 31, 2026, down 3% from a year before. New listings rose 5.5%, and homes for sale rose 10.3%. Supply reached 1.9 months, up 0.3 months. That is still a tight market.

Nearly half of homes in ZIP 60201 sold above list price. The Real Estate Data Aggregator puts the average sale-to-list ratio at 104.1%, up 2 points from a year before. Pending sales rose 5.4%. More competition from new listings, but not a soft market.

ZIP 60202: a price dip worth understanding

ZIP 60202 tells a different story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 97 homes sold in the three months ending August 31, 2026, down 14.2% from a year before. The median sale price fell 14%, to $400,000. That is a real dip, and it matters if you own there.

Even with that price drop, more than half of homes in ZIP 60202 sold above list. The Real Estate Data Aggregator puts the sale-to-list ratio at 103%. Pending sales held flat. The price move may reflect the mix of homes that sold, not a collapse in demand. One block can read very differently from the ZIP as a whole.

How the three ZIP codes compare

What the national picture adds

Nationally, Realtor.com reported mortgage rates climbed above 7% for the first time since January 2025. CNBC reported that the average contract rate for 30-year fixed mortgages with conforming loan balances reached 7.50%. Fannie Mae, as reported by CNBC, forecast a 30-year fixed rate of 7.4% in the fourth quarter of 2026 and 7.5% through 2027.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. Evanston's ZIP 60203 and ZIP 60201 both beat that national figure by a wide margin, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator.

CNBC reported pending home sales were down 8.5% year over year nationally in September, according to Zillow. In ZIP 60201, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted pending sales up 5.4% over the same period. In ZIP 60202, pending sales held flat. The local picture and the national picture are not the same.

These numbers cover the three months ending August 31, 2026. One street can read very differently from the ZIP code around it. If you want to know where your block sits, send me your address.