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| Same County. Two Markets. What 7.4% Rates Really Mean for Your DuPage Town.
For months the question in my inbox was "Should I wait?" This week it changed to "Is it over?"
I get why. Freddie Mac's 30-year average held at 7.40% this week, the highest in nearly three years, after seven straight weekly increases. A year ago it was 6.27%. That's a real hit to a buyer's monthly payment, and the headlines are treating it like the end of something.
So I pulled the single-family numbers for every town I work in. The short version: DuPage hasn't cracked. It has split.
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The county number: still up
Across DuPage County, the median single-family sale price is $437K, up 5.9% from a year ago. We have 1.5 months of supply. A balanced market is about six. Homes are selling for 99.5% of their original list price.
One thing to be straight about: these are rolling 12-month figures through September. Rates didn't cross 7% until late September, so October's numbers will show us more. I'll report them either way.
The split: tight in the core, room on the edges
Where seller still hold the cards
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- Winfield is the tightest in the corridor at 0.8 months of supply.
- Wheaton crossed a $500K median in August and is selling at 100.6% of original list.
- West Chicago has 12% fewer new listings than last year. Fewer homes, fewer sales, steady prices.
- Glen Ellyn is still selling above asking, at 101.0% of original list.
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Where buyers are getting some room
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- Lombard has the most supply of the group at 1.6 months. Inventory is up 22% and price growth slowed to 2.3%, from 7.5% the year before.
- Warrenville inventory is up 38%. Homes now average 33 days on market and sell at 99.4% of original list.
- Carol Stream homes are sitting about a week longer than last year (30 days, up from 23).
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None of these towns is a buyer's market. All of them are still well under six months of supply. But "seller's market" means something different in Lombard than it does in Winfield right now.
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Read the fine print on "prices are up 12%"
Here's a number that will get passed around: Winfield's median price is up 12% in a year. It's true. It's also misleading.
Winfield's price per square foot rose just 2.1%. The median jumped because more bigger, newer homes sold this year. That doesn't mean every Winfield home gained 12%. Lombard shows the reverse: a modest 2.3% median gain, but price per square foot up 5.5%, because smaller homes made up more of the sales.
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For buyers, this matters at the offer table. When a listing is priced like the headline number, check the per-square-foot trend for that town. And check the listing history: a home that was pulled and relisted shows a fresh "days on market" online, even if it's been for sale for weeks. Those two details can change what a smart offer looks like. |
Here's what I'd do
If you own in Winfield, Wheaton, West Chicago or Glen Ellyn: you still have leverage. But a buyer at 7.4% is watching every dollar of the payment. Price to the market, not to the headline. Overpricing is how a good house ends up relisted.
If you own in Lombard, Warrenville or Carol Stream: the first two weeks matter more than they did a year ago. Prep the house, price it right from day one, and expect a real negotiation. You'll still sell. You'll sell faster by being realistic early.
If you're not sure yet: get your actual number. Not the county median. Yours, based on your street and your square footage. Then decide.
Ask Andy
"Rates just hit 7.4%. Should I wait until they come down to sell?"
If your move is driven by life (a new job, a growing family, downsizing), I wouldn't try to time rates. Nobody can call them, me included. And when rates do drop, a lot of sellers who were waiting will list at the same time, so you trade a higher rate for more competition. If you're truly on the fence, waiting is fine. Just make that call with your real number in hand, not a guess.
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Find out what your home is worth in today's market: Get your free home value estimate
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THIS WEEK IN DUPAGE
Good neighborhoods are more than good numbers. Here's what's happening close to home this week.
- Sat, Oct 24 · 11 AM–2 PM · Wheaton Wellness Expo. Free, all ages, at the Downtown Wheaton Association office, 206 N. Main St. Local fitness, nutrition, chiropractic and mental-wellbeing exhibitors. Register free for a chance at a Downtown Wheaton gift card.
- Thu, Oct 22 · 5–7 PM · Help shape Wheaton's zoning. Drop-in kickoff open house for the city's Zoning Ordinance Update at Wheaton City Hall, 303 W. Wesley St. If you own in Wheaton, this is where future development and redevelopment rules start. Worth 20 minutes.
- Sat, Oct 24 · 9:30 AM–Noon · Glen Ellyn Halloween Festival & Parade. Gather at the Crescent/Glenwood lot; the parade steps off at 9:45. Trick-or-treating on Main St., costume contest, and costumed dogs welcome.
- Sat, Oct 24 · 1–3 PM · West Chicago Trunk-or-Treat & Downtown Trick-or-Treat. Free, at the West Chicago Public Library lot, 118 W. Washington St.
- Fri–Sat, Oct 23–24 · Lantern-Lit Halloween Hike, Warrenville. A 2-mile self-guided lantern hike at St. James Farm that ends at the fire. $10 per person; groups leave every 15 minutes, last group at 7:30 PM. Register online through ActiveNet or call 630-933-7248.
- Thu–Sat, Oct 22–24 · Spooky Trail, West Chicago. Haunted woods at Reed-Keppler Park. Thursday 7:30–9 PM, Friday and Saturday 7:30–10 PM. $15 presale, $18 at the door.
- All October · Wheaton Gives Back winter gear drive. Drop new or gently used coats, hats, scarves and gloves at nearly 30 downtown Wheaton spots (including the library and City Hall) for People's Resource Center.
- Coming up · Sat, Oct 31 · 10 AM–Noon. Downtown Wheaton Trick-or-Treating at dozens of local businesses.
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For business owners: the Wheaton Chamber's Business After Hours is Tuesday, Oct 20, 5–7 PM at The Picklr Wheaton.
Questions about your town, your street, or a house you're eyeing? I'm easy to reach, and I'll give you a straight answer on what the data says, without the spin.
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Andy Pupius REALTOR® · Southwestern Real Estate · CFSP · RENE · PSA · AHWD 773-294-0238 · apupius@southwestern.com Real estate built on relationships, not transactions. Straight answers. Steady hands. Every detail handled.
Sources: MRED / InfoSparks © 2026 ShowingTime (single-family, city-level, rolling 12 months through September 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, October 15, 2026.
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