Kenilworth is an extraordinarily distinctive town. Although real estate prices throughout Chicagoland are objectively high, it is Kenilworth (60043) that is the most expensive zip code in Illinois, and one of the most expensive zip codes in the entire United States. Have you ever wondered why homes in Kenilworth are so expensive? Or perhaps you’d like to know how Kenilworth architecture differs from that of Glenview and Winnetka?
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History of Kenilworth
Kenilworth is a relatively recent village – it was founded in 1889 on the private initiative of Joseph Sears, who purchased a large area of land on Lake Michigan. The concept behind the founder of this community was to settle wealthy Caucasians in high-quality homes on large lots. It was also assumed that there would be no alleys, making the development segregated from the beginning.
As Kenilworth was founded by a company (The Kenilworth Company), the village was advertised by professionals. The focus was very quickly on affluent customers, who were offered elegant brochures and overnight stays in the area being sold. Sears sold a huge portion of the land it owned within a year, offering it at four times the price of the surrounding area. Initially, the population grew relatively slowly – after 7 years, there were only 300 people living in Kenilworth, but it only took another 3 decades for the village’s population to reach today’s levels.
Kenilworth’s history has been rather quiet. From its inception, Kenilworth was formed by a homogeneous, small community of high social standing.
Architecture of houses in Kenilworth
The top-down planning of Kenilworth by Joseph Sears had a very favorable impact on the architecture of houses in the village. Ambitious urban planning, large plots of land and rich owners of the houses being built made it difficult to find an ugly or neglected building here.
If you are planning to buy a home here, you are likely to encounter 5 architectural styles – Tudor, Georgian, Colonial, Praire School and contemporary architecture. For many years, according to Sears’ conception, Kenilworth was supposed to draw from the style of English villages, and indeed, this is felt when you visit the oldest parts of this community. The name of the village is also inspired by Great Britain.
Tudor architecture
Generally speaking, Tudor architecture is becoming less and less popular. Many of the houses built in the early days of Kenilworth have already been demolished to make room for new, more contemporary buildings.
Georgian style
Georgian style you will recognize by its harmonious proportions and symmetrical layout. In Kenilworth, most buildings designed along these lines were built after World War II, mainly between 1945 and 1960. This classic and pleasing to the eye architectural style appears most often around Green Bay Road, a moderate distance from the lakeshore.
Colonial style
Colonial style is represented primarily by houses of relatively large size. They are practically always storied and elegant. Colonial architecture is spread fairly evenly throughout Kenilworth, as are its individual varieties, such as Dutch colonial, French colonial, colonial revival and cape cod, which is, however, much less common than in other cities
Praire School
Praire School houses are true architectural gems. Although there are relatively few of them, lovers of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work consider Kenilworth a special place on the Chicagoland map. The most famous example of this style is the Hiram Baldwin House at 205 Essex Road. It is very difficult to buy a house designed in this style.
Contemporary architecture
Contemporary architecture is slowly dominating Kenilworth. Every year the number of such houses increases, which is hardly surprising – the large amount of space and minimalist form are simply attractive to a large audience. However, to say that every new house built in Kenilworth represents modern architecture would be an abuse. You will easily find properties built between 2010 and 2025, whose style strongly resembles the canons of beauty that have been adopted for decades or even centuries.
Property Prices in Kenilworth
Property prices in Cook county have been very high for many years now, but Kenilworth stands out in this regard. According to Zillow, the average home price in Kenilworth is $1,817,730, up 7.5% from a year ago. The median price, on the other hand, is $2,300,000. However, the data available on the Internet is subject to a very large error – there are very few advertisements, so that a new listing appearing on popular portals can clearly affect the statistics.
As of the time of writing this article (March 2025), 13 houses for sale can be found on popular real estate listing sites. Only 3 of them are offered for less than $1,000,000, 2 of them are priced between $1,000,001 – $2,000,000, while the rest cost as much as $4,000,000. The high value of properties in the area is also a result of the area of the plots – often 0.3, 0.4 or even 0.5 acres.
A million-dollar house in Kenilworth
Properties worth around $1 million in Kenilworth are not very grand – they are often three-bedroom and two or three-bathroom houses that were built between 1920 and 1960. Usually, they are around 2,000 sqft, and the condition may not be perfect. As an exterior contractor from Kenilworth, we quite often help our clients not only assess the condition of the roof, siding, windows and other components, but also perform subsequent repairs or replacements.
To say that homes valued at less than $1 million in the 60043 zip code are in poor condition would be a major misnomer. Kenilworth homeowners usually have enough resources to take care of their properties – roofs, siding or patios are regularly maintained and, if necessary, repaired. Since land in this village has always been very expensive, it is difficult to encounter low-quality construction. As far back as 100 years ago, care was taken to ensure that everything was as solid and long-lasting as possible.
With a budget of $1,000,000, you will most likely be able to buy a rather nice 3-bedroom house in Kenilworth with about 2,000 sqft. The property will be no less than 60 years old and will be located on the west side of Green Bay Road. This is a more densely developed part of this village, where the lots are smaller and the houses are less grand. That doesn’t change the fact that you’ll still live in a very green neighborhood, less than 2 miles to the shore of Lake Michigan.
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A $2 million house in Kenilworth
With about $2 million to buy a property, you can browse a lot more listings. Homes of this value are already significantly larger, with square footage ranging from 3,000 sqft to as much as 4,500 sqft. They often have 4 bedrooms, and lots can be over 0.3 acres. They are rarely new, and were often built between 1900 and 1950.
The amount of $1,500,000 is the minimum you have to pay for a home on the east side of Green Bay Road. It is this part of Kenilworth that is considered the most exclusive place in Chicago’s North Shore. On streets such as Warwick Road, Kenilworth Avenue, Sheridan Road, Woodstock Avenue and Melrose Avenue are architectural gems that are fantastically preserved and very grand examples of styles such as Georgian revival and Colonial revival. Dutch Colonial and Praire School style houses are also found in places.
With about $2,000,000 to spend, you are able to buy a 4-bedroom home with more than 3,000 sqft. Your new acquisition will be in a great location and your neighborhood will be kept in excellent condition.
The Most Expensive Properties in Kenilworth
In writing this article, we decided to look at both current and historical real estate listings in Kenilworth. Demand for houses and lots in this village is so high that analyzing only active listings would not provide you with any meaningful information.
233 Sheridan Road – $11,700,000
According to Redfin, the most expensive property in Kenilworth is the house located at 233 Sheridan Road. The property worth more than $11,700,000 has 7 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms and 8,700 square feet. The 0.64-acre lot, theater room and indoor basketball court clearly suggest that this is a home for individuals. Surprisingly, the house is relatively new – it was built about six years ago.
40 Devonshire Lane – $9,800,000
The second most expensive property in Kenilworth is the property located at 40 Devonshire Lane. Lying adjacent to the house at 233 Sheridan Road, the $9,800,000 property was enticing primarily because of its huge plot of land. More than 2.2 acres of land provide an unparalleled level of privacy. An indoor pool, tennis court, guest house and 4-car garage were synonymous with luxury, while the classic interior design suggested the property’s rich past.
In 2009, the house was demolished. A new, much more impressive building was erected in its place. Estimating its value is impossible, as the current owner is particularly concerned about his privacy, but it is expected that it could be as much as $20,000,000. The size of the newly built house alone is very impressive – it covers an area of 150′ x 130′.
513 Sheridan Road -$8,840,000
The house located at 513 Sheridan Road, Kenilworth was relatively small – it was 3,921 sqft and had 4 bedrooms. As with the property located at 40 Devonshire Lane, this property was also demolished. This is another example of buying a property only to get an extremely attractive plot of land right on the lakeshore of 1.3 acres.
According to Zillow, the new house erected on this lot is worth a mere $3,765,000. However, this seems to us to be a mistake. The presence of extras such as a slate roof, copper k-style gutters and the huge amount of limestone used to finish both the house and the lot suggest that we are dealing with a much more expensive property. The plot of land, by the way, is an added bonus – no one would invest $8 million in land alone, only to sell it for half the price after building a house on it.
Why are Properties in Kenilworth so Expensive?
There are at least several reasons for this phenomenon.
Technical condition and aesthetics of homes
As a cedar roofing contractor operating in Kenilworth, we observe that homeowners in the village pay special attention to the aesthetics of their properties. Investing a great deal of resources in the maintenance and repair of homes means that even old buildings are kept in excellent condition. Solid windows, expensive materials and lack of defects make buyers able to pay more for their new home.
The average value of a property is also influenced by the area of plots of land. Although the implementation of Joseph Sears’ principles is no longer as rigorous as it was, for example, 100 years ago, the average land area in this village is above average. By having a large garden, you can unleash your creativity when it comes to arrangement, and thus create a comfortable space for your family.
Low crime rate
A very strong asset of this village is also its security. According to niche.com, the theft rate in Kenilworth is almost 7 times lower compared to the national average. Thefts are also about 85% less. Even when we juxtapose these statistics with the data available for Winnetka, we find that it is Kenilworth that records significantly less crime. The same source also shows that rapes, murders, robberies and assaults are not recorded in the 60043 zip code. People are willing to pay a lot of money for the feeling that they are safe.
High level of public services
Also worth mentioning is the high level of public services – according to Redfin, the quality of Joseph Sears School and New Tier Township High School Winnetka is at a very high level. The poor availability of public transportation, on the other hand, is not that much of a problem, since all residents of this village can afford cars. For the sake of argument, let’s add that the average commute time of residents in the 60043 zip code is 34.1 minutes, which is about 7 minutes more than the national average.
Demographics
Another undoubted advantage is demographics. Average household income in Kenilworth is $460,411 per year, while the median is $250,001 per year. By comparison, the average household in Chicago earns $108,346, while the median in Glenview is $199,761. The 60043 zip code is therefore a place where the accumulation of millionaires is above average. High incomes, a relatively high average age of the resident and a high average number of household residents (3.28) guarantee a quiet neighborhood – you’re likely to live right next door to a family with children.
Social connections
Living in Kenilworth is networking in a sense. 27% of employed residents in this village hold managerial positions, 21% of residents are involved in business & financial operations, lawyers make up 9.2% of the population, while doctors and medical professionals account for 7.8% of the population. It is difficult to find a place in Chicagoland where such a large proportion of adults occupy important and responsible positions in well-known companies.
Social trends
Let’s not kid ourselves – both Kenilworth and Winnetka are also simply trendy. Owning a home in a good neighborhood and close to Lake Michigan is a privilege that very few families can afford. Convenient distance to Chicago and Glenview, plenty of green space, very low crime and well-to-do neighbors make anyone with enough money want to live here.
Is Kenilworth, Il a Good Place to Live?
In our opinion, it definitely is.In addition to the aforementioned factors, such as safety, stunning architecture, the demographic structure of the local community and proximity to Chicago, the village’s undoubted advantage is tranquility – virtually all Kenilworth residents treat it as a place to hang out, so you won’t have to contend with the noises coming from the neighborhood.
On the other hand, the community is very homogeneous, which can be a disadvantage for some. However, property taxes, high cost of living and high mortgage payments mean that a large part of your income will go to cover various fees. If you are aware of this, however, you will most likely be happy with your new property.
