Fairview Heights IL Real Estate: Homes, Schools, and Local Guide

Fairview Heights is the retail center of the Illinois Metro East and has the shortest average commute of the communities around it. It is also the oldest housing stock, which is the single most useful thing a buyer can know before touring here.

About Fairview Heights, Illinois

Fairview Heights has a population of about 16,745 and roughly 8,179 housing units. The city calls itself the retail hub of Southern Illinois, with over 3 million square feet of retail, more than 100 restaurants, seven shopping centers and a super regional mall.

That mall is St. Clair Square, 1,067,610 square feet anchored by Macy’s, Dillard’s and JCPenney. The Fairview Heights MetroLink station on West Route 161 has 853 parking spaces, the largest park-and-ride on the Illinois side, and is the eastern terminus of the Blue Line.

Fairview Heights IL Real Estate Market Overview

Fairview Heights is where the entry level in this corridor actually lives. Nearly four in ten sales closed under $200,000.

What actually sold in Fairview Heights over the past 12 months:

• 213 homes closed between October 2025 and September 2026
• The median sale landed in the $200,000 to $250,000 range
• 39% sold for under $200,000
• 55% sold between $200,000 and $400,000
• 5% sold for more than $400,000

Source: MARIS MLS closed residential sales, October 2025 through September 2026. Single family, condominium, townhouse and villa only; rentals excluded. Pulled September 22, 2026.

Buying a Home in Fairview Heights, IL

The defining fact about buying in Fairview Heights is the age of the housing. The median year built is 1972 and 55.6% of all homes went up between 1950 and 1979. This is a post-war and 1960s to 70s suburb, with a smaller 2000s wave.

What to weigh before you make an offer in Fairview Heights:

• Budget for original-era systems. With a median build year of 1972, a majority of listings will have had at least one round of major system replacement due, or still pending. Inspect accordingly.
• Check the school district by address. Grant 110 and Pontiac-William Holliday 105 are the two main PK-8 districts and both are headquartered in the city, but the edges of town are not straightforward. See below.
• Retail proximity is the trade-off. Living near the Route 159 and St. Clair Square corridor buys convenience and costs quiet. Both are legitimate choices, but tour at a weekend peak before deciding.
• Only 3.8% of homes were built in 2010 or later, so new construction is genuinely scarce here compared with Shiloh or O’Fallon.
• Owner-occupancy is 69.6%, with single-family detached at 73.9% of the housing stock.

Schools in Fairview Heights, IL

Two PK-8 districts serve most of Fairview Heights, and both are headquartered in the city. The city itself does not publish a schools page, so the district that serves a given address should be confirmed directly rather than assumed.

The main PK-8 districts:

• Grant Community Consolidated School District 110: Illini Elementary (PK-4) at 21 Circle Drive and Grant Middle School (5-8) at 10110 Old Lincoln Trail, both in Fairview Heights
• Pontiac-William Holliday School District 105: William Holliday Elementary (PK-5) at 400 Joseph Drive and Pontiac Junior High (6-8) at 400 Ashland Avenue, both in Fairview Heights

High school:

• Belleville Township High School District 201, which operates Belleville East and Belleville West, serves most of the city

One caution worth more than any school statistic: addresses near the northeast and far western edges of Fairview Heights are not necessarily in these districts at all. Neighboring districts reach into the city’s edges, and one of them is a K-12 unit district, which would change high school as well as elementary. We are not printing those boundaries because we could not verify them against a primary source. If the house is near a city edge, confirm with the district before you make an offer.

Sources: federal Common Core of Data district and school directory, 2022 collection; Grant CCSD 110 and Pontiac-William Holliday SD 105 district sites. School assignment must be confirmed by parcel address.

Commuting from Fairview Heights

Fairview Heights has the shortest average commute of the Metro East communities we cover, helped by direct I-64 frontage and the largest park-and-ride in Illinois.

• Average one-way commute: 22.0 minutes, the shortest of the neighboring communities
• Drive alone to work: 79.4% of workers
• Interstate: directly on I-64, with the city citing 95,000 cars a day at Exit 12
• MetroLink: Fairview Heights station, 9720 West Route 161, 853 parking spaces, eastern terminus of the Blue Line and also served by the Red Line

Commute figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Traffic count: City of Fairview Heights economic development. Station details: Metro Transit.

Fairview Heights Lifestyle and Community

• The REC Complex, 9950 Bunkum Road: a zero-entry aquatic center with a four-lane pool, waterslide and splash zone, fitness equipment and classes, and Clip ‘N Climb climbing walls. A field house is currently under construction
• Moody Park, 525 South Ruby Lane: baseball fields, tennis courts, trails, pavilions and a dog park
• French Village Park, with a second dog park, and Old Lincoln Trail Park on Old Lincoln Trail
• Fairview Heights Public Library, 10017 Bunkum Road
• St. Clair Square and the surrounding retail corridor, which is why much of the region drives here on a Saturday
• Worth knowing before you tour: Pleasant Ridge Park is closed for renovation and is expected to reopen in 2026

Source: City of Fairview Heights parks and The REC pages; Fairview Heights Public Library.

Fairview Heights IL Real Estate: Common Questions

What school district is Fairview Heights, IL in?

Most of the city is served by one of two PK-8 districts, Grant Community Consolidated District 110 and Pontiac-William Holliday District 105, both headquartered in Fairview Heights, with Belleville Township High School District 201 for high school. The city does not publish a schools page, and addresses near the northeast and far western edges may fall into neighboring districts entirely, including one K-12 unit district. Confirm by parcel address with the district before making an offer.

How old are the homes in Fairview Heights, IL?

This is the key fact for buyers here. The median year built is 1972, and 55.6% of all homes were built between 1950 and 1979. Only 3.8% were built in 2010 or later. Expect post-war and 1960s to 70s construction, and budget for original-era systems. (Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024.)

How long is the commute from Fairview Heights to St. Louis?

Fairview Heights has the shortest average commute of the neighboring communities at 22.0 minutes one way, with 79.4% driving alone. The city sits directly on I-64 and its MetroLink station is the eastern terminus of the Blue Line with 853 parking spaces, the largest park-and-ride on the Illinois side. (Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024; Metro Transit.)

Why is Fairview Heights called the retail hub of the Metro East?

The city reports over 3 million square feet of retail, more than 100 restaurants, seven shopping centers and a super regional mall. That mall, St. Clair Square, is 1,067,610 square feet and is anchored by Macy’s, Dillard’s and JCPenney.

Is there new construction in Fairview Heights?

Very little. Only 3.4% of the housing stock was built between 2010 and 2019 and 0.4% in 2020 or later. Buyers who want new construction generally look to Shiloh or O’Fallon instead. (Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024.)

Work With Single Tree Team in Fairview Heights

Single Tree Team is Craig Ziegel, licensed in Illinois and Missouri since 2011 and brokered by eXp Realty. Fairview Heights is a town where the inspection matters more than the listing photos, because most of the housing is fifty years old or more. We walk buyers through what to check in this era of construction.

Ready to make a move in Fairview Heights? Call or text us at (223) 262-0988 or use the contact form below to get started with a free home valuation or buyer consultation.

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