Washington is the biggest of Peoria's eastside suburbs and the one buyers most often misunderstand — partly because three different elementary districts serve one city, and partly because the price you see quoted depends entirely on which number someone is quoting. Below: the numbers, with the discrepancies explained rather than buried.
If you search for Washington home prices you will find numbers ranging from roughly $175,000 to nearly $300,000 [2], and all of them are technically correct. They measure different things.
The one to anchor on is the median sale price of roughly $227,000 [1]. Asking prices skew high because expensive homes sit on the market longer and pile up in the active inventory. Zillow's index skews low because it values every house in the ZIP, including ones nobody would list this year.
Homes in 61571 are spending a median of about 35 days on the market [2]. That is a functioning, moderately paced market — not the frenzy of 2021, and not a stall.
| Figure | Amount | What it actually measures |
|---|---|---|
| Median list price | ~$299,000 | What sellers are asking, July 2026 |
| Median sale price | ~$227,300 | What buyers actually paid, ZIP 61571 |
| Average sold price | ~$225,400 | Year-to-date average, early 2026 |
| Zillow home value index | ~$204,300 | Modeled value of all homes, ZIP 61571 |
This is the single most common source of confusion for families moving to Washington, and it is worth getting right before you write an offer.
Washington has three separate elementary and middle school districts [5], and which one your children attend depends on your specific address — not on the city limits:
All three feed into a single high school: Washington Community High School District 308 [5], which serves about 1,451 students.
That high school district is genuinely strong. SchoolDigger ranks it 58th of 813 Illinois districts with a five-star rating [3]. Math proficiency runs 47% against a 27% state average, and reading 45% against 30% [3]. U.S. News places Washington Community High School 72nd in Illinois [4].
Two houses on opposite sides of the same street can sit in different elementary districts. We confirm the assigned schools for every property before you write an offer — never assume from the listing sheet.
| Washington District 50 | Two schools · ~605 students |
| Central District 51 | Serves a portion of the Washington area |
| Washington District 52 | Two schools · ~837 students |
Washington sits roughly 10 miles east of Peoria [6], across the Illinois River. The average resident commute is 19.3 minutes — shorter than both Dunlap and the national average — and 84.4% of residents drive to work, with essentially no public transit use.
Drive times are typical off-peak estimates and vary with traffic and starting point within the city.
| Destination | Approx. drive |
|---|---|
| Downtown Peoria | ~18–22 min |
| OSF Saint Francis Medical Center | ~20 min |
| Caterpillar East Peoria campus | ~12–15 min |
| Peoria International Airport | ~25–30 min |
The Peoria Area Association of Realtors reported more than 1,720 homes sold between April and June 2026 — up 14.6% on the same quarter last year — with the average sale price climbing 8% to nearly $220,000.
The number that matters for Washington sellers: regional inventory ran more than 40% higher than a year earlier. More competition on the shelf means presentation, pricing and marketing decide which houses move. That is a change from the last three years, and it is the reason the $70,000 gap between list and sale price above is worth taking seriously.
The median sale price in ZIP 61571 is approximately $227,300 [2], with a year-to-date average sold price near $225,400. Homes were listed at a median of roughly $299,000 in July 2026 — that higher figure is asking prices, not closed sales.
Three elementary districts serve Washington — District 50, Central District 51, and District 52 — and which applies depends on your address. All three feed Washington Community High School District 308 [5], ranked 58th of 813 Illinois districts with a five-star SchoolDigger rating.
About 10 miles east [6], across the Illinois River. Average commute is 19.3 minutes [6].
A median of roughly 35 days on market. Regional inventory is up more than 40% year over year, so well-priced and well-presented homes are separating from the rest more sharply than they did a year ago.
Population is about 15,852 [6], median household income $95,179 — well above the $67,195 Peoria metro figure — and the poverty rate is 5.13%. It's the largest of the affluent Peoria suburbs and has the shortest commute of the group.
The Ashley Home Team — Bryce Ashley, Illinois license 475.182580, at eXp Realty — serves Washington and Tazewell County, and can be reached at 309-397-6982. Washington is served by three separate elementary districts feeding one high school district, so the assigned schools for a given address are worth confirming before an offer, and quoted 'median price' figures differ depending on whether they describe list or sold prices.
118 active listings in Washington as of 20 August 2026 — prices, reductions and open houses update continuously on the feed.
View all 118 Washington listingsOpens the searchable MLS feed on eXp Realty.
We will send comparable sales for your street — no obligation.
Call 309-397-6982