O'Neil Property Group
The Knolls is DeKalb’s southwest-side staple — a 1990s-to-2000s community south of Lincoln Highway and west of Annie Glidden Road where single-family homes, duplexes, and townhomes share the same streets, giving three different budgets a way into one neighborhood.
The Knolls grew up on DeKalb’s southwest side from 1993 through 2007 — south of Lincoln Highway (Route 38) and west of Annie Glidden Road, on streets like Knolls Street West and Knolls Avenue South. What makes it unusual for DeKalb is the product mix: detached single-family homes, duplex halves, and townhome-style units were built side by side, spanning everything from a 952-square-foot attached unit to 3,650-square-foot singles. That mix is the neighborhood’s superpower — first-time buyers, move-up families, and downsizers all shop the same streets.
Because of that variety, quoting one price for The Knolls misleads. MLS-fed sources put recent closed sales between about $222K and $417K: the attached and duplex product trades in the $220Ks-to-$290s band, mainstream singles cluster around a $309K median, and the largest homes have cleared $400K. Reported association fees run $0 to about $140 a month — the detached homes generally carry none, while some attached sections do — so we confirm the obligation on every listing, because two homes a block apart can differ completely.
One disambiguation: Knolls at Prairie Creek is a separate, adjacent early-2000s community with its own pricing (median around $310K per MLS-fed sources). Listings and even some data sites blur the two, so it pays to know which one you’re actually touring. Amenities reported for The Knolls include a pond, park, sidewalks, and street lights, and average property taxes have run around $4,400 — modest for the space, in keeping with DeKalb’s overall value story.
Pricing reflects The Knolls sales and MLS-fed sources as of late summer 2026.
The entry door: duplex halves and townhome-style units from 952 square feet, trading in the $220Ks-to-$290s. Some carry a modest association fee, others none at all — a distinction worth five minutes of diligence.
See listings →Three- to four-bedroom detached homes from the community’s 1990s and 2000s phases — the neighborhood’s core product, with a recent median around $309K per MLS-fed sources.
See listings →The biggest Knolls singles — up to about 3,650 square feet — have closed past $400K, competing with Heatherstone and Devonaire Farms for DeKalb’s move-up buyers.
See listings →A dedicated The Knolls listings feed is coming soon. In the meantime, search every active DeKalb listing—updated in real time from the MLS—or call or text Kealan at 630-381-4995 for current The Knolls availability, including homes not yet on the market.
Singles, duplexes, and townhomes share the neighborhood — which means residents can downsize or move up without leaving it, and buyers at very different budgets end up neighbors.
Reported amenities include a pond, park space, sidewalks throughout, and street lights — the standard planned-community package from the neighborhood’s era.
The neighborhood sits a short drive from NIU’s campus without absorbing its daily traffic — close enough for university employees, separate enough for everyone else.
Annie Glidden Road runs straight south to its I-88 interchange — the southwest side’s direct tollway ramp — and Route 38 carries you downtown in minutes.
The Knolls is served by DeKalb Community Unit School District 428, with Lincoln Elementary and Huntley Middle School commonly associated per MLS-fed sources. Attendance boundaries can change — verify the current assignment for any specific address.
Commonly associated with Knolls addresses per MLS-fed sources — confirm current assignment with the district.
The south-side middle school, commonly associated with the neighborhood — verify by address.
The district high school for the city, on the north side off Dresser Road.
Route 38 puts downtown DeKalb — the Egyptian Theatre, restaurants, and Lincoln Highway’s shops — about five minutes east. NIU’s campus is equally close, and the Sycamore Road retail corridor about ten minutes.
Annie Glidden Road reaches its own I-88 interchange minutes south of the neighborhood — no cross-town driving to start the commute. The Fox Valley runs 30–40 minutes, Naperville about 45.
Drive roughly 25 minutes to the Elburn Metra terminus for UP-West service into Ogilvie (about 70 minutes), or take I-88 — about 65 miles to the Loop.
We track The Knolls sale by sale—pricing, associations, and what’s coming to market. Get real answers before you buy or list.