Trade: What will the median home value in Chicago be on May 31?
Resolution criteria on PolyGram: This market will resolve according to the median home value for all property types in Chicago on May 31, 2026. If the reported value falls exactly between two brackets, then this market will resolve to the higher range bracket. The resolution source will be official data from the Parcl Labs Sales Price Index for Chicago, IL (Parcl_ID: 2899845). The settlement price will be calculated by multiplying the published price index value (price per square foot) by 1500 square feet, which is the median home size in Chicago. Parcl is set to publish this data on May 31, 2026.
PolyGram is an on-chain prediction market where you trade YES or NO outcome shares with real USDC on Polygon. For this market, buy YES if you believe the event will happen, or NO if you think it won't. Your maximum loss is your stake — winning shares pay $1.00 each at resolution. Unlike sportsbooks, there is no house edge: prices are set by supply and demand from other traders and reflect the crowd's real-time probability.
- Liquidity
- $399
- Total Volume
- $279
- 24h Volume
- —
- Open Interest
- $279
Market outcomes
| <344k | 40% YES | 60% NO |
| 345 - 347k | 21% YES | 80% NO |
| 348 - 349k | 10% YES | 90% NO |
| 351 - 353k | 8% YES | 93% NO |
| 344 - 345k | 12% YES | 89% NO |
| 347 - 348k | 10% YES | 91% NO |
| 349 - 351k | 9% YES | 91% NO |
| >353k | 6% YES | 94% NO |
Market context
Chicago's median home value will be determined by Parcl Labs' Sales Price Index on 31 May 2026, with the settlement price calculated as the price-per-square-foot index multiplied by 1,500 square feet. The current order book on Polymarket implies a 23% probability that the median will fall within the specified bracket, reflecting substantial uncertainty about price movements over the next eighteen months in one of America's largest housing markets.
Historical context suggests Chicago's housing market has demonstrated resilience but with notable volatility. From 2020 to 2023, median home values in the Chicago metropolitan area increased approximately 25–30%, though growth has moderated considerably since mid-2023 as mortgage rates stabilised at higher levels. The city's market typically tracks broader Midwest trends, which have underperformed coastal markets during recent cycles. Current pricing reflects a market that has absorbed rate increases without severe distress, though inventory levels and affordability constraints remain structural headwinds.
Key catalysts through May 2026 include Federal Reserve policy decisions, which will influence mortgage rates and buyer demand; employment trends in Chicago's financial and professional services sectors; and broader macroeconomic conditions affecting household formation and migration patterns. Recent data from the National Association of Realtors (January 2025) indicated stabilisation in national median home prices, though regional variation persists. The 23% implied probability suggests traders anticipate either modest appreciation or potential contraction, with significant probability mass assigned to alternative brackets reflecting genuine disagreement about Chicago's trajectory relative to historical norms.
Wikipedia Context
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Real estate appraisal
Real estate appraisal, home appraisal, property valuation or land valuation is the process of assessing the value of real property. The appraisal is conducted by a licensed appraiser. Real estate transactions often require appraisals to ensure fairness, accuracy, and financial security for all parties involved.
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Median voter theorem
In political science and social choice, Black's median voter theorem says that if voters and candidates are distributed along a one-dimensional political spectrum, any Condorcet consistent voting method will elect the candidate preferred by the median voter. The median voter theorem thus shows that under a realistic model of voter behavior, Arrow's theorem d
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Median household income in Australia and New ZealandMedian household income is commonly used to measure the relative prosperity of populations in different geographical locations. It divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more.
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Medical home
The medical home, also known as the patient-centered medical home or primary care medical home (PCMH), is a team-based health care delivery model led by a health care provider to provide comprehensive and continuous medical care to patients with a goal to obtain maximal health outcomes. It is described as "an approach to providing comprehensive primary care
How this market resolves
Resolution is handled by the UMA optimistic oracle on Polygon. A proposer submits the outcome, a two-hour dispute window opens, and if no one stakes a counter-claim the payout is final. Contested outcomes escalate to UMA token-holder voting. Payouts clear in USDC to the winning side.
How to trade this market step by step
The mechanics for trading "What will the median home value in Chicago be on May 31?" are the same as any other PolyGram event contract. Each YES share resolves to $1 if the event happens, or $0 if it doesn't. The current price between 0¢ and 100¢ is the market's probability estimate, set live by the order book.
- Sign in on polygram.ink with your email — no full KYC under $1,500 lifetime trading volume.
- Deposit USDC on Polygon (lowest fees, ~$0.01 per transaction) or Ethereum. Funds credit after 12 confirmations.
- Pick a side. Buy YES if you believe the event will happen; buy NO if you think it won't. The current YES price reflects the market's collective probability.
- Size your position. If you stake 100 USDC at 50% YES, you'll receive shares that pay $200 if YES resolves true — a 100% gross return. If NO resolves, your shares are worth $0.
- Set risk controls (optional). Stop-loss, take-profit, and limit-order types all supported. Use the trade ticket's slippage box to cap your maximum entry price.
- Wait for resolution. When the event resolves on-chain via the UMA optimistic oracle, the winning side settles to 100¢ automatically and USDC hits your balance within seconds. Withdrawable to any wallet you control.
How active is this market?
$279 in lifetime turnover and $399 of resting liquidity puts this market in the below the median by volume for economy contracts on PolyGram. Order-book depth is thin — large orders may need to be split across the book or executed as limit orders.
The market has been open for under a month — fresh enough that information asymmetry remains a real factor.
Higher-volume markets tend to have tighter spreads and faster price discovery — meaning the displayed YES/NO percentages are more likely to reflect the true crowd-implied probability rather than a single trader's directional view.
Key terms
- YES / NO share
- A binary outcome token that pays $1.00 if the underlying claim resolves true (YES) or false (NO), and $0 otherwise. The market price between 0¢ and 100¢ is the implied probability.
- CLOB
- Central limit order book. The matching engine that pairs YES buyers with NO buyers (effectively the same trade). Polymarket's CLOB on Polygon executes trades on-chain via the conditional-tokens framework.
- Liquidity
- USDC capital sitting in resting limit orders inside the order book. Deeper liquidity means smaller slippage on large trades and a tighter bid-ask spread.
- UMA optimistic oracle
- The on-chain dispute system that settles each Polymarket market. A proposer submits the outcome, a two-hour challenge window opens, and unchallenged proposals finalise the resolution.
- Slippage
- The difference between the displayed mid-price and your fill price. Affects market orders most; limit orders avoid slippage but may take time to fill.
- Conditional token
- ERC-1155 outcome share issued by Gnosis Conditional Tokens on Polygon. The token type that resolves to $1.00 or $0.00 at settlement.
Frequently asked questions
How does this market resolve?
Resolution is handled by the UMA optimistic oracle on Polygon. A proposer submits the outcome, a 2-hour dispute window opens, and if uncontested the payout is final. Contested outcomes escalate to UMA token holders.
When does this market close?
This prediction market is scheduled to close on 31 May 2026. After the resolving event occurs, settlement typically clears within 24 hours once the UMA optimistic oracle confirms the outcome. All payouts are in USDC on the Polygon network.
How can I trade on "What will the median home value in Chicago be on May 31?"?
To trade on this prediction market, create a free PolyGram account at polygram.ink, deposit USDC via Polygon, and place a YES or NO order on the outcome you believe in. You can learn more on our how-it-works page. Your maximum loss is limited to your stake — there is no leverage or margin.
What happens when the market resolves?
When the outcome is determined, winning YES shares pay out $1.00 each in USDC, while losing shares pay $0. Settlement is handled by the UMA optimistic oracle on Polygon — a proposer submits the result, a two-hour dispute window opens, and if uncontested, payouts are distributed automatically. You can withdraw your winnings to any Polygon wallet.
Risk and regulatory note
Prediction-market positions can lose 100% of staked capital. Outcomes are uncertain by definition — historical accuracy of crowd-implied probabilities is high in aggregate but not for any single market. PolyGram does not provide investment advice. Trade only with capital you can afford to lose.
Regulatory status varies by jurisdiction. Germany, the United States, and most EU countries treat Polymarket-style event contracts under one of three frameworks: financial derivative, gambling product, or unregulated novel asset. Consult local counsel before trading.
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