Chicago/Compare
Edgewater vs Lake View
Edgewater and Lake View are two official community areas in Chicago. Edgewater is the calmer Part I map (79 vs 63). Lake View wins the errand count. Edgewater has the lower ACS median ($1,417).
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · CPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM Aug 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Scores
Fit axes among official Chicago community areas.
| Axis | Edgewater | Lake View |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 79 | 63 |
| Schools | 57 | 73 |
| Walk | 6 | 21 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 6 | 17 |
| Median rent | $1,417 | $1,879 |
| Median home | $353,190 | $522,707 |
| Population | 56,563 | 102,827 |
| Commute to The Loop | 44 min | 29 min |
| Commute to North Side | 29 min | 14 min |
| Commute to West Loop | 55 min | 44 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Edgewater | Lake View |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 63% | 63% |
| Median age | 39.2 | 32.7 |
| Median income | $74K | $114K |
| Part I per 1k | 22.0 | 31.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 21 | 31 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 130 | 246 |
| Parks / 800m | 70 | 91 |
| 311 last 14 days | 267 | 540 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Chicago city. Up 50% since 2014. Edge is 2% below the 2024 city median. Lk View is 30% above the 2024 city median.
Overlapping 5-year ACS windows (B25064), not asking rent. Census does not publish a rent series for each official neighborhood, so the line is the city place. Dashed marks are each area’s ACS 2024 median.
Which to pick
The same numbers as the table, in sentences. Nobody wins the city.
Pick Edgewater if the rent gap is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. ACS median rent is $1,417 vs $1,879. Safety is 79 vs 63. Edgewater is tagged family on this map; Lake View is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Lake View if you want the cafes and the night and the school rating nearby is the point. Vibe is 17 vs 6. Schools score 73 vs 57. Walk is 21 vs 6. Read both pages before you decide.
Edgewater
Andersonville's Clark Street sits inside this community area. Beach to the east, bakeries to the west.
$1,417 median rent · safety 79 · walk 6
Lake View
Wrigley, Broadway, and the lakefront path. Nightlife is the tax; the Red Line is the amenity.
$1,879 median rent · safety 63 · walk 21
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Edgewater or Lake View?
Edgewater is the lower ACS median: $1,417 vs $1,879. About 63% rent in Edgewater vs 63% in Lake View. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Edgewater more walkable than Lake View?
Lake View wins the errand count (walk 6 vs 21). Groceries inside 800 meters: 21 vs 31. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Edgewater or Lake View?
Edgewater is the calmer Part I read (79 vs 63). Combined rate 22.0 vs 31.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Edgewater or Lake View?
Lake View leads the school axis (73 vs 57). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 7.5 / 10. Median age 32.7 vs 39.2. Edgewater has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to The Loop?
44 minutes from Edgewater to The Loop, 29 from Lake View. Lake View is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community area that is not Edgewater or Lake View: Uptown. Argyle, the Uptown Theatre, and a lakefront that never quite gentrified all the way. Density without Lake View prices.
Scores are relative among official Chicago community areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.