Chicago/Compare
Humboldt Park vs Near West Side
Humboldt Park and Near West Side are two official community areas in Chicago. Humboldt Park is the calmer Part I map (32 vs 5). Near West Side wins the errand count. Humboldt Park has the lower ACS median ($1,353).
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 | Humboldt Park | Near West Side |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 32 | 5 |
| Schools | 0 | 40 |
| Walk | 4 | 65 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 0 | 55 |
| Median rent | $1,353 | $2,013 |
| Median home | $334,190 | $483,709 |
| Population | 56,153 | 68,165 |
| Commute to The Loop | 47 min | 37 min |
| Commute to North Side | 46 min | 40 min |
| Commute to West Loop | 18 min | 6 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Humboldt Park | Near West Side |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 59% | 65% |
| Median age | 32.4 | 32.3 |
| Median income | $59K | $121K |
| Part I per 1k | 40.4 | 74.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 19 | 40 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 164 | 404 |
| Parks / 800m | 44 | 622 |
| 311 last 14 days | 431 | 477 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Chicago city. Up 50% since 2014. Humbldt is 6% below the 2024 city median. W Loop is 40% 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 Humboldt Park if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 32 vs 5. ACS median rent is $1,353 vs $2,013. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Near West Side if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 65 vs 4. Vibe is 55 vs 0. Schools score 40 vs 0. Read both pages before you decide.
Humboldt Park
The park is enormous; the streets around it are still working-class. Safety scores tell you to weight it honestly.
$1,353 median rent · safety 32 · walk 4
Near West Side
Fulton Market restaurants, United Center nights, and new towers. Property crime follows the dinner rush.
$2,013 median rent · safety 5 · walk 65
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Humboldt Park or Near West Side?
Humboldt Park is the lower ACS median: $1,353 vs $2,013. About 59% rent in Humboldt Park vs 65% in Near West Side. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Humboldt Park more walkable than Near West Side?
Near West Side wins the errand count (walk 4 vs 65). Groceries inside 800 meters: 19 vs 40. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Humboldt Park or Near West Side?
Humboldt Park is the calmer Part I read (32 vs 5). Combined rate 40.4 vs 74.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Humboldt Park or Near West Side?
Near West Side leads the school axis (40 vs 0). Nearby rating is 7.0 / 10 vs 5.8 / 10. Median age 32.3 vs 32.4. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to The Loop?
47 minutes from Humboldt Park to The Loop, 37 from Near West Side. Near West Side is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community area that is not Humboldt Park or Near West Side: Logan Square. The boulevard, the farmers market, and Bucktown on the eastern edge. North-west Chicago's walkable default.
Scores are relative among official Chicago community areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.