Chicago/Compare
Hyde Park vs Near South Side
Hyde Park and Near South Side are two official community areas in Chicago. Near South Side is the calmer Part I map (68 vs 16). Near South Side wins the errand count. Hyde Park has the lower ACS median ($1,544).
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 | Hyde Park | Near South Side |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 16 | 68 |
| Schools | 73 | 47 |
| Walk | 5 | 21 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 9 | 26 |
| Median rent | $1,544 | $2,403 |
| Median home | $422,682 | $462,687 |
| Population | 20,071 | 30,482 |
| Commute to The Loop | 19 min | 12 min |
| Commute to North Side | 35 min | 27 min |
| Commute to West Loop | 40 min | 38 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Hyde Park | Near South Side |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 64% | 50% |
| Median age | 29.5 | 35.4 |
| Median income | $70K | $124K |
| Part I per 1k | 62.2 | 29.8 |
| Groceries / 800m | 9 | 9 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 101 | 93 |
| Parks / 800m | 127 | 408 |
| 311 last 14 days | 107 | 97 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Chicago city. Up 50% since 2014. Hyde Pk is 7% above the 2024 city median. S Loop is 67% 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 Hyde Park if the rent gap is the point and the school rating nearby is the point. ACS median rent is $1,544 vs $2,403. Schools score 73 vs 47. Hyde Park is tagged family on this map; Near South Side is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Near South Side if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the cafes and the night. Safety is 68 vs 16. Vibe is 26 vs 9. Walk is 21 vs 5. Read both pages before you decide.
Hyde Park
The university sets the tone: bookstores, the Point, and a lakefront that feels like another city.
$1,544 median rent · safety 16 · walk 5
Near South Side
South Loop towers facing the museum campus. Newer, rental-heavy, and a walk to the lake that skips Mag Mile.
$2,403 median rent · safety 68 · walk 21
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Hyde Park or Near South Side?
Hyde Park is the lower ACS median: $1,544 vs $2,403. About 64% rent in Hyde Park vs 50% in Near South Side. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Hyde Park more walkable than Near South Side?
Near South Side wins the errand count (walk 5 vs 21). Groceries inside 800 meters: 9 vs 9. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Hyde Park or Near South Side?
Near South Side is the calmer Part I read (68 vs 16). Combined rate 29.8 vs 62.2 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Hyde Park or Near South Side?
Hyde Park leads the school axis (73 vs 47). Nearby rating is 8.0 / 10 vs 7.2 / 10. Median age 29.5 vs 35.4. Near South Side has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to The Loop?
19 minutes from Hyde Park to The Loop, 12 from Near South Side. Near South Side is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community area that is not Hyde Park or Near South Side: Loop. Offices, Grant Park, and the L looping overhead. Walk scores max out; evening quiet depends on which block.
Scores are relative among official Chicago community areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.