Chicago/Compare
Irving Park vs Lincoln Square
Irving Park and Lincoln Square are two official community areas in Chicago. Irving Park is the calmer Part I map (95 vs 84). Lincoln Square wins the errand count. Irving Park has the lower ACS median ($1,406).
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 | Irving Park | Lincoln Square |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 95 | 84 |
| Schools | 50 | 80 |
| Walk | 0 | 5 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 0 | 4 |
| Median rent | $1,406 | $1,576 |
| Median home | $481,485 | $473,031 |
| Population | 53,332 | 41,651 |
| Commute to The Loop | 63 min | 51 min |
| Commute to North Side | 53 min | 38 min |
| Commute to West Loop | 46 min | 46 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Irving Park | Lincoln Square |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 49% | 59% |
| Median age | 37 | 37.1 |
| Median income | $93K | $92K |
| Part I per 1k | 17.8 | 21.7 |
| Groceries / 800m | 15 | 14 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 122 | 143 |
| Parks / 800m | 26 | 60 |
| 311 last 14 days | 379 | 342 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Chicago city. Up 50% since 2014. Irving is 2% below the 2024 city median. Linc Sq is 9% 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 Irving Park if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 95 vs 84. ACS median rent is $1,406 vs $1,576. Vibe is 0 vs 4. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Lincoln Square if the school rating nearby is the point and the shorter ride to The Loop is the point. Schools score 80 vs 50. 51 vs 63 minutes to The Loop. Read both pages before you decide.
Irving Park
Bungalows, the Blue Line, and a calmer northwest. Less scene than Logan, more yard.
$1,406 median rent · safety 95 · walk 0
Lincoln Square
Ravenswood porches and a German plaza. The family read of the North Side without giving up a Brown Line stop.
$1,576 median rent · safety 84 · walk 5
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Irving Park or Lincoln Square?
Irving Park is the lower ACS median: $1,406 vs $1,576. About 49% rent in Irving Park vs 59% in Lincoln Square. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Irving Park more walkable than Lincoln Square?
Lincoln Square wins the errand count (walk 0 vs 5). Groceries inside 800 meters: 15 vs 14. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Irving Park or Lincoln Square?
Irving Park is the calmer Part I read (95 vs 84). Combined rate 17.8 vs 21.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Irving Park or Lincoln Square?
Lincoln Square leads the school axis (80 vs 50). Nearby rating is 8.2 / 10 vs 7.3 / 10. Median age 37.1 vs 37. Irving Park has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to The Loop?
63 minutes from Irving Park to The Loop, 51 from Lincoln Square. Lincoln Square is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community area that is not Irving Park or Lincoln Square: Avondale. The next stop past Logan. Still industrial edges, still cheaper, still a Belmont bus.
Scores are relative among official Chicago community areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.