Chicago/Compare
Irving Park vs North Center
Irving Park and North Center are two official community areas in Chicago. North Center is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 95). Walk is a wash (0 vs 3). 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 | North Center |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 95 | 100 |
| Schools | 50 | 90 |
| Walk | 0 | 3 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 0 | 4 |
| Median rent | $1,406 | $1,847 |
| Median home | $481,485 | $733,385 |
| Population | 53,332 | 36,014 |
| Commute to The Loop | 63 min | 42 min |
| Commute to North Side | 53 min | 31 min |
| Commute to West Loop | 46 min | 36 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Irving Park | North Center |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 49% | 43% |
| Median age | 37 | 36 |
| Median income | $93K | $147K |
| Part I per 1k | 17.8 | 17.7 |
| Groceries / 800m | 15 | 19 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 122 | 121 |
| Parks / 800m | 26 | 48 |
| 311 last 14 days | 379 | 301 |
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. N Ctr is 28% 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 rent gap is the point. ACS median rent is $1,406 vs $1,847. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick North Center if the school rating nearby is the point and the shorter ride to The Loop is the point. Schools score 90 vs 50. 42 vs 63 minutes to The Loop. Vibe is 4 vs 0. 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
North Center
Roscoe Village strollers and high home values. Quiet streets with a short hop to the river.
$1,847 median rent · safety 100 · walk 3
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Irving Park or North Center?
Irving Park is the lower ACS median: $1,406 vs $1,847. About 49% rent in Irving Park vs 43% in North Center. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Irving Park more walkable than North Center?
Walk is basically a tie (0 vs 3). Count groceries if you care: 15 in Irving Park vs 19 in North Center, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Irving Park or North Center?
North Center is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 95). Combined rate 17.7 vs 17.8 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Irving Park or North Center?
North Center leads the school axis (90 vs 50). Nearby rating is 8.5 / 10 vs 7.3 / 10. Median age 36 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, 42 from North Center. North Center is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community area that is not Irving Park or North Center: 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.