Chicago/Compare
Lincoln Park vs West Town
Lincoln Park and West Town are two official community areas in Chicago. Lincoln Park is the calmer Part I map (58 vs 26). Walk is a wash (25 vs 29). West Town has the lower ACS median ($2,055).
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 | Lincoln Park | West Town |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 58 | 26 |
| Schools | 100 | 53 |
| Walk | 25 | 29 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 25 | 20 |
| Median rent | $2,128 | $2,055 |
| Median home | $724,714 | $612,626 |
| Population | 67,987 | 83,491 |
| Commute to The Loop | 20 min | 28 min |
| Commute to North Side | 6 min | 26 min |
| Commute to West Loop | 40 min | 19 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Lincoln Park | West Town |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 55% | 58% |
| Median age | 31.9 | 33.2 |
| Median income | $149K | $141K |
| Part I per 1k | 32.8 | 47.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 24 | 35 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 176 | 300 |
| Parks / 800m | 272 | 145 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,288 | 708 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Chicago city. Up 50% since 2014. Linc Pk is 48% above the 2024 city median. W Town is 43% 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 Lincoln Park if the school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 100 vs 53. Safety is 58 vs 26. Lincoln Park is tagged family on this map; West Town is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West Town if you want the cafes and the night. Vibe is 20 vs 25. Read both pages before you decide.
Lincoln Park
Zoo, zoo-adjacent rents, and DePaul. The park is the brand; the side streets are the product.
$2,128 median rent · safety 58 · walk 25
West Town
Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village live inside this community area. Division Street energy, brick two-flats behind it.
$2,055 median rent · safety 26 · walk 29
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Lincoln Park or West Town?
West Town is the lower ACS median: $2,128 vs $2,055. About 58% rent in West Town vs 55% in Lincoln Park. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Lincoln Park more walkable than West Town?
Walk is basically a tie (25 vs 29). Count groceries if you care: 24 in Lincoln Park vs 35 in West Town, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Lincoln Park or West Town?
Lincoln Park is the calmer Part I read (58 vs 26). Combined rate 32.8 vs 47.2 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Lincoln Park or West Town?
Lincoln Park leads the school axis (100 vs 53). Nearby rating is 8.8 / 10 vs 7.4 / 10. Median age 31.9 vs 33.2. West Town has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to The Loop?
20 minutes from Lincoln Park to The Loop, 28 from West Town. Lincoln Park is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community area that is not Lincoln Park or West Town: Near North Side. River North restaurants, Gold Coast towers, Streeterville walks to the lake. Official name is the community area — search the nicknames.
Scores are relative among official Chicago community areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.