Chicago/Compare
Lincoln Square vs North Center
Lincoln Square and North Center are two official community areas in Chicago. North Center is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 84). Walk is a wash (5 vs 3). Lincoln Square has the lower ACS median ($1,576).
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 Square | North Center |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 84 | 100 |
| Schools | 80 | 90 |
| Walk | 5 | 3 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 4 | 4 |
| Median rent | $1,576 | $1,847 |
| Median home | $473,031 | $733,385 |
| Population | 41,651 | 36,014 |
| Commute to The Loop | 51 min | 42 min |
| Commute to North Side | 38 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 | Lincoln Square | North Center |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 59% | 43% |
| Median age | 37.1 | 36 |
| Median income | $92K | $147K |
| Part I per 1k | 21.7 | 17.7 |
| Groceries / 800m | 14 | 19 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 143 | 121 |
| Parks / 800m | 60 | 48 |
| 311 last 14 days | 342 | 301 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Chicago city. Up 50% since 2014. Linc Sq is 9% above 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 Lincoln Square if the rent gap is the point. ACS median rent is $1,576 vs $1,847. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick North Center if you want the cafes and the night and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Vibe is 4 vs 4. Safety is 100 vs 84. Schools score 90 vs 80. Read both pages before you decide.
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
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, Lincoln Square or North Center?
Lincoln Square is the lower ACS median: $1,576 vs $1,847. About 59% rent in Lincoln Square vs 43% in North Center. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Lincoln Square more walkable than North Center?
Walk is basically a tie (5 vs 3). Count groceries if you care: 14 in Lincoln Square vs 19 in North Center, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Lincoln Square or North Center?
North Center is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 84). Combined rate 17.7 vs 21.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Lincoln Square or North Center?
North Center leads the school axis (90 vs 80). Nearby rating is 8.5 / 10 vs 8.2 / 10. Median age 36 vs 37.1. Lincoln Square has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to The Loop?
51 minutes from Lincoln Square 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 Lincoln Square or North Center: Irving Park. Bungalows, the Blue Line, and a calmer northwest. Less scene than Logan, more yard.
Scores are relative among official Chicago community areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.