Chicago/Compare
Lincoln Square vs Uptown
Lincoln Square and Uptown are two official community areas in Chicago. Lincoln Square is the calmer Part I map (84 vs 47). Uptown wins the errand count. Uptown has the lower ACS median ($1,326).
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 | Uptown |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 84 | 47 |
| Schools | 80 | 33 |
| Walk | 5 | 17 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 4 | 14 |
| Median rent | $1,576 | $1,326 |
| Median home | $473,031 | $331,132 |
| Population | 41,651 | 56,344 |
| Commute to The Loop | 51 min | 37 min |
| Commute to North Side | 38 min | 22 min |
| Commute to West Loop | 46 min | 49 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Lincoln Square | Uptown |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 59% | 71% |
| Median age | 37.1 | 37.4 |
| Median income | $92K | $74K |
| Part I per 1k | 21.7 | 33.6 |
| Groceries / 800m | 14 | 24 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 143 | 185 |
| Parks / 800m | 60 | 188 |
| 311 last 14 days | 342 | 352 |
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. Uptown is 8% below 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 school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 80 vs 33. Safety is 84 vs 47. Lincoln Square is tagged family on this map; Uptown is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Uptown if the shorter ride to The Loop is the point and you want the errands on foot. 37 vs 51 minutes to The Loop. Walk is 17 vs 5. ACS median rent is $1,326 vs $1,576. 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
Uptown
Argyle, the Uptown Theatre, and a lakefront that never quite gentrified all the way. Density without Lake View prices.
$1,326 median rent · safety 47 · walk 17
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Lincoln Square or Uptown?
Uptown is the lower ACS median: $1,576 vs $1,326. About 71% rent in Uptown vs 59% in Lincoln Square. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Lincoln Square more walkable than Uptown?
Uptown wins the errand count (walk 5 vs 17). Groceries inside 800 meters: 14 vs 24. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Lincoln Square or Uptown?
Lincoln Square is the calmer Part I read (84 vs 47). Combined rate 21.7 vs 33.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Lincoln Square or Uptown?
Lincoln Square leads the school axis (80 vs 33). Nearby rating is 8.2 / 10 vs 6.8 / 10. Median age 37.1 vs 37.4. Uptown 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, 37 from Uptown. Uptown is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community area that is not Lincoln Square or Uptown: North Center. Roscoe Village strollers and high home values. Quiet streets with a short hop to the river.
Scores are relative among official Chicago community areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.