Chicago/Compare
Logan Square vs Near South Side
Logan Square and Near South Side are two official community areas in Chicago. Near South Side is the calmer Part I map (68 vs 42). Walk is a wash (22 vs 21). Logan Square has the lower ACS median ($1,823).
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 | Logan Square | Near South Side |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 42 | 68 |
| Schools | 60 | 47 |
| Walk | 22 | 21 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 14 | 26 |
| Median rent | $1,823 | $2,403 |
| Median home | $630,156 | $462,687 |
| Population | 72,375 | 30,482 |
| Commute to The Loop | 43 min | 12 min |
| Commute to North Side | 37 min | 27 min |
| Commute to West Loop | 24 min | 38 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Logan Square | Near South Side |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 61% | 50% |
| Median age | 32.9 | 35.4 |
| Median income | $113K | $124K |
| Part I per 1k | 33.9 | 29.8 |
| Groceries / 800m | 44 | 9 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 235 | 93 |
| Parks / 800m | 113 | 408 |
| 311 last 14 days | 719 | 97 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Chicago city. Up 50% since 2014. Logan is 27% above the 2024 city median. S Loop is 67% 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 Logan Square if you want the cafes and the night and the rent gap is the point. Vibe is 14 vs 26. ACS median rent is $1,823 vs $2,403. Schools score 60 vs 47. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Near South Side if the shorter ride to The Loop is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. 12 vs 43 minutes to The Loop. Safety is 68 vs 42. Vibe is 26 vs 14. Read both pages before you decide.
Logan Square
The boulevard, the farmers market, and Bucktown on the eastern edge. North-west Chicago's walkable default.
$1,823 median rent · safety 42 · walk 22
Near South Side
South Loop towers facing the museum campus. Newer, rental-heavy, and a walk to the lake that skips Mag Mile.
$2,403 median rent · safety 68 · walk 21
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Logan Square or Near South Side?
Logan Square is the lower ACS median: $1,823 vs $2,403. About 61% rent in Logan Square vs 50% in Near South Side. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Logan Square more walkable than Near South Side?
Walk is basically a tie (22 vs 21). Count groceries if you care: 44 in Logan Square vs 9 in Near South Side, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Logan Square or Near South Side?
Near South Side is the calmer Part I read (68 vs 42). Combined rate 29.8 vs 33.9 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Logan Square or Near South Side?
Logan Square leads the school axis (60 vs 47). Nearby rating is 7.6 / 10 vs 7.2 / 10. Median age 32.9 vs 35.4. Near South Side has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to The Loop?
43 minutes from Logan Square to The Loop, 12 from Near South Side. Near South Side is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community area that is not Logan Square or Near South Side: West Town. Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village live inside this community area. Division Street energy, brick two-flats behind it.
Scores are relative among official Chicago community areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.