66fit
Near North Side
$2K median rent
River North restaurants, Gold Coast towers, Streeterville walks to the lake. Official name is the community area — search the nicknames.
NightlifeWaterfrontPlannedWalk 72Safety 21
Chicago/Loop
75fit
Loop
Official community area: Loop
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · CPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM Aug 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Offices, Grant Park, and the L looping overhead. Walk scores max out; evening quiet depends on which block.
the loopdowntown chicago
Best in Chicago for familiesWalkable ChicagoUnder $2,500 rent
Why this score
Safety
0
485 violent · 3639 property · 96.9 per 1k (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)-50 vs city set
Schools
23
Rating 6.5 / 10 nearby-25 vs city set
Walk
100
OSM: 33 groceries · 88 cafes · 295 transit · 1284 parks+79 vs city set
Cost
90
$2,447 ACS median vs your rent budget-9 vs city set
Vibe
100
OSM: 88 cafes · 334 restaurants · 54 bars · 1284 parks+81 vs city set
Commute to work
From Loop, a typical weekday is 6 min to The Loop, 20 min to North Side, 37 min to West Loop. Not live traffic.
The Loop is the fastest of these three job centers from here.
The Loop
6 min
Offices, Grant Park · -31 min vs the city-set median · fastest of these three
North Side
20 min
Lincoln Park, hospitals · -16 min vs the city-set median
West Loop
37 min
Fulton Market · at the city-set median
Minutes are baked from neighborhood geography to three job centers — not Google, not this hour’s traffic.
Cost of living
ACS median gross rent is $2,447 across all occupied rental units — studios through large apartments mixed together, not a live 1-bed or 2-bed quote.
That is 25% of median household income — under the 30% HUD cost-burden line. A household at this area’s median income ($118K) could “afford” about $2,953 a month at 30% of gross pay.
68% of households rent. Median home value is $460,482.
ACS median rent
$2,447
30% income budget
$2,953
Rent / income
25%
Median home
$460,482
HUD treats 30% of gross household income as the cost-burden line. We do not split ACS median rent into 1-bed vs 2-bed — that table is all occupied rental units. Method.
Within a walk
Inside the official community area or within 800 meters of its centroid, OpenStreetMap maps 33 groceries, 88 cafes, 1284 parks, and 295 transit stops.
Daily errands and coffee are realistic on foot. Parks are close — 1284 mapped parks in that radius. Transit is dense (295 stops or stations).
88 cafes and 334 restaurants make this one of the busier food pockets in the Chicago set.
Counts from OpenStreetMap, 800 m. Not a Walk Score license. Groceries here beat 15 of 19 other areas in this city set.
Population
42,550
Median age
31.6
Median income
$118K
Renters
68%
Bachelor+
84%
Violent / 1k
11.4
Property / 1k
85.5
ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · 6 census tracts · CPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM 2026-08-31
NightlifePlanned
Crime is CPD Part I reports per 1,000 ACS residents — not a judgment of who lives here. Home and rent figures are ACS medians, not live MLS. Read the method.
On the ground
What it is like to live here, beyond the scores.
Offices, Grant Park, Millennium Park, and the L looping overhead. Walk scores max out; evening quiet depends on which block, and many blocks empty after 7. Crime counts are visitor counts. This is a place to live if your life is the job and the lakefront path at lunch.
Groceries have improved with the residential conversions; they are still not a neighborhood bakery belt. Weekends can feel like a campus between conventions. Weight walk. Compare to Near South Side if you want newer towers and the museum campus, or to Near North if you want restaurants after dark.
Compiled from Zillow neighborhood guides, 5280 Magazine, Chicago and San Francisco resident guides, Mpls With Love, Eastside LA reporting, and local coverage, 2025–2026. Editorial — not part of the fit score.
Common questions
Answers from the same ACS, crime, and OSM figures on this page.
Is Loop safe?
On this map Loop has a higher Part I rate than most Chicago community areas in the set (safety 0 vs city 50). CPD logged 11.4 violent and 85.5 property incidents per 1,000 ACS residents — 96.9 combined. Rates mix residents and visitors. They are not a judgment of who lives here.
What is rent in Loop?
ACS median rent is $2,447. Median home value is $460,482. About 68% of households rent. These are survey medians, not this week's listings.
Is Loop walkable?
Walk scores 100 here vs 21 for the Chicago set — groceries, cafes, and transit stack up inside 800 meters. OpenStreetMap counts within 800 meters: 33 groceries, 88 cafes, 295 transit stops, 1284 parks.
Is Loop good for families?
Nightlife and visitor traffic show up in the amenity mix — not the quietest family default. Nearby school rating is 6.5 / 10. Median age is 31.6.
How long is the commute from Loop?
Typical weekday minutes to The Loop: 6. Not live traffic. Open the neighborhood page for the other job centers in Chicago.
How many people live in Loop?
About 42,550 residents, median income $118K, 84% with a bachelor's or higher. ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · CPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM.
What neighborhoods are next to Loop?
Closest on this map: Near South Side, Near North Side, Hyde Park. Compare Loop vs Near South Side if you are deciding between two official community areas.
Next door
Adjacent on the community area map, ranked with your weights.
Loop vs Near South SideLoop vs Near North SideLoop vs Hyde Park
52fit
Lincoln Park
$2K median rent
Zoo, zoo-adjacent rents, and DePaul. The park is the brand; the side streets are the product.
Family streetsWaterfrontNightlifeWalk 25Safety 58
46fit
Near South Side
$2K median rent
South Loop towers facing the museum campus. Newer, rental-heavy, and a walk to the lake that skips Mag Mile.
WaterfrontPlannedWalk 21Safety 68
33fit
Hyde Park
$2K median rent
The university sets the tone: bookstores, the Point, and a lakefront that feels like another city.
WaterfrontFamily streetsWalk 5Safety 16
24fit
Douglas
$1K median rent
Bronzeville history on the official Douglas map. Boulevards, new builds, and a short ride to the Loop.
PlannedWalk 2Safety 11