59fit
Near West Side
$2K median rent
Fulton Market restaurants, United Center nights, and new towers. Property crime follows the dinner rush.
NightlifePlannedWalk 65Safety 5
Chicago/Lower West Side
31fit
Lower West Side
Official community area: Lower West Side
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · CPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM Aug 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Pilsen murals and 18th Street. The official name is Lower West Side; everyone searches Pilsen.
pilsenheart of chicago
Best in Chicago for familiesWalkable ChicagoUnder $2,500 rent
Why this score
Safety
37
235 violent · 1041 property · 38.1 per 1k (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)-13 vs city set
Schools
23
Rating 6.5 / 10 nearby-25 vs city set
Walk
7
OSM: 19 groceries · 17 cafes · 169 transit · 59 parks-14 vs city set
Cost
100
$1,370 ACS median vs your rent budget+1 vs city set
Vibe
4
OSM: 17 cafes · 71 restaurants · 17 bars · 59 parks-15 vs city set
Commute to work
From Lower West Side, a typical weekday is 47 min to The Loop, 54 min to North Side, 20 min to West Loop. Not live traffic.
West Loop is the fastest of these three job centers from here.
The Loop
47 min
Offices, Grant Park · +10 min vs the city-set median
North Side
54 min
Lincoln Park, hospitals · +18 min vs the city-set median
West Loop
20 min
Fulton Market · -17 min vs the city-set median · fastest of these three
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 $1,370 across all occupied rental units — studios through large apartments mixed together, not a live 1-bed or 2-bed quote.
That is 21% of median household income — under the 30% HUD cost-burden line. A household at this area’s median income ($77K) could “afford” about $1,931 a month at 30% of gross pay.
68% of households rent. Median home value is $359,114.
ACS median rent
$1,370
30% income budget
$1,931
Rent / income
21%
Median home
$359,114
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 19 groceries, 17 cafes, 59 parks, and 169 transit stops.
Daily errands and coffee are realistic on foot. Parks are close — 59 mapped parks in that radius. Transit is dense (169 stops or stations).
17 cafes and 71 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 8 of 19 other areas in this city set.
Population
33,446
Median age
34.7
Median income
$77K
Renters
68%
Bachelor+
42%
Violent / 1k
7.0
Property / 1k
31.1
ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · 11 census tracts · CPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM 2026-08-31
Nightlife
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.
The official name is Lower West Side; everyone searches Pilsen. 18th Street murals, Mexican restaurants that were not invented for a guidebook, and a housing stock of brick two-flats under pressure. University of Chicago’s neighborhood notes still call out the art and the music because they are the street, not a district overlay.
Gentrification is the local argument, not a headline from elsewhere. Tour 18th, then the residential streets south of it. Weight vibe and cost. The Pink Line is the commute. Safety is blockwise — do not flatten it to a community-area average and stop thinking.
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 Lower West Side safe?
On this map Lower West Side has a higher Part I rate than most Chicago community areas in the set (safety 37 vs city 50). CPD logged 7.0 violent and 31.1 property incidents per 1,000 ACS residents — 38.1 combined. Rates mix residents and visitors. They are not a judgment of who lives here.
What is rent in Lower West Side?
ACS median rent is $1,370. Median home value is $359,114. About 68% of households rent. These are survey medians, not this week's listings.
Is Lower West Side walkable?
Walk scores 7 here vs 21 for the Chicago set — you will likely drive or ride for daily errands. OpenStreetMap counts within 800 meters: 19 groceries, 17 cafes, 169 transit stops, 59 parks.
Is Lower West Side 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 34.7.
How long is the commute from Lower West Side?
Typical weekday minutes to The Loop: 47. Not live traffic. Open the neighborhood page for the other job centers in Chicago.
How many people live in Lower West Side?
About 33,446 residents, median income $77K, 42% with a bachelor's or higher. ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · CPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM.
What neighborhoods are next to Lower West Side?
Closest on this map: Near West Side, Bridgeport, Douglas. Compare Lower West Side vs Near West Side if you are deciding between two official community areas.
Next door
Adjacent on the community area map, ranked with your weights.
Lower West Side vs Near West SideLower West Side vs BridgeportLower West Side vs Douglas
44fit
West Town
$2K median rent
Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village live inside this community area. Division Street energy, brick two-flats behind it.
NightlifePlannedWalk 29Safety 26
38fit
Bridgeport
$1K median rent
Sox territory, bungalows, and a Chinatown-adjacent grid. South Side without a lakefront premium.
Family streetsWalk 0Safety 89
26fit
Humboldt Park
$1K median rent
The park is enormous; the streets around it are still working-class. Safety scores tell you to weight it honestly.
Walk 4Safety 32
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