Chicago/Compare
Near North Side vs Near South Side
Near North Side and Near South Side are two official community areas in Chicago. Near South Side is the calmer Part I map (68 vs 21). Near North Side wins the errand count. Near North Side has the lower ACS median ($2,277).
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 | Near North Side | Near South Side |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 21 | 68 |
| Schools | 40 | 47 |
| Walk | 72 | 21 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 70 | 26 |
| Median rent | $2,277 | $2,403 |
| Median home | $554,887 | $462,687 |
| Population | 100,633 | 30,482 |
| Commute to The Loop | 12 min | 12 min |
| Commute to North Side | 13 min | 27 min |
| Commute to West Loop | 37 min | 38 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Near North Side | Near South Side |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 64% | 50% |
| Median age | 36.2 | 35.4 |
| Median income | $121K | $124K |
| Part I per 1k | 55.6 | 29.8 |
| Groceries / 800m | 35 | 9 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 318 | 93 |
| Parks / 800m | 748 | 408 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,043 | 97 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Chicago city. Up 50% since 2014. Near N is 58% 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 Near North Side if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 70 vs 26. Walk is 72 vs 21. ACS median rent is $2,277 vs $2,403. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Near South Side if the quieter map matters more than the scene. Safety is 68 vs 21. Read both pages before you decide.
Near North Side
River North restaurants, Gold Coast towers, Streeterville walks to the lake. Official name is the community area — search the nicknames.
$2,277 median rent · safety 21 · walk 72
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, Near North Side or Near South Side?
Near North Side is the lower ACS median: $2,277 vs $2,403. About 64% rent in Near North Side vs 50% in Near South Side. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Near North Side more walkable than Near South Side?
Near North Side wins the errand count (walk 72 vs 21). Groceries inside 800 meters: 35 vs 9. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Near North Side or Near South Side?
Near South Side is the calmer Part I read (68 vs 21). Combined rate 29.8 vs 55.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Near North Side or Near South Side?
Near South Side leads the school axis (47 vs 40). Nearby rating is 7.2 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 35.4 vs 36.2. Near North Side has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to The Loop?
12 minutes from Near North Side to The Loop, 12 from Near South Side. A wash on this estimate. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community area that is not Near North Side or Near South Side: Loop. Offices, Grant Park, and the L looping overhead. Walk scores max out; evening quiet depends on which block.
Scores are relative among official Chicago community areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.