Chicago/Compare
Near North Side vs Uptown
Near North Side and Uptown are two official community areas in Chicago. Uptown is the calmer Part I map (47 vs 21). Near North Side 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 | Near North Side | Uptown |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 21 | 47 |
| Schools | 40 | 33 |
| Walk | 72 | 17 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 70 | 14 |
| Median rent | $2,277 | $1,326 |
| Median home | $554,887 | $331,132 |
| Population | 100,633 | 56,344 |
| Commute to The Loop | 12 min | 37 min |
| Commute to North Side | 13 min | 22 min |
| Commute to West Loop | 37 min | 49 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Near North Side | Uptown |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 64% | 71% |
| Median age | 36.2 | 37.4 |
| Median income | $121K | $74K |
| Part I per 1k | 55.6 | 33.6 |
| Groceries / 800m | 35 | 24 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 318 | 185 |
| Parks / 800m | 748 | 188 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,043 | 352 |
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. 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 Near North Side if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 70 vs 14. Walk is 72 vs 17. 12 vs 37 minutes to The Loop. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Uptown if the rent gap is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. ACS median rent is $1,326 vs $2,277. Safety is 47 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
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, Near North Side or Uptown?
Uptown is the lower ACS median: $2,277 vs $1,326. About 71% rent in Uptown vs 64% in Near North Side. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Near North Side more walkable than Uptown?
Near North Side wins the errand count (walk 72 vs 17). Groceries inside 800 meters: 35 vs 24. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Near North Side or Uptown?
Uptown is the calmer Part I read (47 vs 21). Combined rate 33.6 vs 55.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Near North Side or Uptown?
Near North Side leads the school axis (40 vs 33). Nearby rating is 7.0 / 10 vs 6.8 / 10. Median age 36.2 vs 37.4. Uptown 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, 37 from Uptown. Near North Side is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community area that is not Near North Side or Uptown: Lincoln Park. Zoo, zoo-adjacent rents, and DePaul. The park is the brand; the side streets are the product.
Scores are relative among official Chicago community areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.