75fit
Loop
$2K median rent
Offices, Grant Park, and the L looping overhead. Walk scores max out; evening quiet depends on which block.
NightlifePlannedWalk 100Safety 0
Chicago/Near South Side
46fit
Near South Side
Official community area: Near South Side
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · CPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM Aug 2026 · updated Sep 2026
South Loop towers facing the museum campus. Newer, rental-heavy, and a walk to the lake that skips Mag Mile.
south loopnear southmuseum campus
Best in Chicago for familiesWalkable ChicagoUnder $2,500 rent
Why this score
Safety
68
132 violent · 777 property · 29.8 per 1k (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)+18 vs city set
Schools
47
Rating 7.2 / 10 nearby-1 vs city set
Walk
21
OSM: 9 groceries · 11 cafes · 93 transit · 408 parks0 vs city set
Cost
92
$2,403 ACS median vs your rent budget-7 vs city set
Vibe
26
OSM: 11 cafes · 48 restaurants · 13 bars · 408 parks+7 vs city set
Commute to work
From Near South Side, a typical weekday is 12 min to The Loop, 27 min to North Side, 38 min to West Loop. Not live traffic.
The Loop is the fastest of these three job centers from here.
The Loop
12 min
Offices, Grant Park · -25 min vs the city-set median · fastest of these three
North Side
27 min
Lincoln Park, hospitals · -9 min vs the city-set median
West Loop
38 min
Fulton Market · +1 min vs 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 $2,403 across all occupied rental units — studios through large apartments mixed together, not a live 1-bed or 2-bed quote.
That is 23% of median household income — under the 30% HUD cost-burden line. A household at this area’s median income ($124K) could “afford” about $3,092 a month at 30% of gross pay.
50% of households rent. Median home value is $462,687.
ACS median rent
$2,403
30% income budget
$3,092
Rent / income
23%
Median home
$462,687
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Chicago city. Up 50% since 2014. Near South Side 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. The dashed mark is this area’s ACS 2024 median.
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 9 groceries, 11 cafes, 408 parks, and 93 transit stops.
Daily errands and coffee are realistic on foot. Parks are close — 408 mapped parks in that radius. Transit is dense (93 stops or stations).
11 cafes and 48 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 3 of 19 other areas in this city set.
Population
30,482
Median age
35.4
Median income
$124K
Renters
50%
Bachelor+
82%
Violent / 1k
4.3
Property / 1k
25.5
ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · 5 census tracts · CPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM 2026-08-31
WaterfrontPlanned
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.
South Loop towers facing the museum campus: newer, rental-heavy, and a walk to the lake that skips Mag Mile. Grant Park is the front yard if you pick the right stack. It is the Loop’s residential sequel — less L noise, more drywall.
Nightlife is thinner than River North; that is a feature for some. The lake and the museums are the amenities. Weight walk and the lake flag. Downtown jobs are a walk or one L stop, which is the sale.
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 Near South Side safe?
On this map Near South Side sits near the middle of the Chicago set for crime (safety 68 vs city 50). CPD logged 4.3 violent and 25.5 property incidents per 1,000 ACS residents — 29.8 combined. Rates mix residents and visitors. They are not a judgment of who lives here.
What is rent in Near South Side?
ACS median rent is $2,403. Median home value is $462,687. About 50% of households rent. These are survey medians, not this week's listings.
Is Near South Side walkable?
Walk scores 21 here vs 21 for the Chicago set — you will likely drive or ride for daily errands. OpenStreetMap counts within 800 meters: 9 groceries, 11 cafes, 93 transit stops, 408 parks.
Is Near South Side good for families?
Nightlife and visitor traffic show up in the amenity mix — not the quietest family default. Nearby school rating is 7.2 / 10. Median age is 35.4.
How long is the commute from Near South Side?
Typical weekday minutes to The Loop: 12. Not live traffic. Open the neighborhood page for the other job centers in Chicago.
How many people live in Near South Side?
About 30,482 residents, median income $124K, 82% with a bachelor's or higher. ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · CPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM.
What neighborhoods are next to Near South Side?
Closest on this map: Loop, Hyde Park, Near North Side. Compare Near South Side vs Loop if you are deciding between two official community areas.
Next door
Adjacent on the community area map, ranked with your weights.
Near South Side vs LoopNear South Side vs Hyde ParkNear South Side vs Near North Side
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
38fit
Bridgeport
$1K median rent
Sox territory, bungalows, and a Chinatown-adjacent grid. South Side without a lakefront premium.
Family streetsWalk 0Safety 89
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