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
The ACS median rent is $2,403 — every occupied rental mixed together, not the 1-bed in the window.
That is 23% of median household income — under the 30% HUD line. A household at this area’s median income ($124K) could “afford” about $3,092 a month at 30% of 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 income as the cost-burden line. We do not split ACS rent into 1-bed vs 2-bed. Method.
Within a walk
Within a short walk of this official community area: 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.
OpenStreetMap, 800 meters. Not a Walk Score license. More groceries than 3 of the other 19 areas in this city.
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, Seattle Times coverage, Boston planning-neighborhood writing, and local writing, 2025–2026. Editorial — not part of the fit score.
Reported here lately
City 311 service requests in this official unit, last 14 days. This is what neighbors filed with the city — not a chat thread, and not part of the fit score.
97 reports
- Graffiti Removal27
- Traffic Signal Out13
- Street Light Out11
- Finance Parking Code Enforcement Review10
- Building Violation9
- Traffic Signal Out
- Cab Feedback
- Traffic Signal Out
- Street Light Out
- Street Cleaning
City of Chicago 311, last 14 days, by official community area number. Method.
On Reddit
Public posts from r/chicago that mention this neighborhood. Not Nextdoor, not people on this block, and not part of the fit score.
One r/chicago post in this snapshot names Near South Side.
- Wall of clouds marching through South Loop. Stay safe everyone!
r/chicago · Aug 11 · 43 upvotes · 5 comments
The line above is a reading of the titles, not a verdict. Up to 3 links, last 90 days, snapshot 2026-09-01. Method.
Common questions
Straight answers from the numbers on this page.
Is Near South Side safe?
Near South Side is middle of the pack for Part I here (safety 68 vs city 50). CPD logged 4.3 violent and 25.5 property incidents per 1,000 residents — 29.8 combined. Visitors count in those numbers. This is not a judgment of who lives here.
What is rent in Near South Side?
ACS median rent is $2,403 — studios through large apartments mixed together. About 50% of households rent. Median home value is $462,687. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Near South Side walkable?
Walk is 21 here vs 21 for the Chicago set — you will likely drive or ride for a weekly shop. Inside 800 meters: 9 groceries, 11 cafes, 93 transit stops, 408 parks. Not a Walk Score license.
Is Near South Side good for families?
There is more night and visitor traffic in the mix — not the quietest family default. Nearby school rating is 7.2 / 10. Median age is 35.4. That rating is not your assigned campus.
How long is the commute from Near South Side?
12 typical weekday minutes to The Loop. Not the app on your phone this hour. Other job centers are further down this page.
How many people live in Near South Side?
About 30,482 people. Median income $124K. 82% have a bachelor's or higher.
What neighborhoods are next to Near South Side?
Loop, Hyde Park, Near North Side sit closest on this map. If you are choosing between two official community areas, start with Near South Side vs Loop.
Next door
Adjacent on the 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