Chicago/Compare
Near South Side vs West Town
Near South Side and West Town are two official community areas in Chicago. Near South Side is the calmer Part I map (68 vs 26). West Town wins the errand count. West Town has the lower ACS median ($2,055).
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 South Side | West Town |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 68 | 26 |
| Schools | 47 | 53 |
| Walk | 21 | 29 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 26 | 20 |
| Median rent | $2,403 | $2,055 |
| Median home | $462,687 | $612,626 |
| Population | 30,482 | 83,491 |
| Commute to The Loop | 12 min | 28 min |
| Commute to North Side | 27 min | 26 min |
| Commute to West Loop | 38 min | 19 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Near South Side | West Town |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 50% | 58% |
| Median age | 35.4 | 33.2 |
| Median income | $124K | $141K |
| Part I per 1k | 29.8 | 47.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 9 | 35 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 93 | 300 |
| Parks / 800m | 408 | 145 |
| 311 last 14 days | 97 | 708 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Chicago city. Up 50% since 2014. S Loop is 67% above the 2024 city median. W Town is 43% 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 South Side if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the shorter ride to The Loop is the point. Safety is 68 vs 26. 12 vs 28 minutes to The Loop. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West Town if you want the cafes and the night and the rent gap is the point. Vibe is 20 vs 26. ACS median rent is $2,055 vs $2,403. Walk is 29 vs 21. Read both pages before you decide.
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
West Town
Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village live inside this community area. Division Street energy, brick two-flats behind it.
$2,055 median rent · safety 26 · walk 29
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Near South Side or West Town?
West Town is the lower ACS median: $2,403 vs $2,055. About 58% rent in West Town vs 50% in Near South Side. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Near South Side more walkable than West Town?
West Town wins the errand count (walk 21 vs 29). Groceries inside 800 meters: 9 vs 35. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Near South Side or West Town?
Near South Side is the calmer Part I read (68 vs 26). Combined rate 29.8 vs 47.2 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Near South Side or West Town?
West Town leads the school axis (53 vs 47). Nearby rating is 7.4 / 10 vs 7.2 / 10. Median age 33.2 vs 35.4. Near South Side has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to The Loop?
12 minutes from Near South Side to The Loop, 28 from West Town. Near South Side is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community area that is not Near South Side or West Town: 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.