59fit
Near West Side
$2K median rent
Fulton Market restaurants, United Center nights, and new towers. Property crime follows the dinner rush.
NightlifePlannedWalk 65Safety 5
Chicago/West Town
44fit
West Town
Official community area: West Town
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · CPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM Aug 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village live inside this community area. Division Street energy, brick two-flats behind it.
wicker parkukrainian villagenoble squareeast village
Best in Chicago for familiesWalkable ChicagoUnder $2,500 rent
Why this score
Safety
26
349 violent · 3589 property · 47.2 per 1k (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)-24 vs city set
Schools
53
Rating 7.4 / 10 nearby+5 vs city set
Walk
29
OSM: 35 groceries · 62 cafes · 300 transit · 145 parks+8 vs city set
Cost
100
$2,055 ACS median vs your rent budget+1 vs city set
Vibe
20
OSM: 62 cafes · 260 restaurants · 82 bars · 145 parks+1 vs city set
Commute to work
From West Town, a typical weekday is 28 min to The Loop, 26 min to North Side, 19 min to West Loop. Not live traffic.
West Loop is the fastest of these three job centers from here.
The Loop
28 min
Offices, Grant Park · -9 min vs the city-set median
North Side
26 min
Lincoln Park, hospitals · -10 min vs the city-set median
West Loop
19 min
Fulton Market · -18 min vs the city-set median · fastest of these three
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 $2,055 — every occupied rental mixed together, not the 1-bed in the window.
That is 18% of median household income — under the 30% HUD line. A household at this area’s median income ($141K) could “afford” about $3,514 a month at 30% of pay.
58% of households rent. Median home value is $612,626.
ACS median rent
$2,055
30% income budget
$3,514
Rent / income
18%
Median home
$612,626
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Chicago city. Up 50% since 2014. West 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. 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: 35 groceries, 62 cafes, 145 parks, and 300 transit stops.
Daily errands and coffee are realistic on foot. Parks are close — 145 mapped parks in that radius. Transit is dense (300 stops or stations).
62 cafes and 260 restaurants make this one of the busier food pockets in the Chicago set.
OpenStreetMap, 800 meters. Not a Walk Score license. More groceries than 17 of the other 19 areas in this city.
Population
83,491
Median age
33.2
Median income
$141K
Renters
58%
Bachelor+
75%
Violent / 1k
4.2
Property / 1k
43.0
ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · 30 census tracts · CPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM 2026-08-31
NightlifePlanned
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.
Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village live inside this community area. Zillow describes restored Italianate houses, Milwaukee/Damen/North boutiques, and the 606 trail — a 2.7-mile elevated park that changed how the northwest side moves. Division Street energy, brick two-flats behind it.
Prices now read as luxury, which shocks anyone who knew it in 2005. The indie-bar story is half true; the other half is strollers on the 606. Weight walk and vibe. Official name is West Town — search Wicker Park anyway.
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.
708 reports
- Graffiti Removal275
- Rodent Baiting/Rat99
- Finance Parking Code Enforcement Review62
- Yard Waste Pick-Up59
- Pothole in Street58
- Sidewalk Inspection
- Weed Removal
- Sanitation Code Violation
- Building Violation
- City Vehicle Sticker Violation
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.
In r/chicago lately: parks.
- First time walking around Wicker Park
r/chicago · Aug 23 · 435 upvotes · 27 comments
- Iron Age Korean BBQ in Wicker Park license suspended.
r/chicago · Aug 23 · 348 upvotes · 51 comments
- Are there any founders/entrepreneurs in content creation/media/IRL events living in West Loop/Wicker Park/Bucktown/River North/River West or other nearby neighborhoods?
r/chicago · Aug 28 · 2 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 West Town safe?
West Town shows more Part I than most of this Chicago set (safety 26 vs city 50). CPD logged 4.2 violent and 43.0 property incidents per 1,000 residents — 47.2 combined. Visitors count in those numbers. This is not a judgment of who lives here.
What is rent in West Town?
ACS median rent is $2,055 — studios through large apartments mixed together. About 58% of households rent. Median home value is $612,626. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is West Town walkable?
Walk is 29 here vs 21 for the Chicago set — you will likely drive or ride for a weekly shop. Inside 800 meters: 35 groceries, 62 cafes, 300 transit stops, 145 parks. Not a Walk Score license.
Is West Town good for families?
There is more night and visitor traffic in the mix — not the quietest family default. Nearby school rating is 7.4 / 10. Median age is 33.2. That rating is not your assigned campus.
How long is the commute from West Town?
28 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 West Town?
About 83,491 people. Median income $141K. 75% have a bachelor's or higher.
What neighborhoods are next to West Town?
Near West Side, Logan Square, Douglas sit closest on this map. If you are choosing between two official community areas, start with West Town vs Near West Side.
Next door
Adjacent on the map, ranked with your weights.
West Town vs Near West SideWest Town vs Logan SquareWest Town vs Douglas
46fit
North Center
$2K median rent
Roscoe Village strollers and high home values. Quiet streets with a short hop to the river.
Family streetsWalk 3Safety 100
43fit
Logan Square
$2K median rent
The boulevard, the farmers market, and Bucktown on the eastern edge. North-west Chicago's walkable default.
NightlifePlannedWalk 22Safety 42
26fit
Humboldt Park
$1K median rent
The park is enormous; the streets around it are still working-class. Safety scores tell you to weight it honestly.
Walk 4Safety 32
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