44fit

West Town

Official community area: West Town

Published fit 44 uses default walkable weights and a $2,500 ACS rent budget — the same number as the Chicago table. Your current weights score this 44.

Data period. ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · CPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM Aug 2026. ACS and CPD retrieved 2026-08-31; OSM retrieved 2026-08-31. Editorial copy last revised 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 families Walkable Chicago Under $2,500 rent

Why this published score

Default walkable weights, $2,500 ACS rent budget. Same axes as the city table and the FAQ.

Safety

349 violent · 3589 property · 47.2 per 1k (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)-24 vs city set

Schools

Rating 7.4 / 10 nearby+5 vs city set

Walk

OSM: 35 groceries · 62 cafes · 300 transit · 145 parks+8 vs city set

Cost

100

$2,055 ACS median vs published $2,500 rent budget0 vs city set

Vibe

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, Philadelphia neighborhood writing, Portland neighborhood writing, Washington neighborhood-cluster 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 InspectionSep 1
Weed RemovalSep 1
Sanitation Code ViolationSep 1
Building ViolationSep 1
City Vehicle Sticker ViolationSep 1

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.