Lower West Side
Community area in Chicago · #31
Side: West Side
Open Lower West Side on the mapThe map shows every boundary here, from wards and ridings to school boards, with what’s nearby. Tap any address in it for its own card.
About West Side
From West Town and the Near West Side out to Austin.
Names you’ll hear here
- Pilsen
What stands out
- Among the highest home values on the West Side (median $360K)
Living here
- Housing
- Middle housing cost. Median home $360K · renters pay $1,340/moSurvey estimates for 2020–2024, not current prices. Rent is what renting households pay, utilities included, counting long-time tenants and subsidized homes, so it sits below what a new lease costs. Use them to compare community areas, not to budget.
- To the Loop
- 30–45 min. About 31 min by transit, weekday morning
- Getting to work
- Mixed. 62% drive · 26% transit · 9% walk or bike
- Households
- Mostly renters. 68% rent
- Tree canopy
- Under 8%. 4% of the land is under treesSatellite land cover, 2021 (ESA WorldCover, 10 m).
- Home types
- Detached 15% · Attached 2% · 2–19 units 76% · 20+ units 6%
- Built
- 1939 or earlier 56% · 1940–79 22% · 1980–99 9% · 2000 or later 13%
- Ages
- Under 15 13% · 15–24 14% · 25–44 42% · 45–64 19% · 65+ 12%
- Language at home
- Spanish 58% · English only 35%English only, or the language besides English that each person 5 or older speaks at home. For small areas the Census groups some languages: Polish shares a group with Russian and other Slavic languages.
- Recent immigrants
- 8% born abroad, came to the US 2010 or laterShare of residents, from the 2020–2024 survey. Toronto counts a shorter window (2016–21), so the two cities don't compare directly.
American Community Survey 2020–2024 and CTA/Metra schedules, Lower West Side. Tiers compare community areas across Chicago.