Lower West Side

Chicago, IL

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Lower West Side - Chicago, IL Area Guide

Welcome to Chicago’s western neighborhoods

Urban Lake Public Transportation Commuter

Lower West Side is an area less than five miles from Downtown Chicago, partially encompassing the neighborhoods of Pilsen and Heart of Chicago. This compact area features of variety of apartments and condos for rent while restaurants, grocers, specialty shops, and more line the residential streets, especially along 18th Street and Cermak Road. Residents of all ages enjoy Harrison Park as it’s home to sports fields, a playground, an indoor pool, and the National Museum of Mexican Art. Outside of the neighborhood, residents can travel by train or via Interstate 90 to the excitement of Downtown Chicago or go a bit west to enjoy the parks and trails along Lake Michigan.

Rent Trends

As of April 2026, the average apartment rent in Lower West Side is $1,110 for one bedroom, $1,060 for two bedrooms, and $2,743 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Lower West Side has increased by 2.2% in the past year.

  • 1 BR

  • 148 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $1,110/month

    Average Rent

  • 2 BR

  • 413 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $1,060/month

    Average Rent

  • 3 BR

  • 1,352 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $2,743/month

    Average Rent

Getting Around

Exceptionally Walkable

Walkability

90 / 100

Good Public Transit

Transit

70 / 100

Very Drivable

Drivability

80 / 100

Very Bikeable

Bikeability

80 / 100

Daily Essentials

Supermarket Within a 5 Minute Walk

Groceries

90 / 100

Good Restaurant Variety Nearby

Restaurants

70 / 100

Good Café Variety Nearby

Cafes

60 / 100

Good Variety of Shops Nearby

Shopping

60 / 100

Recreation

Very Large Amount of Park Space Nearby

Parks

80 / 100

Good Wellness Amenity Variety Nearby

Wellness

60 / 100

Local Vibe

Vibrant Atmosphere at Times

Vibrancy

50 / 100

Fair Nightlife Variety Nearby

Nightlife

40 / 100

Moderately Noisy

Quiet Score

40 / 100

Points of Interest

Parks and Recreation

  • Douglas Park and Community Center
  • McKinley Park
  • Women's Park and Gardens
  • Dunbar Park
  • Garfield Park and Golden Dome Field House

Airports

  • Chicago Midway International
  • Chicago O'Hare International

Top Apartments in Lower West Side

Houses for Rent in Lower West Side

Property Management Companies

Search Nearby Rentals

Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2026.

Demographic information comes from Neustar and combines detailed address data with U.S. Census and American Community Survey statistics to produce reliable local estimates.