Housing in Northwest at a glance
- Population
- about 551,056
- Housing units
- about 229,956
- Median value, owner-occupied homes
- $395,000Chicago: $334,100 (+18%)
- Median gross rent
- $1,450 a monthChicago: $1,440 (+1%)
- Owner-occupied homes
- 56.2%Chicago: 46%
- Homes built before 1980
- 82.9%
- Median year built
- 1943
Northwest takes third place on each ranked measure among Chicago's seven planning regions: value of $395,000, rent of $1,450, owner share of 56.2% and older stock of 82.9%. That makes it the middle-of-the-road region, close to the $1,440 rent for the city overall though above its $334,100 value. Owners lead here, unlike in North (39.8%) or West (38.5%). The median dwelling dates from 1943. Positioned toward the city's north-west, it stands well below Central's $490,000, the top of the range, yet above West's $327,000, so it reads as a pivot between the pricier north and the cheaper west, with 551,056 residents, the largest population of the seven regions. Its older stock, 82.9%, is topped only by Far South and Southwest.
Questions about Northwest
What is the median home value in Northwest, Chicago?
$395,000 for owner-occupied homes, against $334,100 for Chicago as a whole (Payotte estimate from Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year data for the census tracts within the official boundary). It is the owners' own estimate of their home's value, not a sale price.
What is the median rent in Northwest?
$1,450 a month in gross rent (rent plus utilities paid by the renter), against $1,440 in Chicago (Payotte estimate from Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year data for the census tracts within the official boundary).
Do most people in Northwest own or rent?
Most own: 56.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, against 46% in Chicago (Payotte estimate from Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year data for the census tracts within the official boundary).
Data and method
Data as of: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (retrieved 2026-11-02).
Estimate from the 141 census tracts whose internal point lies within the official boundary: counts are summed, and each median is recomputed from the summed value, rent and year-built brackets (grouped median, linear interpolation). The gap with the city is measured with the same method on the whole city. Boundaries used: City of Chicago Data Portal, Planning Regions (spyv-p8fk) (consulted 2026-11-02).
Sector boundaries: Planning regions (7), Boundaries - Planning Regions, City of Chicago Data Portal.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, tables B01003, B25001, B25003, B25034, B25063, B25064, B25075, B25077; U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer files (census tract internal points). City figures: the same survey, published for Chicago as a whole. Home values are owners' estimates, not sale prices.
Near Northwest
The closest sectors of Chicago, by distance between population centres.
Other sectors of Chicago
Five trades, one spot each
Payotte lists one professional per trade in Northwest. No one is listed yet: every spot is open.
- Real estate agentOpen spot
- Mortgage loan officerOpen spot
- Home inspectorOpen spot
- Real estate attorneyOpen spot
- AppraiserOpen spot
Work in one of these trades in Northwest? Ask for your spot.