Housing in Southwest at a glance
- Population
- about 387,778
- Housing units
- about 138,306
- Median value, owner-occupied homes
- $268,000Chicago: $334,100 (-20%)
- Median gross rent
- $1,180 a monthChicago: $1,440 (-18%)
- Owner-occupied homes
- 63.2%Chicago: 46%
- Homes built before 1980
- 85.6%
- Median year built
- 1952
Southwest has the highest owner share in Chicago, 63.2% of households against 46% citywide, and 47,655 renter households next to 81,961 owners. The housing is old, since 85.6% of homes are older than 1980 and the median dwelling went up in 1952. Value is $268,000, fifth of seven, and rent $1,180, also fifth, so it costs less than West ($327,000 and $1,330) and far less than Central ($490,000). On the southern side of the city, Southeast's $227,000 is the nearest value below, although owners there number only 35% of households, and Southwest itself houses 387,778 residents. Its value is above Southeast's but below West's, which makes it a step in the middle of the south.
Questions about Southwest
What is the median home value in Southwest, Chicago?
$268,000 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 Southwest?
$1,180 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 Southwest own or rent?
Most own: 63.2% 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 100 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 Southwest
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 Southwest. 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 Southwest? Ask for your spot.