Chicago boasts a rich and diverse culture, and it’s one of the top places to live and travel. The Windy City is known for deep-dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches, towering skyscrapers and Wrigley Field. If you are planning to live in Chicago, it’s likely that safety is a top priority. Luckily, there are a variety of neighborhoods for every lifestyle and budget.
How We Determined Chicago’s Safest Neighborhoods
We analyzed the Crime Score, provided by CAP Index, to arrive at our list of the six safest neighborhoods in Chicago. The Crime Score is a 10-point scale, with a 1 representing low crime and a 10 indicating high crime. We provide this data and much more for every neighborhood on homes.com. You can see the Crime Score in your area (as well as information on home values, demographics and other area factors) when you use our neighborhood search.
The 6 Safest Chicago Neighborhoods for 2024
Mount Greenwood
Median Home Price: $300,000 | Walk Score: 59/100 | Crime Score: 2/10
Perfect For: Growing Families
Mount Greenwood boasts lush green spaces and six high-ranking schools. It’s also a popular place for police officers, union workers and blue-collar workers to settle down. This is a tight-knit and family-friendly neighborhood, which is in the city’s south end just 14 miles from downtown. It’s filled with bungalows, colonials and Cape Cods with spacious yards and tree-lined streets. Mount Greenwood Park is at the heart of the neighborhood, offering tennis courts, baseball diamonds, a playground and an outdoor ice rink. The park is a community hub for sports leagues, live musical performances and a Special Olympics program where over 100 athletes compete.
The neighborhood’s schools are part of the Chicago Public School District, which is the 13th-best district in Cook County. Mount Greenwood is also home to Saint Xavier University, a private institution that’s one of the most diverse in the city.
Irving Woods
Median Home Price: $346,000 | Walk Score: 56/100 | Crime Score: 2/10
Perfect for: Families/Outdoor Enthusiasts/Commuters
Irving Woods is a quiet, tree-lined suburb within the larger northwestern Chicago neighborhood of Dunning. It sits next to Schiller Woods Forest Preserve and the Des Plaines River. Filled with brick bungalows and American foursquares, Irving Woods is considered a “wilderness in the city.” It has more green space than most city neighborhoods combined. The neighborhood is an outdoor enthusiasts’ haven with its miles of hiking trails and acres of undeveloped land. The 284-acre forest preserve offers an escape into nature. It includes the 28-mile Des Plaines River Trail, a greenway and bike path along the riverbanks and a pond for fishing. During the winter, the forest preserve is also a popular place for skiing and sledding.
Locally owned, longtime shops and restaurants are a staple of this neighborhood. The 18-hole Indian Boundary Golf Course is a popular hangout that’s just over the line and perfect for all skill levels. Residents are surrounded by nature, treating them to a secluded, rural-like setting. Still, Irving Woods is only 13 miles from downtown Chicago, making it ideal for commuters and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Most amenities aren’t within walking distance. Irving Woods is only accessible by two main roads, but you can easily reach several bus routes and the Elmwood Park Metra line.
Cornerstone Lakes
Median Home Price: $403,000 | Walk Score: 15/100 | Crime Score: 2/10
Perfect For: Families/Retirees
With a park-like setting, serene lakes and upscale homes, Cornerstone Lakes is a top West Chicago suburb to live in. Families have top-notch school options here, and college-bound students with a need for speed can attend one of many flight schools and aviation academies in the area. Homes in Cornerstone Lakes consist of townhouses, foursquares and other traditional homes, many with lake and park views. The neighborhood is beautifully landscaped and maintained by a homeowners’ association. Cornerstone Lakes is a very dog-friendly community, and residents can easily walk to parks, restaurants, and golf courses and escape into nature in the nearby Dunham Forest Preserve just over the boundary.
If you’re seeking a country club lifestyle you will love this neighborhood, as it has six country clubs and golf courses surrounding it. The championship 18-hole course at St. Charles Country Club is a popular choice for residents. This course offers a lush, green landscape, as well as an active social scene and fine dining. Other nearby golf courses are Prairie Landing, an 18-hole course and Andrews Golf and Country Club, an upscale 36-hole course. The Cornerstone Lakes park at the heart of the neighborhood is a 41-acre space with a two-mile trail, sand volleyball courts, a catch-and-release pond and a playground. Its nine soccer fields also host spring and fall leagues, and the nearby community pool is a favorite for residents in the summertime.
Norwood Park
Median Home Price: $400,000 | Walk Score: 69/100 | Crime Score: 2/10
Perfect For: Retirees/Commuters
Located on the northwest side of Chicago, Norwood Park is known for its green spaces, suburban feel and upscale amenities like the Whealon Aquatic Center and Edgebrook Golf Course. With 23% of the neighborhood’s population over 65, it’s considered a prime place to retire, but it’s also only 13 miles from downtown, making it a great place for commuters who want to be away from the hustle and bustle. Norwood Park is close to the L train and other public transit options, so business travelers can quickly reach downtown and the nearby O’Hare International Airport.
With the Forest Preserves of Cook County, the North Brand Chicago River and large cemeteries surrounding the neighborhood, residents are treated to a natural, peaceful environment in the city. Norwood Park’s 16-acre namesake park is at the heart of the neighborhood, offering pet-friendly open space, a roller rink, a pool and a basketball court. Newcomers will find oversized brick bungalows, Tudor-style homes and other grand historic homes with modern upgrades and spacious lots. The neighborhood’s Chamber of Commerce has a very strong presence in the community and hosts annual events, from a Memorial Day Parade to a wine stroll and Shop Local November. The community’s most popular event is the Fall Festival, held in September.
Sauganash
Median Home Price: $607,000 | Walk Score: 60/100 | Crime Score: 2/10
Perfect For: Families/Young Couples
Considered a suburb of Chicago, Sauganash is on the northern edge of the city limits near the LaBagh Woods Forest Preserves and LaBagh Woods. The neighborhood is home to over 1,500 families and is ranked by Niche as the fifth-best neighborhood In Chicago to buy a house. Listed on the National Historic Registry, the neighborhood is known for its architecture, which includes streets lined with grand Tudors, Georgians, colonials and French-inspired homes side by side. It also provides top-ranked public and private schools that are all walkable from the neighborhood. Sauganash Elementary earned a Thrive Award for its commitment to improving its school. Sauganash has local youth sports associations for soccer, baseball and softball, and children can practice at Sauganash Park, which provides ballfields, tennis courts, football fields and an auditorium hosting a wide range of activities and programs.
While amenities are within walking distance, Sauganash residents enjoy convenient access to public transit, with the neighborhood bordering Interstate 94 and the Metra commuter rail picking up passengers at several nearby stops to get them downtown.
Edgebrook
Median Home Price: $533,000 | Walk Score: 63/100 | Crime Score: 2/10
Perfect For: Nature Lovers/Empty Nesters
A small, close-knit community, Edgebrook sits on the North Ranch River and makes our guide for its local events, top schools and organizations that work to better the neighborhood. Filled with single-family, stately Georgians, Tudors and midcentury homes on oak-lined streets, Edgebrook offers a suburban feel while being surrounded by green space. The Edgebrook Woods border the neighborhood, and the North Brand Trail system provides a network of paths that lead to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Being surrounded by natural preserves and the North Branch Chicago River, Edgebrook is teeming with wildlife. The community celebrates that with life-sized vibrant statues and murals of common wildlife sprinkled around its streets.
Schools in Edgebrook are top-rated, and the high school is rated the 11th-best magnet high school in Illinois. Baseball is big here at all age levels, and ballfields are spread throughout the neighborhood. The Metra station is within walking distance from Edgebrook, and residents have convenient access to buses that go to the Jefferson Park L station.
Bonus: Safe Chicago Neighborhoods for Young Professionals
Edison Park
Median Home Price: $381,000 | Walk Score: 72/100 | Crime Score: 3/10
A northwest Chicago neighborhood, Edison Park treats residents to quiet suburban life blended with big-city amenities. Its small-town community vibe, a crime rate 77% lower than the city’s overall and vibrant recreation make it a top safe neighborhood for students and young professionals. Tree-lined streets give way to American Foursquares, brick bungalows and multi-family housing with well-manicured lawns and spacious lots. The neighborhood is highly walkable, but its Metra station offers a nonstop train that gets you downtown quickly. This makes Edison Park ideal for commuters and young professionals. Edison Park’s proximity to the city center, restaurants and nightlife means convenient access to all that Chicago has to offer. At the same time, it’s situated so that you live just outside the loud hustle and bustle.
Edison Park offers residents a vibrant restaurant and nightlife scene. Restaurant Row is near the Metra stop, boasting almost a dozen locally owned restaurants in a two-block stretch. Tony’s Italian Deli and Subs is a favorite, and Edison Park Inn has been a late-night institution since 1957. Here, patrons can play pool, cheer on the Chicago Blackhawks or go bowling. Other popular nightlife spots include Morrison Roadhouse, serving up stiff drinks in a no-frills vibe. There’s also Firewater Saloon, a beloved watering hole for its live music, southern food and country western vibes. If you want to get outdoors, the 10-acre Olympia Park offers athletic facilities and a recreational center with art classes, as well as adult basketball and volleyball leagues.
Lincoln Park
Median Home Price: $436,000 | Walk Score: 25/100 | Crime Score: 3/10
Lincoln Park’s access to public transit, trendy restaurants and DePaul University campus make it ideal for students and young professionals. “Lincoln Park is a place for all budgets and probably the most well-known neighborhood in Chicago,” says Grigory Pekarsky, Realtor at Vesta Preferred LLC. Just north of Near North Side, it’s known for its beach life at North Avenue Beach, historic architecture and the city’s most famous and largest park. Catering to over 20 million visitors a year, Lincoln Park is home to a botanical garden, a conservatory and one of the oldest free zoos in the nation. The neighborhood is filled with walk-up condos, townhouses and historic brownstones.
Most nightlife is along Armitage Avenue, but you’ll find entertainment throughout Lincoln Park. It’s home to rock ‘n’ roll dives like Deliah’s and upscale cocktail bars like J. Parker Rooftop Bar at Hotel Lincoln. Live music is also big here. Venues like the legendary blues club Kingston Mines and Steppenwolf Theatre are among the most popular choices. Although it does sit north of the city center, Lincoln Park boasts three L lines with multiple stops. This means easy access around the city and to affordable amenities like Target and Aldi.
Amy David is an experienced journalist and corporate communications writer. She spent over a decade as a journalist and editor of various publications, including Richmond BizSense, Henrico Citizen and RVA Magazine. As web editor for RVA Magazine, Amy led a team of writers and oversaw two digital magazines and a quarterly print magazine. She led the food and beverage beat, launching a successful food/beverage column. In addition, she’s reported on real estate, politics, social issues and music.
Amy earned a Bachelor of Science in journalism from Radford University. She lives in Richmond, Virginia’s Maymont neighborhood.
