Best PlacesWest Elsdon, Chicago, IL Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around West Elsdon, Chicago, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
West Elsdon, Chicago ranks 3,916th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on transit by a wide margin, and state finances rank lowest.
The best neighborhoods in West Elsdon, Chicago
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
West Elsdon, Chicago's strengths and weaknesses
Where West Elsdon, Chicago ranks high
- TransitBetter than 92% of neighborhoods
- Big-city accessBetter than 90% of neighborhoods
- Cell coverageBetter than 90% of neighborhoods
- Disaster safetyBetter than 88% of neighborhoods
- Low vacancyBetter than 84% of neighborhoods
Where West Elsdon, Chicago ranks low
- State fiscal healthBetter than only 4% of neighborhoods
- Short commute36.3 minutes each way, better than only 5% of neighborhoods
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than only 10% of neighborhoods
- Healthcare accessBetter than only 13% of neighborhoods
- Educational attainmentBetter than only 13% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in West Elsdon, Chicago
A household needs to earn about $71,000 a year to comfortably buy the median West Elsdon, Chicago home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $77,011, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses West Elsdon, Chicago's effective rate of 1.27%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 7 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in West Elsdon, Chicago
West Elsdon, Chicago runs younger than the country, and households here run larger than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for West Elsdon, Chicago.
Who works in West Elsdon, Chicago, and how
Work in West Elsdon, Chicago centers on health care & social and retail trade. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and the job base is shrinking.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 69%
- Work from home 11%
- Transit, walk, or bike 20%
Life in West Elsdon, Chicago
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across West Elsdon, Chicago.
What the weather is like in West Elsdon, Chicago, month by month
West Elsdon, Chicago sees roughly 76 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 86 degrees. January highs sit near 34, with lows near 22. The comfortable stretch runs May, June, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 28° | 22° |
| April | 61° | 50° | 43° |
| July | 86° | 77° | 70° |
| October | 66° | 57° | 49° |
Flying in and out of West Elsdon, Chicago
Chicago Midway International sits about 2 miles away. It is a large hub and boarded 9.4 million passengers in 2025, with 113 nonstop destinations.
The best schools in and around West Elsdon, Chicago
Schools across West Elsdon, Chicago average a C, better than 40% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Stem Magnet Academy ElemB+ · 53% proficient
- Pasteur Elem SchoolD− · 15% proficient
- Peck Elem SchoolF · 10% proficient
Top middle schools
- Hernandez Middle SchoolF · 9% proficient
Top high schools
- Hancock College Preparatory HsC+ · 40% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every West Elsdon, Chicago school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
West Elsdon, Chicago measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare West Elsdon, Chicago against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in West Elsdon, Chicago
Is West Elsdon, Chicago a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, West Elsdon, Chicago ranks 3,916th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on transit, big-city access, and cell coverage, and lowest on state finances and long commutes. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is West Elsdon, Chicago expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $254,405. The overall cost of living runs about 3% below the national average. Set against a $77,011 median income, cost of living beats 46% of neighborhoods.
Is West Elsdon, Chicago safe?
West Elsdon, Chicago is safer than 40% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $412 per resident a year.
Compare West Elsdon, Chicago with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to West Elsdon, Chicago. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in West Elsdon, Chicago represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
West Elsdon, Chicago detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for West Elsdon, Chicago: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in West Elsdon, Chicago: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of West Elsdon, Chicago: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in West Elsdon, Chicago: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
West Elsdon, Chicago detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.