Population 38,677 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Uptown
Household size in Uptown
| Period | Uptown | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.79 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.75 | 2.82 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.84 | 2.75 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.70 | 2.66 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.09 | −0.12 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Uptown is a place of small households, averaging 1.70 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 1.79, as it has nationally. Only seven of Chicago's 135 neighborhoods have smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Uptown
| Period | Uptown | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.9 | 36.8 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.4 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.1 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.1 | 39.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.2 | +3.0 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Uptown is 37.1 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the southeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Uptown
| Period | Uptown | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 11.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.2% of households in Uptown, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 1.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Uptown has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of Chicago neighborhoods.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Uptown
Renters in Uptown
| Period | Uptown | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 66.7% | 32.1% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 68.9% | 34.8% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 67.4% | 35.5% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 70.1% | 34.5% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Uptown: 70.1% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 32.8% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the east; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share is up 3.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Uptown
| Period | Uptown | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 9.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 9.8% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.3% | 7.2% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −2.6 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Uptown is close to the national rate: 10.3% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Chicago area as a whole (7.2%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 1.9 points, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Uptown
| Period | Uptown | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1945 | 1966 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1945 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1943 | 1967 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1949 | 1970 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Uptown is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1949, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1945 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the northwest has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Uptown
| Period | Uptown | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $769 | $1,060 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $881 | $1,142 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,102 | $1,306 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,390 | $1,602 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$621 | +$542 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Uptown costs $1,390 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $621 a month from 2006–10, an 81% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 28.8% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the northwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Uptown
Bachelor's degrees in Uptown
| Period | Uptown | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 53.0% | 33.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 57.3% | 35.2% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 60.0% | 37.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 64.6% | 40.9% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.6 pts | +7.0 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Uptown is highly educated: nearly two-thirds of adults 25 and older (64.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 11.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the east.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Uptown
| Period | Uptown | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.6% | 85.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.7% | 86.7% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.8% | 88.4% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.3% | 89.5% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +3.9 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Uptown is above the national rate: 93.3% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 5.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Uptown
| Period | Uptown | Chicago area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 9.1% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 6.3% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Uptown is close to the national rate: 5.2% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is lower than in the Chicago area as a whole (6.3%). Unemployment is down 2.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Uptown compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uptown | 1.70 | 37.1 | 5.2% | 70.1% | 10.3% | 1949 | $1,390 | 64.6% | 93.3% | 5.2% |
| Asia on Argyle | 1.66 | 41.4 | 5.7% | 72.3% | 8.8% | 1953 | $1,332 | 55.3% | 92.0% | 4.7% |
| Pine Grove | 1.57 | 36.6 | 3.7% | 58.5% | 6.8% | 1965 | $1,862 | 75.4% | 96.5% | 4.1% |
| West Ravenswood | 1.90 | 36.3 | 6.4% | 66.3% | 8.6% | 1944 | $1,683 | 70.2% | 96.2% | 3.3% |
| Cuyler | 2.23 | 38.3 | 3.4% | 47.6% | 11.4% | 1942 | $1,795 | 80.8% | 97.9% | 4.3% |
| Andersonville | 2.02 | 40.7 | 4.6% | 52.1% | 9.7% | 1939 | $1,706 | 69.0% | 94.1% | 5.0% |
| Lake View | 1.87 | 33.0 | 2.6% | 63.4% | 6.9% | 1963 | $1,985 | 84.8% | 98.4% | 3.1% |
| North Center | 2.58 | 37.7 | 3.8% | 39.3% | 8.6% | 1964 | $1,825 | 78.4% | 96.5% | 3.7% |
| Edgewater | 1.76 | 39.8 | 3.1% | 64.0% | 8.9% | 1953 | $1,501 | 61.8% | 94.4% | 8.3% |
| Roscoe Village | 2.45 | 33.2 | 5.0% | 49.7% | 10.6% | 1945 | $1,954 | 81.9% | 98.0% | 4.1% |
| Lincoln Square | 2.18 | 37.4 | 8.8% | 58.6% | 6.6% | 1955 | $1,582 | 62.1% | 92.6% | 6.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: West Side, Newark, NJ · North Ironbound, Newark, NJ · North Lawndale, Chicago, IL · North San Jose, San Jose, CA · North Side, Mount Vernon, NY · North Torrance, Torrance, CA · North Valleys, Reno, NV · Western Hills Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX · Northeast Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO · Northside, Fort Worth, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Uptown. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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