clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

The richest neighborhoods in Chicago

New, 7 comments

Nope, Lincoln Park is not No. 1

Shutterstock

Thanks to statistician and data enthusiast Stephen R. Higley, who has pored over heaps of census data from the 2010 United States Census, we now have a definitive breakdown of which Chicago neighborhoods are the wealthiest in all of the city. Of course, if you've lived in the Windy City for more than a couple of years, you could probably guess the top ten, but today we bring you the list that has census data backing it. Many of the wealthiest communities in the greater metro area fall outside of city limits, but we are only focusing on Chicago neighborhoods (sorry suburban readers). So without further adieu, here are Chicago's ten richest neighborhoods by mean household income.

The following neighborhoods are listed with their mean income:

10. Near West Side-River West ($86,168)
9. Printers Row-Dearborn Park ($88,482)
8. The Loop ($91,033)
7. River North ($100,607)
6. Old Town ($104,060)
5. The Near North ($105,586)
4. Streeterville ($107,276)
3. Lincoln Park ($115,856)
2. New East Side/Lake Shore East ($122,145)
1. The Gold Coast ($153,358)

Not surprisingly, the Gold Coast has taken first place for the wealthiest nabes in Chicago. Sure Old Town's data could have been included in with the Gold Coast, but doing so would not have changed the final outcome for the top spot. One thing to keep in mind is that the data used for the list is already a few years old now, and could dramatically change when the next census happens. A development boom currently underway in the Loop is bringing hundreds of new apartments, and future wealthy tenants along with them. Our sister-sites Curbed New York and Curbed LA have also pieced together their own lists, indicating the ten wealthiest neighborhoods in both cities, so be sure to check them out. Were there any surprises or perhaps glaring omissions? Let us know in the comments.
· Top urban neighborhoods by mean household income [The Higley 1000]
· The 10 Richest Neighborhoods in Los Angeles [Curbed LA]
· Here Now, The 10 Richest Neighborhoods In New York City [Curbed NY]

This story was originally published in 2014 and has been updated with new information.