Safety index · Chicago · data through July 2026
Is East Side safe?
East Side sits at the safer end of Chicago by reported crime. Its SafeRoute safety index is 69 out of 100 — 17 points above the citywide median of 52, ranking 15th of 77 Chicago community areas — based on 339 incidents reported to the Chicago Police Department within 1 km of the neighborhood center (data through July 2026).
The largest reported category here is violent crime (24% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 30% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 26% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 80 · 24% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 42 · 12% | |
| Other theft | 67 · 20% | |
| Vehicle crime | 42 · 12% | |
| Weapons possession | 15 · 4% | |
| Sexual offences | 10 · 3% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in East Side at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same live crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Pick the safer way, share your walk, and check in when you arrive. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- South Deering100/100 · Low risk
- Calumet Heights60/100 · Moderate
- South Chicago42/100 · Elevated
- Pullman75/100 · Low risk
- Hegewisch81/100 · Low risk
Common questions
Is East Side safe at night?
Moderate overall (safety index 69/100). About 56% of severity-weighted incidents in East Side are reported between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. At night, prefer lit, busier streets — a block or two of detour often avoids the clusters on the map above.
What is the most common crime in East Side?
Violent crime — 80 of 339 incidents (24%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through July 2026.
How is the East Side safety index calculated?
SafeRoute weights each incident reported to the Chicago Police Department by severity (violence weighs more than shoplifting), sums the last available period within 1 km of the neighborhood center, and normalizes against citywide crime rates onto a 0–100 scale — higher is safer. It describes reported crime only; it is not a guarantee of safety.