Safety index · Chicago · data through August 2026
Is Lincoln Square safe?
Lincoln Square shows a typical level of reported crime for Chicago. Its SafeRoute safety index is 60 out of 100 — right at the citywide median of 57, ranking 32nd of 77 Chicago community areas — based on 797 incidents reported to the Chicago Police Department within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 7 months to August 2026.
DATA THROUGH AUGUST 2026 · 7 MONTHS OF DATA
The 0–100 scale is calibrated to Chicago — a typical Chicago neighborhood sits near 57. It ranks Lincoln Square against other neighborhoods here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
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 26% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 17% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 195 · 24% | |
| Other theft | 206 · 26% | |
| Burglary | 52 · 7% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 49 · 6% | |
| Public order | 42 · 5% | |
| Shoplifting | 119 · 15% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in Lincoln Square 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
- Edgewater47/100 · Elevated
- Uptown37/100 · Elevated
- Albany Park54/100 · Moderate
- West Ridge57/100 · Moderate
- North Center72/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is Lincoln Square safe at night?
Moderate overall (safety index 60/100). About 43% of severity-weighted incidents in Lincoln Square 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 Lincoln Square?
Violent crime — 195 of 797 incidents (24%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 7 months to August 2026.
How is the Lincoln Square 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. The scale is calibrated within Chicago, so scores compare neighborhoods to each other and cannot be read against another city's.