Safety index · Chicago · data through July 2026
Is Lower West Side safe?
Lower West Side shows a typical level of reported crime for Chicago. Its SafeRoute safety index is 58 out of 100 — 6 points above the citywide median of 52, ranking 27th of 77 Chicago community areas — based on 527 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 (26% 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 24% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 138 · 26% | |
| Other theft | 137 · 26% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 57 · 11% | |
| Public order | 39 · 7% | |
| Vehicle crime | 56 · 11% | |
| Burglary | 30 · 6% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in Lower West 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
- Bridgeport55/100 · Moderate
- McKinley Park63/100 · Moderate
- Near West Side39/100 · Elevated
- Armour Square52/100 · Moderate
- Near South Side45/100 · Elevated
Common questions
Is Lower West Side safe at night?
Moderate overall (safety index 58/100). About 51% of severity-weighted incidents in Lower West 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 Lower West Side?
Violent crime — 138 of 527 incidents (26%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through July 2026.
How is the Lower West 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.