Safety index · Chicago · data through October 2026
Is Near North Side safe?
Near North Side records a high level of reported crime for Chicago. Its SafeRoute safety index is 25 out of 100 — 32 points below the citywide median of 57, ranking 76th of 77 Chicago community areas — based on 4,851 incidents reported to the Chicago Police Department within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 9 months to October 2026.
DATA THROUGH OCTOBER 2026 · 9 MONTHS OF DATA
The 0–100 scale is calibrated to Chicago — a typical Chicago neighborhood sits near 57. It ranks Near North Side against other neighborhoods here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
Most of what's reported here is property-related — other theft alone is 30% of reports — rather than violence against strangers, though the full mix below is worth a look.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 24% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 28% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Other theft | 1,449 · 30% | |
| Violent crime | 1,023 · 21% | |
| Shoplifting | 840 · 17% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 309 · 6% | |
| Public order | 250 · 5% | |
| Vehicle crime | 213 · 4% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Is Chicago safe at night? See which neighborhoods see the most reported crime after dark →
Walking in Near North Side at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same official crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Compare the routes and share your walk. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- The Loop23/100 · High risk
- Lincoln Park53/100 · Moderate
- West Town43/100 · Elevated
- Near West Side44/100 · Elevated
- Near South Side49/100 · Elevated
Common questions
Is Near North Side safe at night?
Elevated overall (safety index 25/100). About 52% of severity-weighted incidents in Near North 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 Near North Side?
Other theft — 1,449 of 4,851 incidents (30%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 9 months to October 2026.
How is the Near North 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. The scale is calibrated within Chicago, so scores compare neighborhoods to each other and cannot be read against another city's.