Safety index · Chicago · data through October 2026
Is Near South Side safe?
Near South Side records more reported crime than most Chicago neighborhoods. Its SafeRoute safety index is 49 out of 100 — 8 points below the citywide median of 57, ranking 52nd of 77 Chicago community areas — based on 1,497 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 South 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 31% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 21% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Other theft | 444 · 30% | |
| Violent crime | 367 · 25% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 146 · 10% | |
| Other | 116 · 8% | |
| Burglary | 108 · 7% | |
| Vehicle crime | 103 · 7% |
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 South 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
- Armour Square57/100 · Moderate
- The Loop23/100 · High risk
- Douglas45/100 · Elevated
- Bridgeport59/100 · Moderate
- Oakland57/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is Near South Side safe at night?
Elevated overall (safety index 49/100). About 52% of severity-weighted incidents in Near South 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 South Side?
Other theft — 444 of 1,497 incidents (30%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 9 months to October 2026.
How is the Near South 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.