Safety index · Chicago · data through July 2026
Is South Shore safe?
South Shore records a high level of reported crime for Chicago. Its SafeRoute safety index is 26 out of 100 — 26 points below the citywide median of 52, ranking 75th of 77 Chicago community areas — based on 1,965 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 (35% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 27% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 20% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 693 · 35% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 248 · 13% | |
| Other theft | 341 · 17% | |
| Burglary | 114 · 6% | |
| Vehicle crime | 175 · 9% | |
| Other | 169 · 9% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in South Shore 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
- Avalon Park52/100 · Moderate
- Woodlawn40/100 · Elevated
- South Chicago42/100 · Elevated
- Calumet Heights60/100 · Moderate
- Greater Grand Crossing33/100 · Elevated
Common questions
Is South Shore safe at night?
Elevated overall (safety index 26/100). About 47% of severity-weighted incidents in South Shore 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 South Shore?
Violent crime — 693 of 1,965 incidents (35%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through July 2026.
How is the South Shore 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.