Safety index · Chicago · data through August 2026
Is The Loop safe?
The Loop records a high level of reported crime for Chicago. Its SafeRoute safety index is 23 out of 100 — 34 points below the citywide median of 57, ranking 77th of 77 Chicago community areas — based on 4,046 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 The Loop against other neighborhoods here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
The largest reported category here is violent crime (20% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 25% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 15% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 827 · 20% | |
| Other theft | 1,050 · 26% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 332 · 8% | |
| Public order | 254 · 6% | |
| Burglary | 190 · 5% | |
| Shoplifting | 579 · 14% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in The Loop 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
- Near North Side26/100 · Elevated
- Near South Side50/100 · Moderate
- Near West Side44/100 · Elevated
- Armour Square57/100 · Moderate
- Lower West Side62/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is The Loop safe at night?
High risk overall (safety index 23/100). About 40% of severity-weighted incidents in The Loop 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 The Loop?
Violent crime — 827 of 4,046 incidents (20%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 7 months to August 2026.
How is the The Loop 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.