Safety index · Chicago · data through October 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 5,307 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 The Loop 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 27% of reports — rather than violence against strangers, though the full mix below is worth a look.
Reported incidents here skew to daytime and evening hours — only about 15% of severity-weighted reports fall overnight (midnight–6 a.m.).
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Other theft | 1,420 · 27% | |
| Violent crime | 1,045 · 20% | |
| Shoplifting | 767 · 14% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 422 · 8% | |
| Public order | 324 · 6% | |
| Vehicle crime | 287 · 5% |
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 The Loop 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
- Near North Side25/100 · Elevated
- Near South Side49/100 · Elevated
- 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 39% 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?
Other theft — 1,420 of 5,307 incidents (27%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 9 months to October 2026.
How is 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.