The Most Dangerous Neighborhoods in Chicago (2025)
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Is Chicago Safe? The Citywide Numbers Have Changed Dramatically
Chicago recorded 416 homicides in 2025 — the fewest since 1965, a nearly 30% drop from 2024’s 573, and down almost 48% from the city’s more recent 2021 peak.
For comparison, 2016 (the year most often cited as Chicago’s modern low point) saw 762 homicides, nearly double the current total. Shooting victims fell from 2,797 in 2024 to 1,847 in 2025 (-33%), shooting incidents fell 35%, and robberies fell 36%. The homicide clearance rate also rose to 71% in 2025, a 13-year high, up from 56% in 2024.
That said, Chicago is a huge city, and a citywide decline doesn’t mean crime is distributed evenly — specific neighborhoods still carry meaningfully higher crime rates than the city average.
The neighborhoods below have historically ranked among Chicago’s highest-crime areas; where noted, the underlying data is several years old since no more recent neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown has been published.
1. Washington Park
Washington Park, with a population of 12,707, has historically ranked as Chicago’s highest-crime neighborhood, with a cited overall crime rate 297% above the national average. Violent crime, including robbery and assault, has historically been common here.
2. West Garfield Park
West Garfield Park, on Chicago’s West Side, has had a historically high violent crime rate tied to gang activity, cited at 257% above the citywide average, with roughly a 1-in-20 historical chance of residents becoming victims of violent crime.
3. Englewood
Englewood, on Chicago’s South Side, has a population of 24,369 and a historically high poverty rate. Its crime rate was cited as 125% above the Chicago average in 2022 data, the most recent neighborhood-level figures available.
4. North Lawndale
North Lawndale, on Chicago’s West Side, was significantly impacted by the 2008 recession and has a population of 34,794. Cited crime data (2020) put its overall crime rate 198% above the Chicago average, with a roughly 1-in-9 historical chance of becoming a victim of any crime and a 1-in-34 chance for violent crime specifically.
5. East Garfield Park
East Garfield Park has a long history of both violent and property crime, with more than 2,800 violent crimes and 7,500 property crimes recorded in 2022, and gang activity and gun violence historically prevalent (more than 77 shootings reported in 2021).
6. West Englewood
West Englewood, population 32,317, has a historically cited overall crime rate roughly double the Chicago average, with a violent crime rate that put the historical odds of victimization around 1 in 37.
7. Austin
Austin, on Chicago’s West Side, is one of the city’s largest neighborhoods by population and has historically ranked among its higher-crime areas, with gun violence and property crime cited as persistent challenges.
Like several other West and South Side neighborhoods on this list, Austin has also seen real community investment and revitalization efforts in recent years alongside those challenges.
8. Grand Crossing
Grand Crossing, on Chicago’s South Side, has 31,471 residents. Cited 2020 data put its overall crime rate 317% above the national average, with gun violence historically a persistent issue reported by residents.
9. Riverdale
Riverdale, on Chicago’s far South Side, had a cited overall crime rate of 7,682 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2021, with a historical 1-in-39 chance of violent crime victimization.
10. South Shore
South Shore, with a population of approximately 54,000, is known for its Great Lakes beaches alongside a historically elevated crime rate — cited at 7,573 crimes per 100,000 residents, with robbery and assault historically common.
Chicago Crime Data at a Glance
| Metric | Figure | Data As Of |
|---|---|---|
| Citywide homicides | 416 | 2025 (lowest since 1965) |
| Homicide decline vs. 2021 peak | ~48% | 2021–2025 |
| Shooting victims | 1,847 (down from 2,797) | 2025 vs. 2024 |
| Homicide clearance rate | 71% (13-year high) | 2025 |
| Neighborhood-level crime rates above | See individual entries | 2020–2022, most recent available |
Sources: Chicago Police Department year-end release, City of Chicago 2025 Year in Review, University of Chicago Crime Lab. Neighborhood-level figures are cited to 2020-2022 aggregator data, the most recent breakdown publicly available at the time of writing.
FAQ
Is crime in Chicago going up or down?
Down, substantially. 2025 recorded the fewest homicides in Chicago since 1965, continuing a decline of nearly 48% from the 2021 peak. Shootings, robberies, and aggravated batteries all fell significantly in 2025 as well.
Which Chicago neighborhoods have the highest crime rates?
Based on the most recent available neighborhood-level data (2020-2022), Washington Park, West Garfield Park, and Grand Crossing have historically posted some of the city’s highest crime rates. A fresher neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown hasn’t been published since, so treat these as directional.
Which Chicago neighborhoods are safest?
Neighborhoods in the North Side and along the lakefront, such as those covered in our guide to Chicago’s richest neighborhoods, generally post significantly lower crime rates than the West and South Side neighborhoods on this list.
Bottom Line
Chicago is a large metropolis with many distinct and expansive neighborhoods, and the culture and identity of the city have significantly benefited from the contributions of many of the places on this list. These neighborhoods have historically ranked among the city’s highest-crime areas, even as Chicago’s citywide numbers have improved dramatically in the last two years.
If you’re considering a move, research the specific block or blocks you’re interested in rather than relying on neighborhood-wide averages, and check the City of Chicago’s Violence Reduction Dashboard for the most current available data.
Nicole Fishman Benoliel co-founded NestApple in 2017. She's a lawyer admitted to the New York bar - her law degree is from La Escuela Libre de Derecho in Costa Rica, with further study at IE Business School in Madrid and an LLM from Fordham in New York. She does not act in a legal capacity at NestApple; every client is referred to an attorney who handles real estate deals full time.
