East Garfield Park Community Area

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Submarket 1 96.7% of East Garfield Park

Lowest income, high distress, declining population, urban

Submarket 1 consists primarily of urban areas concentrated on the south and west sides of the City of Chicago, but also includes parts of Waukegan, Joliet, and south suburban Cook County. These communities are medium density with many 2–4 flats built before 1940. High rates of vacancy, foreclosures, and distressed sales in Submarket 1 may undercut the quality of existing homes. Significant population loss in Submarket 1 communities is likely both a cause and an effect of local levels of property distress. Nonetheless, Submarket 1 has good access to the regional transportation network, which helps keep transportation costs low. Despite low housing values and costs, declining incomes among Submarket 1 households have led to increased rates of cost burden. Educational attainment levels are low, and households in this submarket are lower income with the largest income declines of any of the submarkets. The submarket has experienced high unemployment, which has increased over time. Communities in this submarket are also aging, now with a greater share of older adults and fewer children under 15.

Submarket 2 3.3% of East Garfield Park

Higher density urban and suburban, large households, high foreclosure/moderate vacancy, low/moderate income

Submarket 2 consists of urban and suburban homes built before 1940 in parts of Chicago, Aurora, Elgin, Joliet, and Waukegan. Declining incomes likely influence the high and increasing levels of cost burden. Low transportation costs moderate concerns about high levels of cost burden. Many households rent, but comparatively fewer live in subsidized units than in submarket 1. The submarket has higher levels of foreclosure activity, but moderate levels of vacancy. Mortgage investment is low but cash sales are high, which when combined with the high foreclosure rates and low vacancy rates, points to the transitioning of homes from owners to renters. The larger households in submarket 2 frequently have children under the age of 15.