Research Guides: Design Thinking: Chicago Data including Neighborhoods

Instructions on using SimplyAnalytics to find Chicago Neighborhood Data

Instructions for finding Chicago Neighborhood data with SimplyAnalytics

Defining a Neighborhood

There is no definitive resource for defining the boundaries of a Chicago neighborhood. Therefore, it may be necessary to consult several resources to determine which boundaries you will use for defining the geographic area of a neighborhood. You can consult maps, encyclopedia's, or neighborhood residents.

Chicago Neighborhoods Map
"Unlike Chicago's official 77 community areas, neighborhood boundaries are loosely defined and tend to change over time." Here Chicago neighborhoods are overlaid on a Google Map. Created by Kevin Zolkiewicz.
City of Chicago | Find Your Ward and Alderman
Information on wards and aldermen by street address, a list and map of all 50 wards. Chicago is made up of 50 wards which boundaries change over time and can cover multiple community areas and/or neighborhoods
Statistical Atlas of the United States
Search for your neighborhood in the atlas to learn what zip codes, congressional districts, census tracts, and block groups cover the neighborhood.

Chicago Neighborhoods - Additional resources

Block Club Chicago
Neighborhood-based news source
City of Chicago website
Find information on elected officials, city agencies and departments, and programs and initiatives.
Chicago Data Portal
Find data for your neighborhood including a 311 service tracker.
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Chicago
A community development support organization, working in Chicago neighborhoods since 1980.
LISC Resource Library
Explore the entire catalog of LISC's publications, webinars, case studies and more are all in one place. Search the library to find Chicago-related projects or other resources you may need.
Encyclopedia of Chicago
Search for neighborhoods in the encyclopedia to find a historic overview.

News archives

Chicago Tribune (1989-present) This link opens in a new window
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Founded in 1847, it remains the most-read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region.
Chicago Tribune Historical Archive (1849-1997) This link opens in a new window
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Contains full text and page images of the entire contents of the Chicago Tribune, including classified ads, advertisements, obituaries, and comics.
Chicago Defender (1999-2019) This link opens in a new window
Chicago's nationally recognized African American newspaper.
Chicago Defender Historical Archive (1909-2010) This link opens in a new window
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Full text articles from this prominent Black newspaper. Includes page images of the entire contents, such as classified ads, advertisements, obituaries, and comics.
Crain's Chicago Business This link opens in a new window
A weekly business newspaper in Chicago that covers healthcare, real estate, manufacturing, government, sports, and more.

Chicago Transit Data

More Chicago data

Encyclopedia of Chicago This link opens in a new window
Illinois Sanborn Insurance Maps (1867-1970) This link opens in a new window
Fire insurance maps give a snapshot of an Illinois city or town during a certain time period, and provide detailed information for some individual buildings. Includes street names, property boundaries, building use, and house and block numbers. (NOTE: May not be available from off campus.)

SimplyAnalytics This link opens in a new window
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A mapping and data visualization application that lets users create interactive maps, charts, and reports. It includes demographics (e.g., age, race, income, employment), consumer spending, and detailed business profiles. Users also have access to Claritas PRIZM consumer lifestyle data.

To save your work in SimplyAnalytics, create an account. You may use as a guest but none of your project work will be saved. Limited to 10 simultaneous users.