Whether you own a car or not, one of the most key amenities Chicagoans consider when looking for a new apartment or house is its proximity to a CTA station. In recent years, developers have caught on to this factor in a big way, breaking ground on transit-oriented development projects that offer tenants convenient access to the El (just look at the current luxury apartment boom along Milwaukee Avenue).
Apartment rental search engine Renthop has created an interactive map, combing through listings to determine the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment near each El stop. Find the median rent at the station you live closest to (or one that you hope to move to) on the map below.
The results aren't exactly groundbreaking—stations that are closer to the Loop typically command higher median rental prices. What's most interesting is the change in price between March 2016 and March 2017. Based on this data, Renthop assembled a list of the El stops which saw the largest increases and decreases in median rental price over the past year:
These El stops saw the biggest rent pops on one-bedroom apartments
Green Line – Harlem/Lake: (+15.3 percent) $1,524
Red Line – Lake St: (+14.8 percent) $2,225
Green Line – Oak Park: (+14.4 percent) $1,545
Green Line – Cottage Grove: (+11.5 percent) $1,254
Purple & Brown Line: Chicago Ave: (+11.1 percent) $2,150
Pink Line – 18th St: (+9.2 percent) $1,269.5
These El stops saw dropping rents
Pink Line – Polk: (-8.6 percent) $1,787
Blue Line – Illinois Medical District: (-8.5 percent) $1,785
Brown, Orange, Purple, Pink Line – Washington/Wells: (-7.9 percent) $2,265
Blue Line – Clinton: (-7.9 percent) $2,090
Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple Line – Randolph/Wabash: (-7.7 percent) $2,125
That's probably not great news if you're looking for a relatively affordable apartment in Pilsen or Woodlawn. On the bright side, median rents near the Loop seems to be on a downward trend (and a downtown apartment would really reduce your commute if you also work there). Summer apartment hunters, take note!
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