Key takeaway: A one-bedroom in Chatham rents for about $1,010 to $1,410 a month in fall 2026, two-bedrooms about $1,300 to $1,560, and single-family homes sold for a median $180,000 in 2024, with four Metra Electric stations and the Red Line for the trip downtown.
Chatham is on the South Side around 79th Street, between the Dan Ryan and Cottage Grove, with blocks of brick bungalows. It’s one of the most affordable places in Chicago to rent or buy a house. Here are the numbers.
Rent by apartment size
| Unit | Zumper (avg., Oct 2026) | RentHop (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $880 | $1,000 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,010 | $1,413 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,300 | $1,563 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,650 | $2,050 |
Source: Zumper Chatham rent research, updated October 5, 2026; RentHop Chatham. Sources differ because they track different listings; see why rent reports disagree.
Getting around
- L: Red Line at 79th and 87th along the Dan Ryan. From the City of Chicago’s list of L stops.
- Metra Electric: 79th St./Chatham, 83rd Street/Avalon Park, 87th Street/Woodruff and 91st Street/Chesterfield, all Zone 2: $3.75 one way or $75 a month (Metra fares). The rebuilt 79th Street station reopened in December 2024 (Metra). See Metra fares.
- Buses: #79 79th, #87 87th, #95 95th and #4 Cottage Grove.
A 30-day CTA pass is $75 (CTA).
Groceries nearby
| Store | Address |
|---|---|
| Jewel-Osco 87th and State | 87 W. 87th St. |
| ALDI | 7345 S. State St. |
| ALDI | 7800 S. South Chicago Ave. |
| ALDI | 8500 S. Holland Rd. |
Source: each store’s own location page or locator, checked October 25, 2026. See our Chicago grocery guide.
Parking
Many residential blocks are permit zones. Adding your zone to your City Sticker costs $25 to $35 a year (the City Clerk’s City Sticker page lists $25 and its zone parking FAQ lists $35), on top of a $105.18 sticker for a passenger car in 2026. Guest passes are $15 for a sheet of 15. Check your block with the Clerk’s zone lookup before you sign a lease if you’ll have a car. More in our Chicago parking guide.
Property taxes and home prices
The Assessor’s 2024 report put Chatham median sale prices at $50,000 for a condo, $180,000 for a single-family home and $348,000 for a two-to-six-unit building (Cook County Assessor, 2024 Chicago report). The Treasurer put the 2024 median for the wider area including Chatham, Roseland and Pullman at $153,000 (Cook County Treasurer, tax year 2024 report). Citywide, the median Chicago homeowner bill for tax year 2025, mailed in August 2026, was $4,597, up 3.2% (Cook County Treasurer).
Businesses along the main commercial streets are in SSA 51, run by the Chatham Business Association (City of Chicago SSA list). For how bills are set and how to appeal, see our property tax guide.
New homes for sale
Through the city’s Missing Middle program, builders buy city lots in West Chatham for $1 and get up to $150,000 per unit in construction help (City of Chicago). The City Council approved four three-flats on the 500 block of West 81st Street in January 2026, each to be sold to an owner who lives in the building (Urbanize Chicago).
Help buying a home
- HomeGrown (City of Chicago): purchase grants of $10,000 to $70,000 depending on income and which of two city zones the home is in, for buyers up to 150% of area median income, launched June 2026 with $21 million (Sun-Times). Funds are first-come, first-served and applications were under review in September 2026 (The Resurrection Project).
- IHDAccess Home (State of Illinois): up to $15,000 for first-time buyers as a 0% deferred second mortgage (Governor’s office).
- Cook County Down Payment Assistance: 5% of the loan, up to $25,000, forgivable over five years (Cook County).
A sample monthly budget
| Setup | Rent | CTA pass | Income needed at 30% rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own one-bedroom | $1,010 | $75 | $40,400 |
| Half of a two-bedroom | $650 | $75 | $26,000 |
| Your own two-bedroom | $1,300 | $75 | $52,000 |
Source: our calculation from the Zumper averages above. Income needed is monthly rent times 12, divided by 0.30. For a fuller answer that includes taxes and the rest of your budget, try our Chicago salary calculator, and see Chicago move-in costs for what you’ll pay up front.
Compare every neighborhood side by side in our Chicago neighborhood cost comparison, or work out your own number with our salary calculator. More neighborhood cost profiles: Albany Park, Avondale, Beverly, Bridgeport, Bronzeville, Chinatown, East and West Garfield Park, Edgewater and Andersonville, Gold Coast and Old Town, Humboldt Park, Hyde Park, Irving Park, Jefferson Park, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Lincoln Square, Little Village, Logan Square, McKinley Park, North Center, Pilsen, Portage Park, River North and Streeterville, Rogers Park, South Loop, Uptown, West Loop, West Ridge and Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village.
Sources
- Zumper: Chatham rent
- RentHop: Chatham rent
- Metra: 79th St./Chatham
- Metra: 83rd Street/Avalon Park
- Metra: 87th Street/Woodruff
- Metra: 91st Street/Chesterfield
- Metra: 79th Street reopening
- Metra fare table
- Cook County Treasurer: tax year 2024 report
- City of Chicago: SSA list
- City of Chicago: Missing Middle
- Urbanize Chicago: 81st Street three-flats
- Sun-Times: HomeGrown program
- The Resurrection Project: HomeGrown
- IHDAccess Home
- Cook County Down Payment Assistance
- City of Chicago: list of L stops
- CTA fares
- City Clerk: City Sticker prices
- City Clerk: residential zone parking
- Cook County Assessor: 2024 Chicago report
- Cook County Treasurer: tax year 2025 analysis