Key takeaway: A one-bedroom in the South Loop rents for about $2,490 to $2,680 a month in fall 2026, two-bedrooms about $3,300 to $3,540, and Trader Joe’s, Jewel, Mariano’s and Target are all within a few blocks of the Roosevelt station.
The South Loop stretches from Congress Parkway south toward Cermak, between the river and the lake, with Grant Park and the Museum Campus on its east side. You get high-rise and loft living with lakefront access and lots of transit. Here are the numbers.
Rent by apartment size
| Unit | Zumper (avg., Oct 2026) | RentCafe (avg., Sep 2026) | RentHop (median, Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,176 | $2,050 | $2,297 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,494 | $2,578 | $2,679 |
| 2 bedrooms | $3,300 | $3,480 | $3,537 |
| 3 bedrooms | $4,825 | $4,628 | $4,766 |
Source: Zumper South Loop rent research, updated October 21, 2026; RentCafe South Loop, updated September 30, 2026; RentHop South Loop. Sources differ because they track different listings; see why rent reports disagree.
Getting around
- L: Roosevelt (Red, Green and Orange), Harrison (Red), Harold Washington Library and LaSalle/Van Buren (Brown, Orange, Pink and Purple), LaSalle (Blue), Cermak-Chinatown (Red) and Cermak-McCormick Place (Green). From the City of Chicago’s list of L stops.
- Metra: Metra Electric stops at Van Buren Street and Museum Campus/11th Street (Zone 1), and 18th Street and McCormick Place (Zone 2). Rock Island trains use LaSalle Street Station (Zone 1). See Metra fares.
- Buses: #3 King Drive, #4 Cottage Grove, #12 Roosevelt, #18 16th/18th, #29 State, #62 Archer and the #146 express to the Museum Campus.
A 30-day CTA pass is $75 (CTA).
Groceries nearby
| Store | Address |
|---|---|
| Trader Joe’s South Loop | 1147 S. Wabash Ave. |
| Jewel-Osco Roosevelt and Wabash | 1224 S. Wabash Ave. |
| Target South Loop | 1154 S. Clark St. |
| Mariano’s South Loop | 1615 S. Clark St. |
| Whole Foods South Loop | 1101 S. Canal St. |
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.
On Bears game days, the team’s guide warns visitors that parking in the residential area bounded by Roosevelt, Cermak, Lake Shore Drive and Clark is prohibited, with tickets and tows (Chicago Bears). If you live there and keep a car on the street, a zone permit matters.
Property taxes and home prices
Most of the South Loop is in South Chicago Township, which runs from Wacker Drive south to Pershing Road (Cook County Assessor). The Assessor’s 2024 report put Near South Side median sale prices at $326,000 for a condo and $675,000 for a single-family home, and the Loop’s median condo at $295,000 (Cook County Assessor, 2024 Chicago report). Citywide, the median Chicago homeowner bill for tax year 2025, mailed in August 2026, was $4,597, up 3.2% (Cook County Treasurer). For how bills are set and how to appeal, see our property tax guide.
A sample monthly budget
| Setup | Rent | CTA pass | Income needed at 30% rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own one-bedroom | $2,494 | $75 | $99,760 |
| Half of a two-bedroom | $1,650 | $75 | $66,000 |
| Your own two-bedroom | $3,300 | $75 | $132,000 |
Source: our calculation from the Zumper averages above. Income needed is monthly rent times 12, divided by 0.30. See how much you need to make to live in Chicago for the rest of the budget, and 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, Chatham, 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, Uptown, West Loop, West Ridge and Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village.
Sources
- Zumper: South Loop rent
- RentCafe: South Loop rent
- RentHop: South Loop rent
- City of Chicago: list of L stops
- Metra: Museum Campus/11th Street
- Metra: 18th Street
- Metra: McCormick Place
- Metra: LaSalle Street Station
- CTA fares
- City Clerk: residential zone parking
- Chicago Bears: parking guide
- Cook County Assessor: South Chicago Township
- Cook County Assessor: 2024 Chicago report
- Cook County Treasurer: tax year 2025 analysis