Key takeaway: A one-bedroom in East Garfield Park rents for about $1,350 a month in fall 2026 and in West Garfield Park about $1,050 to $1,550, the Green and Blue lines both run through the area, and the Garfield Park Conservatory is free for Chicago residents.
East and West Garfield Park are on the West Side around Garfield Park itself, about four miles from the Loop, with two L lines and a Metra stop. They’re some of the most affordable neighborhoods in the city with rail service this close to downtown. Here are the numbers.
Rent by apartment size
| Unit | East Garfield Park, Zumper (avg., Oct 2026) | East Garfield Park, RentHop (Oct 2026) | West Garfield Park, Zumper (avg., Sep 2026) | West Garfield Park, RentHop (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,495 | $1,550 | $870 | $1,500 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,350 | $1,350 | $1,050 | $1,550 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,686 | $1,750 | $1,397 | $1,500 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,100 | $2,000 | $1,697 | $1,900 |
Source: Zumper East Garfield Park, updated October 13, 2026; RentHop East Garfield Park; Zumper West Garfield Park, updated September 21, 2026; RentHop West Garfield Park. Studio figures rest on few listings. Sources differ because they track different listings; see why rent reports disagree.
Getting around
- L: Green Line at California, Kedzie, Conservatory and Pulaski; Blue Line at Kedzie-Homan and Pulaski on the south side. From the City of Chicago’s list of L stops.
- Metra: Kedzie station on the Union Pacific West Line is Zone 2: $3.75 one way (Metra fares). See Metra fares.
- Buses: #20 Madison, #52 Kedzie and #53 Pulaski.
A 30-day CTA pass is $75 (CTA).
Groceries nearby
| Store | Address |
|---|---|
| Pete’s Fresh Market (east) | Madison St. and Western Ave. |
| ALDI (north) | 800 N. Kedzie Ave. |
| Jewel-Osco Oak Park (west) | 438 W. Madison St., Oak Park |
Source: each store’s own location page or locator, checked October 25, 2026. See our Chicago grocery guide.
Garfield Park Conservatory
The Garfield Park Conservatory at 300 N. Central Park Ave. is free for Chicago residents, with suggested donations, and $10 for non-resident adults. It’s open Wednesday 10am to 8pm and Thursday to Sunday 10am to 5pm (Garfield Park Conservatory).
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 median sale prices at $178,000 for a condo, $245,000 for a single-family home and $330,000 for a two-to-six-unit building in East Garfield Park, and $115,000, $161,000 and $267,000 in West Garfield Park (Cook County Assessor, 2024 Chicago report).
If you’re buying, look closely at the tax history. After the 2024 reassessment, the median residential bill in West Garfield Park rose 133% to $3,448 for tax year 2024, the largest increase of any area (Cook County Treasurer, tax year 2024 report; Sun-Times). 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 Madison Street and Pulaski are in SSA 77, capped at 2% (Austin Weekly News). For how bills are set and how to appeal, see our property tax guide.
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, West Garfield Park | $1,050 | $75 | $42,000 |
| Your own one-bedroom, East Garfield Park | $1,350 | $75 | $54,000 |
| Half of a two-bedroom, East Garfield Park | $843 | $75 | $33,720 |
| Your own two-bedroom, East Garfield Park | $1,686 | $75 | $67,440 |
Source: our calculation from the Zumper averages above (half of $1,686). 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, Chatham, Chinatown, 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: East Garfield Park rent
- RentHop: East Garfield Park rent
- Zumper: West Garfield Park rent
- RentHop: West Garfield Park rent
- Metra: Kedzie
- Metra fare table
- City of Chicago: Pete’s Fresh Market
- Garfield Park Conservatory: visit
- Cook County Treasurer: tax year 2024 report
- Sun-Times: tax year 2024 bills
- Austin Weekly News: SSA 77
- 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