Key takeaway: A one-bedroom in Kenwood rents for about $1,530 to $1,775 a month in 2026, two-bedrooms about $2,150 to $2,250, and condos sold for a median $250,000 in 2024, with Metra Electric and the lakefront close by.
Kenwood sits on the South Side lakefront just north of Hyde Park, from 43rd to 51st Street, known for its large historic homes and tree-lined boulevards. Its typical one-bedroom, about $1,775 a month, runs about $304 below the citywide typical of $2,079 (Zillow, September 2026), the 28th highest of the 92 areas in our neighborhood comparison.
| Typical one-bedroom | $1,775 a month |
| Typical two-bedroom | $2,250 a month |
| Income for your own one-bedroom | About $71,000 a year |
| L lines | Green (west) |
| Metra | Metra Electric |
| Part of the city | South Side |
On this page: Rent · Getting around · Groceries · Parking · Taxes and home prices · Buyer help · Sample budget
Rent by apartment size
| Unit | Zumper (avg., Aug 2026) | RentHop (Aug 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,380 | $1,123 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,775 | $1,530 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,250 | $2,150 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,317 | n/a |
Source: Zumper Kenwood rent research; RentHop Kenwood. We left out RentHop’s three-bedroom figure because it was based on too few listings. Sources differ because they track different listings; see why rent reports disagree.
Getting around
- Metra Electric: 47th Street/Kenwood and 51st/53rd Street/Hyde Park stations, Zone 2 at $3.75 one way (Metra Electric; Metra fares). See Metra fares.
- L: the Green Line runs to the west, with stations at 43rd and 47th (City of Chicago list of L stops).
- Buses: #4 Cottage Grove and #47 47th, plus the express buses that serve Hyde Park.
A 30-day CTA pass is $75 (CTA).
Groceries nearby
| Store | Address |
|---|---|
| Whole Foods Hyde Park | 5118 S. Lake Park Ave. |
| Target Hyde Park | 1346 E. 53rd St. |
| Trader Joe’s Hyde Park | 1528 E. 55th St. |
| Mariano’s Bronzeville (north) | 3857 S. King Dr. |
Source: each store’s own location page or locator, checked October 25, 2026. See our Chicago grocery guide.
Parking
If you will have a car, check your block with the City Clerk’s zone lookup before you sign a lease. Adding a residential permit zone to your City Sticker costs $25 to $35 a year, on top of the $105.18 passenger-car sticker; our parking guide covers guest passes, meters and garages.
Property taxes and home prices
The Assessor’s 2024 report put Kenwood median sale prices at $250,000 for a condo and $726,000 for a single-family home (Cook County Assessor, 2024 Chicago report), so condos here cost far less than the area’s historic houses. 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, and to weigh owning against renting, our rent vs. buy calculator.
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).
- 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).
Kenwood cost of living: a sample monthly budget
| Setup | Rent | CTA pass | Income needed at 30% rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own one-bedroom | $1,775 | $75 | $71,000 |
| Half of a two-bedroom | $1,125 | $75 | $45,000 |
| Your own two-bedroom | $2,250 | $75 | $90,000 |
Source: our calculation from the Zumper averages above. For neighboring Hyde Park and Bronzeville, see their profiles. 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 South Side neighborhood profiles: Archer Heights, Ashburn, Auburn Gresham, Avalon Park, Back of the Yards and Canaryville, Beverly, Bridgeport, Brighton Park, Bronzeville, Burnside, Calumet Heights, Chatham, Chicago Lawn, Chinatown, Clearing, East Side, Englewood, Fuller Park, Gage Park, Garfield Ridge, Greater Grand Crossing, Hegewisch, Hyde Park, McKinley Park, Morgan Park, Mount Greenwood, Oakland, Pullman, Riverdale, Roseland, South Chicago, South Deering, South Shore, Washington Heights, Washington Park, West Elsdon, West Englewood, West Lawn, West Pullman and Woodlawn.
Costs that apply in every neighborhood: property tax bills, closing costs and condo fees, water, sewer and garbage fees, ComEd and Peoples Gas, CTA fares, parking, average salaries by job and our Chicago cost index.
Sources
- Zumper: Kenwood rent
- RentHop: Kenwood rent
- Metra Electric Line
- Metra fare table
- Sun-Times: HomeGrown program
- 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