Cost of living in Sauganash and Forest Glen, Chicago (2026)

Key takeaway: A one-bedroom in Sauganash and Forest Glen rents for about $1,500 to $1,600 a month in 2026, single-family homes sold for a median $530,000 in 2024, and two Metra stations plus miles of forest preserve trails are in the area.

Sauganash, Forest Glen and Edgebrook make up the Forest Glen community area on the Far Northwest Side, a leafy pocket of Tudor and brick homes bordered by the North Branch of the Chicago River and its forest preserves. Few apartments come up here, so most people buy. Its typical one-bedroom, about $1,600 a month, runs about $479 below the citywide typical of $2,079 (Zillow, September 2026), the 32nd highest of the 92 areas in our neighborhood comparison.

Typical one-bedroom$1,600 a month
Typical two-bedroom$1,950 a month
Income for your own one-bedroomAbout $64,000 a year
L linesNone
MetraMilwaukee District North
Part of the cityNorthwest Side
At a glance, October 2026. Rents are the figures used in the sample budget below; income is our calculation, rent times 40.
Sauganash and Forest Glen cost of living: typical one-bedroom $1,600 and two-bedroom $1,950 a month, compared with $2,079 and $2,516 citywide
Typical rents in Sauganash and Forest Glen compared with the citywide typical (Zillow, September 2026). Neighborhood figures are the ones in the table above; income is our calculation, rent times 40.

On this page: Rent · Getting around · Groceries · Free to use · Parking · Taxes and home prices · Sample budget

Rent by apartment size

UnitZumper, Forest Glen (avg., Oct 2026)RentHop, ZIP 60646 (avg., Oct 2026)
Studio$1,300$1,190
1 bedroom$1,600$1,500
2 bedrooms$1,950$2,225
3 bedrooms$2,600$3,648

Source: Zumper Forest Glen rent research, updated October 5, 2026; RentHop ZIP 60646, which also covers parts of neighboring areas. RentHop’s Sauganash and Forest Glen pages rest on too few listings to use. Sources differ because they track different listings; see why rent reports disagree.

Getting around

A 30-day CTA pass is $75 (CTA).

Groceries nearby

StoreAddress
Jewel-Osco Foster and Pulaski4042 W. Foster Ave.
Mariano’s Jefferson Park5353 N. Elston Ave.
ALDI5001 N. Pulaski Rd.

Source: each store’s own location page or locator, checked October 25, 2026. See our Chicago grocery guide.

Free to use

Forest Glen Woods and LaBagh Woods connect to the North Branch Trail and charge no fees, and the North Park Village Nature Center at 5801 N. Pulaski Rd. is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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 Forest Glen community area median sale prices at $391,000 for a condo, $530,000 for a single-family home (up 21% from 2020) and $577,000 for a two-to-six-unit building (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). Businesses are in SSA 62 Sauganash Edgebrook (City of Chicago SSA list). 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.

Sauganash and Forest Glen cost of living: a sample monthly budget

SetupRentCTA passIncome needed at 30% rent
Your own one-bedroom$1,600$75$64,000
Half of a two-bedroom$975$75$39,000
Your own two-bedroom$1,950$75$78,000

Source: our calculation from the Zumper figures above (half of $1,950, rounded). 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 Northwest Side neighborhood profiles: Albany Park, Avondale, Belmont Cragin, Bucktown, Dunning, Edison Park, Hermosa, Irving Park, Jefferson Park, Logan Square, Montclare, Norwood Park, O’Hare, Old Irving Park and Portage Park.

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

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