Key takeaway: A one-bedroom in Burnside rents for about $1,087 a month in 2026, single-family homes sold for a median $160,000 in 2024, and the Metra Electric stops at 91st Street on the neighborhood’s edge.
Burnside is one of the city’s smallest community areas, a triangle of brick bungalows on the South Side around 91st to 95th Street between the Metra Electric tracks and the Illinois Central freight line. Its typical one-bedroom, about $1,087 a month, runs about $992 below the citywide typical of $2,079 (Zillow, September 2026), the 14th lowest of the 92 areas in our neighborhood comparison.
| Typical one-bedroom | $1,087 a month |
| Typical two-bedroom | $1,350 a month |
| Income for your own one-bedroom | About $43,480 a year |
| L lines | None (bus to Red Line) |
| Metra | Metra Electric |
| Part of the city | South Side |
On this page: Rent · Getting around · Groceries · Parks · Parking · Taxes and home prices · Buyer help · Sample budget
Rent by apartment size
| Unit | Zumper (avg., Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | $1,087 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,350 |
Source: Zumper Burnside rent research, updated October 25, 2026. Burnside has very few rental listings; we left out RentHop’s Burnside figures because several rested on one listing or were not credible. Sources differ because they track different listings; see why rent reports disagree.
Getting around
- Metra Electric: 91st Street/Chesterfield, Zone 2: $3.75 one way or $75 a month (Metra fares). The 95th Street/Chicago State University station is closed for rebuilding and expected to reopen in the third quarter of 2027. See Metra fares.
- Buses: #4 Cottage Grove (overnight service north of 95th) and #95 95th both connect to the Red Line at 95th/Dan Ryan. CTA fares are $2.25 a bus ride and $2.50 a train ride with Ventra, or $75 for a 30-day pass (CTA fares).
A 30-day CTA pass is $75 (CTA).
Groceries nearby
| Store | Address |
|---|---|
| Jewel-Osco 95th and Stony Island | 1655 E. 95th St. |
| Food 4 Less 87th and Dan Ryan | 112 W. 87th St. |
| ALDI | 8500 S. Holland Rd. |
Source: each store’s own location page or locator, checked October 25, 2026. See our Chicago grocery guide.
Parks
Burnside Park at 9400 S. Greenwood Ave. has a basketball court, playground and spray pool.
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 Burnside’s median single-family sale price at $160,000, up 10% from 2020; it listed no condo or two-to-six-unit figure (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, 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).
Burnside cost of living: a sample monthly budget
| Setup | Rent | CTA pass | Income needed at 30% rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own one-bedroom | $1,087 | $75 | $43,480 |
| Half of a two-bedroom | $675 | $75 | $27,000 |
| Your own two-bedroom | $1,350 | $75 | $54,000 |
Source: our calculation from the Zumper figures above (half of $1,350, 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 South Side neighborhood profiles: Archer Heights, Ashburn, Auburn Gresham, Avalon Park, Back of the Yards and Canaryville, Beverly, Bridgeport, Brighton Park, Bronzeville, Calumet Heights, Chatham, Chicago Lawn, Chinatown, Clearing, East Side, Englewood, Fuller Park, Gage Park, Garfield Ridge, Greater Grand Crossing, Hegewisch, Hyde Park, Kenwood, 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: Burnside rent
- Metra: 91st Street/Chesterfield
- Metra: 95th Street/Chicago State University
- Metra fare table
- CTA: #4
- CTA: #95
- CTA fares
- Jewel-Osco: 95th Street
- Food 4 Less: 87th and Dan Ryan
- Chicago Park District: Burnside Park
- 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