Key takeaway: A one-bedroom in Archer Heights rents for about $1,295 to $1,450 a month in 2026, two-bedrooms about $1,420 to $1,950, single-family homes sold for a median $290,000 in 2024, and two Pete’s Fresh Markets and an ALDI are close by.
Archer Heights is a small Southwest Side neighborhood between the Stevenson Expressway and the Orange Line, a few minutes from Midway Airport. It’s one of the more affordable places in the city to buy a bungalow. Its typical one-bedroom, about $1,295 a month, runs about $784 below the citywide typical of $2,079 (Zillow, September 2026), the 28th lowest of the 92 areas in our neighborhood comparison.
| Typical one-bedroom | $1,295 a month |
| Typical two-bedroom | $1,422 a month |
| Income for your own one-bedroom | About $51,800 a year |
| L lines | Orange |
| Metra | None |
| 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., Sep 2026) | RentHop (Aug 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,000 | $1,750 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,295 | $1,450 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,422 | $1,950 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,980 | $1,900 |
Source: Zumper Archer Heights rent research, updated September 26, 2026; RentHop Archer Heights. Archer Heights has few rentals, so RentHop’s figures rest on a small sample. Sources differ because they track different listings; see why rent reports disagree.
Getting around
- L: the Orange Line runs along the southern edge, with Pulaski station at Archer and Pulaski (City of Chicago list of L stops).
- Buses: #62 Archer (runs overnight), #53A South Pulaski and #54B South Cicero.
- Metra: no station in Archer Heights.
A 30-day CTA pass is $75 (CTA).
Groceries nearby
| Store | Address |
|---|---|
| ALDI | 4501 S. Pulaski Rd. |
| Pete’s Fresh Market 43rd and Pulaski | 4343 S. Pulaski Rd. |
| Pete’s Fresh Market 47th and Kedzie (east) | 4700 S. Kedzie Ave. |
Source: each store’s own location page or locator, checked October 25, 2026. See our Chicago grocery guide.
Parks
Archer Park at 4901 S. Kilbourn Ave. covers 14 acres with a fieldhouse, gym, spray feature and ball fields (Chicago Park District).
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 Archer Heights median sale prices at $145,000 for a condo, $290,000 for a single-family home and $450,000 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). 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).
Archer Heights cost of living: a sample monthly budget
| Setup | Rent | CTA pass | Income needed at 30% rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own one-bedroom | $1,295 | $75 | $51,800 |
| Half of a two-bedroom | $711 | $75 | $28,440 |
| Your own two-bedroom | $1,422 | $75 | $56,880 |
Source: our calculation from the Zumper averages above. 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: 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, 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: Archer Heights rent
- RentHop: Archer Heights rent
- CTA: #62 Archer
- Pete’s Fresh Market: 43rd and Pulaski
- Pete’s Fresh Market: 47th and Kedzie
- Chicago Park District: Archer 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