Key takeaway: A one-bedroom in Printer’s Row averages about $2,100 to $2,230 a month in 2026, condos sold for a median $325,000 in early 2026, and three Metra stations and five L stops are within a few blocks.
Printer’s Row is the old printing district at the south end of the Loop, with loft conversions along Dearborn Street, a brick-paved main street and a big book fair every June. Its typical one-bedroom, about $2,100 a month, runs about the same as the citywide typical of $2,079 (Zillow, September 2026), the 18th highest of the 92 areas in our neighborhood comparison.
| Typical one-bedroom | $2,100 a month |
| Typical two-bedroom | $4,018 a month |
| Income for your own one-bedroom | About $84,000 a year |
| L lines | All lines |
| Metra | Rock Island, Metra Electric |
| Part of the city | Downtown |
On this page: Rent · Getting around · Groceries · Parks · Parking · Taxes and home prices · Sample budget
Rent by apartment size
| Unit | RentHop (avg., Oct 2026) | RentCafe (avg., July 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,157 | n/a |
| 1 bedroom | $2,100 | $2,231 |
| 2 bedrooms | $4,018 | n/a |
Source: RentHop Printer’s Row; RentCafe Printer’s Row, updated July 11, 2026. RentHop’s two-bedroom figure comes from a small number of loft listings, and we left out its three-bedroom figure for the same reason. Sources differ because they track different listings; see why rent reports disagree.
Getting around
- L trains: Harold Washington Library, Harrison, LaSalle, LaSalle/Van Buren and Roosevelt stations are all in ZIP 60605, covering every L line (City of Chicago L stop data). 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).
- Metra: LaSalle Street Station (Rock Island), Van Buren Street and Museum Campus/11th Street (Metra Electric), all Zone 1.
- Buses: #22 Clark (all night), #29 State and #146.
A 30-day CTA pass is $75 (CTA).
Groceries nearby
| Store | Address |
|---|---|
| Jewel-Osco Roosevelt and Wabash | 1224 S. Wabash Ave. |
| Trader Joe’s South Loop | 1147 S. Wabash Ave. |
| Whole Foods South Loop | 1101 S. Canal St. |
Source: each store’s own location page or locator, checked October 25, 2026. See our Chicago grocery guide.
Parks
Printer’s Row Park at 632 S. Dearborn St. is a small park with a community garden and fountain; Grant Park and the lakefront are a few blocks east.
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
Redfin counted a median sale price of $325,000 in Printer’s Row for the three months ending March 2026, up 36% from a year earlier, at $245 a square foot (Redfin). The Assessor’s 2024 median for Loop condos was $295,000 (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.
Printer’s Row cost of living: a sample monthly budget
| Setup | Rent | CTA pass | Income needed at 30% rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own one-bedroom | $2,100 | $75 | $84,000 |
| Half of a two-bedroom | $2,009 | $75 | $80,360 |
| Your own two-bedroom | $4,018 | $75 | $160,720 |
Source: our calculation from the RentHop figures above (half of $4,018, 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 Downtown neighborhood profiles: Fulton Market, Gold Coast, Lakeshore East, Old Town, River North, South Loop, Streeterville and West Loop.
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
- RentHop: Printer’s Row rent
- RentCafe: Printer’s Row rent
- Redfin: Printer’s Row housing market
- City of Chicago: L stops
- CTA fares
- Metra: LaSalle Street Station
- Metra: Van Buren Street
- Metra: Museum Campus/11th Street
- CTA: #22
- CTA: #29
- CTA: #146
- Jewel-Osco: Roosevelt and Wabash
- Trader Joe’s: South Loop
- Whole Foods: South Loop
- Chicago Park District: Printer’s Row Park
- 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