Cost of living in Pullman, Chicago (2026)

Key takeaway: A one-bedroom in Pullman rents for about $1,080 to $1,175 a month in 2026, single-family homes sold for a median $175,000 in 2024, and three Metra Electric stations plus the free Pullman National Historical Park are in the neighborhood.

Pullman is the historic company town on the Far South Side, built in the 1880s and now a national historical park, with brick rowhouses and new retail along 111th Street. Its typical one-bedroom, about $1,080 a month, runs about $999 below the citywide typical of $2,079 (Zillow, September 2026), the 12th lowest of the 92 areas in our neighborhood comparison.

Typical one-bedroom$1,080 a month
Typical two-bedroom$1,349 a month
Income for your own one-bedroomAbout $43,200 a year
L linesNone (Red Line Extension due 2030)
MetraMetra Electric
Part of the citySouth Side
At a glance, October 2026. Rents are the figures used in the sample budget below; income is our calculation, rent times 40.
Pullman cost of living: typical one-bedroom $1,080 and two-bedroom $1,349 a month, compared with $2,079 and $2,516 citywide
Typical rents in Pullman 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 visit · Parking · Taxes and home prices · New investment · Buyer help · Sample budget

Rent by apartment size

UnitZumper (avg., Aug 2026)RentHop (avg., Oct 2026)
Studio$975n/a
1 bedroom$1,080$1,175
2 bedrooms$1,349$1,325
3 bedrooms$2,249$1,750

Source: Zumper Pullman rent research, updated August 19, 2026; RentHop Pullman. 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
Walmart Supercenter10900 S. Doty Ave.

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

Free to visit

Pullman National Historical Park, with its visitor center at 610 E. 111th St., charges no entrance fee and no fee for park tours or activities (National Park Service).

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 Pullman median sale prices at $175,000 for a single-family home and $225,000 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.

New investment

A new retail center on 111th Street is expected to add a Starbucks and other restaurants in late 2027, and the Sun-Times counts about $900 million in public and private investment in Pullman and Roseland since 2009 (Sun-Times).

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).

Pullman cost of living: a sample monthly budget

SetupRentCTA passIncome needed at 30% rent
Your own one-bedroom$1,080$75$43,200
Half of a two-bedroom$675$75$27,000
Your own two-bedroom$1,349$75$53,960

Source: our calculation from the Zumper averages above (half of $1,349, 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, 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, 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

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