Key takeaway: A one-bedroom in Washington Heights rents for about $1,050 to $1,075 a month in 2026, two-bedrooms about $1,395, single-family homes sold for a median $191,000 in 2024, and two Metra Rock Island stations serve the neighborhood.
Washington Heights is on the Far South Side between Beverly and Roseland, around 95th to 107th Street, a neighborhood of single-family homes with Metra service to the Loop. Its typical one-bedroom, about $1,075 a month, runs about $1,004 below the citywide typical of $2,079 (Zillow, September 2026), the 10th lowest of the 92 areas in our neighborhood comparison.
| Typical one-bedroom | $1,075 a month |
| Typical two-bedroom | $1,395 a month |
| Income for your own one-bedroom | About $43,000 a year |
| L lines | None (bus to Red Line) |
| Metra | Rock Island |
| 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) | RentHop (Feb 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | n/a | $950 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,075 | $1,050 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,395 | n/a |
| 3 bedrooms | n/a | $1,475 |
Source: Zumper Washington Heights rent research, updated October 25, 2026; RentHop Washington Heights, which had only one two-bedroom listing, so we left that figure out. Sources differ because they track different listings; see why rent reports disagree.
Getting around
- Metra Rock Island: 95th Street/Longwood and 103rd Street/Washington Heights, both Zone 2: $3.75 one way or $75 a month (Metra fares). See Metra fares.
- Buses: #103 West 103rd and #95 95th to the Red Line at 95th/Dan Ryan, plus #108, #8A and #87.
- Coming: The CTA’s Red Line Extension will add four stations south of 95th Street, including a station at 103rd Street; preparatory work began in 2026, and the stations are expected to open in 2030 (CTA; CTA spring 2026 newsletter).
A 30-day CTA pass is $75 (CTA).
Groceries nearby
| Store | Address |
|---|---|
| Jewel-Osco Ashland and 95th | 9400 S. Ashland Ave. |
| ALDI | 8500 S. Holland Rd. |
Source: each store’s own location page or locator, checked October 25, 2026. See our Chicago grocery guide.
Parks
Brainerd Park at 1246 W. 92nd St. has a gym, spray pool, fieldhouse and four baseball 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 Washington Heights median sale prices at $191,000 for a single-family home and $364,000 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).
Washington Heights cost of living: a sample monthly budget
| Setup | Rent | CTA pass | Income needed at 30% rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own one-bedroom | $1,075 | $75 | $43,000 |
| Half of a two-bedroom | $698 | $75 | $27,920 |
| Your own two-bedroom | $1,395 | $75 | $55,800 |
Source: our calculation from the Zumper averages above (half of $1,395, 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, Pullman, Riverdale, Roseland, South Chicago, South Deering, South Shore, 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: Washington Heights rent
- RentHop: Washington Heights rent
- Metra: 95th Street/Longwood
- Metra: 103rd Street/Washington Heights
- Metra fare table
- Chicago Park District: Brainerd Park
- CTA: Red Line Extension
- CTA: Red Line Extension spring 2026 newsletter
- 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