Cost of living in West Pullman, Chicago (2026)

Key takeaway: A one-bedroom in West Pullman rents for about $1,050 to $1,285 a month in 2026, single-family homes sold for a median $151,000 in 2024, and three Metra Electric stations sit along 120th Street.

West Pullman is on the Far South Side around 115th to 127th Street west of the Metra Electric tracks, a neighborhood of bungalows, frame houses and big parks. Its typical one-bedroom, about $1,285 a month, runs about $794 below the citywide typical of $2,079 (Zillow, September 2026), the 27th lowest of the 92 areas in our neighborhood comparison.

Typical one-bedroom$1,285 a month
Typical two-bedroom$1,425 a month
Income for your own one-bedroomAbout $51,400 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.
West Pullman cost of living: typical one-bedroom $1,285 and two-bedroom $1,425 a month, compared with $2,079 and $2,516 citywide
Typical rents in West 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 · Groceries: what is changing · Parks · Parking · Taxes and home prices · Buyer help · Sample budget

Rent by apartment size

UnitZumper (avg., Oct 2026)RentHop (Sept 2026)
Studio$1,045$800
1 bedroom$1,285$1,050
2 bedrooms$1,425$1,200
3 bedrooms$1,924$1,700

Source: Zumper West Pullman rent research, updated October 25, 2026; RentHop West Pullman, where the two-bedroom figure rests on five listings. 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
Jewel-Osco West Pullman11730 S. Marshfield Ave.

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

Groceries: what is changing

The ALDI at 821 W. 115th St. closed in November 2024 (WBEZ). Living Fresh Market plans to open in that space around spring 2027 (What Now Chicago).

Parks

West Pullman Park at 401 W. 123rd St. covers about 16 acres with an indoor pool, two gyms, a fieldhouse, a natural savanna, courts and fields.

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 West Pullman median sale prices at $151,000 for a single-family home, up 45% from 2020, $220,000 for a condo and $128,000 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).

West Pullman cost of living: a sample monthly budget

SetupRentCTA passIncome needed at 30% rent
Your own one-bedroom$1,285$75$51,400
Half of a two-bedroom$713$75$28,520
Your own two-bedroom$1,425$75$57,000

Source: our calculation from the Zumper figures above (half of $1,425, 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 Heights, Washington Park, West Elsdon, West Englewood, West Lawn 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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