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Portage Park

Portage Park is located on the northwest side of the City of Chicago, Illinois and is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas. Portage Park is bordered by the community areas of Jefferson Park and Forest Glen to the north, Dunning and the suburb of Harwood Heights to the west, Irving Park to the east and Belmont-Cragin to the south. The area is notable for its Six Corners outdoor shopping district, centered at the intersection of Irving Park Road, Cicero Avenue and the diagonal Milwaukee Avenue, the Portage Theater and for its namesake - Portage Park. The name of the park was taken from the major portage linking the Des Plaines and Chicago rivers along what is today Irving Park Road. The area was so swampy that in wet weather, Native Americans and trappers were easily able to paddle through the area in either direction without leaving their canoes. In those days, the Des Plaines was perhaps the most significant way to the Illinois, and then on to the Mississippi (and to return). Portage Park has the largest Polish community in the Chicago Metropolitan Area according to the 2000 census. Portage Park is home to the Polish American Association, the Polish Jesuit Millennium Center, the Polish Army Veterans Association in the beautiful building of the former Irving State bank, in addition to the multitude of Polish shops and businesses throughout the district. One of the area's parks is named Chopin Park after Frédéric Chopin, Poland's most famous pianist and composer. (Source: Wikipedia)

Housing stock map

See the share of the area's total housing units that are in single family homes, condominiums, two-to-four unit buildings, buildings with five to 49 units, and buildings with 50 units or more.


The Composition of Cook County’s Housing Market >

Housing market indicators

All of these property level data sets are connected to parcel-level data files from the county Assessors offices that include data on every parcel in the Chicago metropolitan area. All of these parcel-level data sets include historical data and are updated on a regular basis ranging from every week to every year depending on the data set.

Housing Stock Composition

The composition of a neighborhood's housing stock determines the appropriate targeted strategies for stabilizing local housing markets.

Housing Units by Property Type

The composition of a neighborhood's housing stock determines the appropriate targeted strategies for stabilizing local housing markets.


Property Type 2023
Single Family 42.5%
Condominium 6.1%
Building with 2-4 Units 33.1%
Building with 5+ Units 18.4%


Property Sales Activity

This indicator provides information on how active local residential property markets are, what types of properties are being purchased, who is buying them, and how much buyers are paying for properties.

Total Sales Activity

This is the total number of property sales in a given year. In Cook County, data are broken out separately for total sales activity on single family homes, condominium units, two-to-four unit buildings, and in buildings with five or more units. Outside of Cook County, data are for all residential parcels.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 1,061 905 585 408 455 491 517 623 753 717 690 800 798 777 713 698 929 718 547
Single Family 651 508 324 245 294 322 317 387 484 425 454 512 518 518 444 439 599 460 382
Condominium 171 228 184 100 56 48 66 96 99 106 75 103 88 89 86 108 125 96 63
Building with 2-4 Units 227 162 71 60 98 118 128 132 158 165 145 167 180 153 165 139 184 153 94
Building with 5+ Units 12 7 6 3 7 3 6 8 12 21 16 18 12 17 18 12 21 9 8


Sales per 100 Residential Parcels

This indicator allows users to compare the level of property sales activity across geographies. This data point represents the total number of sales on all residential parcels divided by the total number of residential parcels in a given year, multiplied by 100.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 6.9 5.9 3.8 2.7 3.0 3.2 3.4 4.1 5.0 4.7 4.6 5.3 5.3 5.1 4.7 4.6 6.1 4.7 3.6


Share of Sales, Business Buyers

This represents a range of investor types from small mom-and-pop investors to large Wall Street-traded equity funds. Heightened levels of single family homes purchased by business buyers is often indicative of a distressed and low priced inventory of homes, and low demand for owner-occupied housing in a neighborhood. In Cook County, this data point is available as the share of total sales activity where the buyer was a business entity by property type (single family homes, condominium units, two-to-four unit buildings, and in buildings with five or more units). Outside of Cook County, data are for all residential parcels.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 4.8% 6.0% 4.8% 4.2% 4.2% 13.2% 14.1% 15.7% 24.2% 18.0% 14.2% 16.5% 13.4% 11.8% 12.9% 9.2% 9.7% 10.6% 11.9%
Single Family 3.4% 5.3% 4.3% 2.4% 2.7% 12.7% 13.2% 14.7% 28.7% 18.6% 13.9% 16.4% 13.9% 11.8% 10.1% 8.4% 8.2% 8.9% 11.5%
Condominium 8.2% 5.3% 1.6% 3.0% 3.6% 16.7% 7.6% 11.5% 7.1% 11.3% 12.0% 8.7% 8.0% 5.6% 8.1% 3.7% 1.6% 6.3% 3.2%
Building with 2-4 Units 4.4% 7.4% 7.0% 8.3% 7.1% 11.9% 16.4% 16.7% 18.4% 12.1% 11.0% 16.8% 11.1% 13.1% 15.2% 7.9% 10.9% 15.0% 13.8%
Building with 5+ Units 41.7% 42.9% 100.0% 100.0% 28.6% 66.7% 83.3% 100.0% 58.3% 85.7% 62.5% 61.1% 66.7% 35.3% 83.3% 100.0% 90.5% 66.7% 75.0%


Share of Sales, Extremely Low Value

This represents the percent of sales that were purchased for less than $20,000 in a given year. In Cook County, this data point is available as the share of total sales activity that sold for less than $20,000 by property type (single family homes, condominium units, two-to-four unit buildings, and in buildings with five or more units). Outside of Cook County, data are for all residential parcels.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 0.3% 0.2% -- 0.2% -- 0.2% 0.2% -- -- 0.4% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.3% -- -- -- 0.6% 0.2%
Condominium 0.6% -- -- -- -- 2.1% -- -- -- 1.9% -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 2.1% --
Building with 2-4 Units -- 0.6% -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.6% -- -- -- 0.7% -- -- -- 0.7% 1.1%


Mortgage Activity

These data measure the flow of mortgage credit into an area and indicates the level of lender investment. The level of mortgage activity in a neighborhood relative to other areas can assess how access to credit has changed over time in a community and how the flow of credit differs across geographies and for different property types.

Total Mortgage Activity

This is the total number of mortgages in a given year. In Cook County, data are broken out separately for total mortgage activity on single family homes, condominium units, two-to-four unit buildings, and in buildings with five or more units. Outside of Cook County, data are for all residential parcels.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 4,608 4,149 3,169 1,792 1,517 1,334 1,243 1,624 1,579 1,211 1,449 1,666 1,447 1,284 1,581 2,129 2,640 1,187 757
Single Family 3,151 2,834 2,201 1,262 1,149 1,004 892 1,179 1,081 834 1,024 1,189 997 875 1,097 1,559 1,861 809 542
Condominium 356 450 343 202 137 86 69 116 141 78 83 114 107 116 99 148 211 104 65
Building with 2-4 Units 1,061 836 586 295 217 230 260 303 332 266 309 325 309 272 344 390 524 256 135
Building with 5+ Units 40 29 39 33 14 14 22 26 25 33 33 38 34 21 41 32 44 18 15


Mortgages per 100 Residential Parcels

This indicator allows users to compare the level of mortgage activity across geographies. This data point represents the total number of mortgage liens on all residential parcels divided by the total number of residential parcels in a given year, multiplied by 100.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 30.1 27.1 20.7 11.7 9.9 8.7 8.1 10.6 10.4 8.0 9.6 11.0 9.6 8.5 10.4 14.0 17.4 7.8 5.0


Foreclosure Filing Activity

This is an indicator of distress in a local housing market and viewing changing levels of activity allows for an understanding of the evolving nature of the foreclosure crisis in a neighborhood.

Total Foreclosure Filings Activity

This is the total number of new foreclosure filings in a given year. In Cook County, data are broken out separately for foreclosure filing activity on single family homes, condominium units, two-to-four unit buildings, and in buildings with five or more units. Outside of Cook County, data are for all residential parcels.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 89 111 257 453 576 571 430 390 236 129 124 92 81 67 72 35 17 67 44
Single Family 58 81 161 297 347 347 253 240 145 82 88 56 54 40 52 25 13 47 35
Condominium 5 6 20 40 60 93 65 53 40 22 11 7 9 7 7 2 -- 4 1
Building with 2-4 Units 26 23 75 115 165 124 103 94 47 25 24 29 18 19 13 8 4 15 8
Building with 5+ Units -- 1 1 1 4 7 9 3 4 -- 1 -- -- 1 -- -- -- 1 --


Foreclosure Filings per 100 Residential Parcels

This indicator allows users to compare the level of foreclosure filing activity across geographies. This data point represents the total number of foreclosure filings on all residential parcels divided by the total number of residential parcels in a given year, multiplied by 100.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 0.6 0.7 1.7 3.0 3.8 3.7 2.8 2.6 1.6 0.9 0.8 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.4 0.3


Cumulative Foreclosure Filings Activity

Annual levels of foreclosure filing activity likely do not convey the impact that foreclosure has had in a particular community, as geographies vary in density and size, and the drivers behind the Great Recession foreclosure crisis led to very different annual patterns of foreclosure filing activity across the region. This indicator represents the cumulative impact of foreclosure in a neighborhood measured as the unique share of residential properties that have had at least one foreclosure filing since 2005.


Property Type 2023
All Residential Properties 20.0%


Foreclosure Auctions

These are properties that have completed the foreclosure process. Understanding foreclosure auction activity helps determine the flow of year-over-year of REO (real estate owned) properties into a market, how third-party demand at auctions differs based on property types, and the density of REO activity across geographies. The level of completed foreclosure auctions activity in a neighborhood indicates distress in a local housing market.

Total Auction Activity

This is the total number of completed foreclosure auctions in a given year. In Cook County, data are broken out separately for total auction activity on single family homes, condominium units, two-to-four unit buildings, and in buildings with five or more units. Outside of Cook County, data are for all residential parcels.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 9 18 52 150 192 227 137 154 175 132 100 74 42 28 22 5 2 20 12
Single Family 9 13 42 88 124 117 68 86 103 75 67 51 26 21 10 4 1 16 8
Condominium -- 1 2 14 20 38 31 36 34 23 17 9 1 5 4 1 -- 1 1
Building with 2-4 Units -- 4 8 47 47 70 36 32 35 33 15 14 15 2 8 -- 1 3 3
Building with 5+ Units -- -- -- 1 1 2 2 -- 3 1 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --


Share of Auctions Resulting in REO

This is the percent of completed foreclosure auctions in a given geography where there were no bidders and the property became bank-owned REO (real estate owned).


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties 66.7% 77.8% 98.1% 98.0% 99.0% 94.7% 89.1% 84.4% 78.3% 81.8% 77.0% 78.4% 71.4% 57.1% 81.8% 60.0% 50.0% 80.0% 66.7%
Single Family 66.7% 76.9% 97.6% 100.0% 98.4% 93.2% 91.2% 84.9% 70.9% 76.0% 82.1% 82.4% 65.4% 66.7% 80.0% 75.0% 100.0% 81.3% 62.5%
Condominium -- 100.0% 100.0% 92.9% 100.0% 97.4% 93.5% 91.7% 94.1% 87.0% 64.7% 44.4% 100.0% 20.0% 75.0% -- -- 100.0% 100.0%
Building with 2-4 Units -- 75.0% 100.0% 95.7% 100.0% 95.7% 80.6% 75.0% 82.9% 90.9% 73.3% 85.7% 80.0% 50.0% 87.5% -- -- 66.7% 66.7%
Building with 5+ Units -- -- -- 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% -- 100.0% 100.0% -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --


REO per 100 Residential Parcels

This indicator allows users to compare the level of REO activity across geographies. This data point represents the total number of auctions resulting in REO status on all residential parcels divided by the total number of residential parcels in a given year, multiplied by 100.


Property Type 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
All Residential Properties -- 0.1 0.3 1.0 1.2 1.4 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.1 -- -- 0.1 0.1


Population and Age

Reflects the composition of a community's population by age.

Population and Age

Reflects the composition of a community's population by age.


Indicator Value
Total Population 64,213
Share of Population Aged under 18 20.3%
Share of Population Aged 18 to 44 38.7%
Share of Population Aged 45 to 64 27.0%
Share of Population Aged over 65 13.9%


Race and Ethnicity

The composition of a community's population by respondent race and ethnicity.

Race and Ethnicity

The composition of a community's population by respondent race and ethnicity.


Indicator Value
Share of Population that is White 46.7%
Share of Population that is African American 1.7%
Share of Population that is Hispanic or Latino 42.9%
Share of Population that is Asian 5.8%
Share of Population that is Some Other Race 3.0%


Household Income

Represents the composition of households by income in a particular geography.

Household Income

Represents the composition of households by income in a particular geography.


Indicator Value
Total Households 22,995
Share of Households with Income Less than $25,000 12.4%
Share of Households with Income $25,000 to $50,000 18.4%
Share of Households with Income $50,000 to $100,000 27.1%
Share of Households with Income $100,000 or More 42.1%


Poverty Rate

Reflects the share of the population that is below a current poverty threshold.

Share of Population that is under the Poverty Level


Indicator Value
Share of Population that is under the Poverty Level 9.8%


Resident Tenure

The composition of households by tenure indicates the share of households that rent versus the share of households that own.

Total Households

Represents the composition of households by tenure.


Indicator Value
Total Households 22,995


Share of Households that are Owner-Occupied

The composition of households by tenure indicates the share of households that rent versus the share of households that own.


Indicator Value
Share of Households that are Owner-Occupied 61.8%


Share of Households that are Renter-Occupied

The composition of households by tenure indicates the share of households that rent versus the share of households that own.


Indicator Value
Share of Households that are Renter-Occupied 38.2%


Cost Burdened Households

A household is considered to be cost-burdened when more than 30 percent of its income is spent on mortgage, rent, or other housing needs.

Share of Owner-Occupied Households that are Cost-Burdened


Indicator Value
Share of Owner-Occupied Households that are Cost-Burdened 29.2%


Share of Renter-Occupied Households that are Cost-Burdened

A household is considered to be cost-burdened when more than 30 percent of its income is spent on mortgage, rent, or other housing needs.


Indicator Value
Share of Renter-Occupied Households that are Cost-Burdened 44.7%


Share of All Households that are Cost-Burdened


Indicator Value
Share of All Households that are Cost-Burdened 35.0%