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West Elsdon

West Elsdon, one of the 77 official community areas, is located on the southwest side of the City of Chicago, Illinois. It is noted as a twin neighborhood of West Lawn. It has a population which includes a mix of dwindling Polish-American residents and increasing Mexican-American residents who currently constitute a clear majority. It has its own association, "West Elsdon Civic Association," which privately organizes the neighborhood. St. Turibius grade school, a Roman Catholic elementary school, located at 57th and Karlov, closed in 2013 and is currently inactive though the building remains and is adjacent to St. Turibius Roman Catholic church. The former Lourdes Roman Catholic girls' high school located from 55th to 56th street from Komensky to Karlov Avenue is now a Chicago Public Schools magnet high school, John Hancock High School. (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 71.9%
Condominium 4.1%
Building with 2-4 Units 16.7%
Building with 5+ Units 7.3%


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 357 276 181 100 141 146 142 170 189 184 154 194 155 153 158 125 157 153 128
Single Family 301 243 130 78 110 118 124 143 168 162 129 166 128 132 129 106 128 120 103
Condominium 19 11 44 15 8 9 9 9 9 13 13 13 15 11 9 9 6 9 13
Building with 2-4 Units 36 22 7 7 23 17 9 18 10 9 12 14 12 9 17 9 21 19 10
Building with 5+ Units 1 -- -- -- -- 2 -- -- 2 -- -- 1 -- 1 3 1 2 5 2


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 8.0 6.2 4.0 2.2 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.8 4.2 4.1 3.5 4.4 3.5 3.4 3.6 2.8 3.5 3.4 2.9


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 3.4% 3.3% 1.1% 2.0% 1.4% 5.5% 4.2% 7.6% 15.9% 8.7% 11.7% 8.8% 5.2% 11.8% 12.7% 4.8% 4.5% 9.8% 14.8%
Single Family 2.3% 2.9% 0.8% 1.3% 0.9% 4.2% 4.0% 7.7% 14.9% 9.9% 10.9% 8.4% 3.9% 11.4% 14.0% 3.8% 1.6% 5.8% 14.6%
Condominium 10.5% 18.2% -- 6.7% -- -- 11.1% -- 22.2% -- 23.1% 7.7% 6.7% 9.1% 11.1% -- 16.7% 11.1% 7.7%
Building with 2-4 Units 8.3% -- 14.3% -- 4.3% 11.8% -- 11.1% 20.0% -- 8.3% 7.1% 16.7% 22.2% 5.9% 11.1% 9.5% 15.8% 10.0%
Building with 5+ Units -- -- -- -- -- 50.0% -- -- 50.0% -- -- 100.0% -- -- -- 100.0% 100.0% 80.0% 100.0%


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 1.1% -- -- 1.0% -- -- -- 0.6% 3.7% 0.5% -- 1.5% 0.6% 0.7% -- -- -- 0.7% --
Single Family 0.3% -- -- 1.3% -- -- -- -- 3.6% 0.6% -- 1.2% 0.8% 0.8% -- -- -- 0.8% --
Condominium 5.3% -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 11.1% -- -- 7.7% -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Building with 2-4 Units 5.6% -- -- -- -- -- -- 5.6% -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --


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 1,321 1,127 880 414 305 247 223 332 321 260 275 333 296 228 255 289 478 281 184
Single Family 1,172 996 761 358 265 213 208 293 293 242 251 299 261 211 221 259 420 239 161
Condominium 42 40 70 23 15 11 5 10 7 4 6 7 11 7 6 9 8 7 14
Building with 2-4 Units 105 87 49 29 24 21 9 29 19 13 18 27 23 7 28 20 47 30 9
Building with 5+ Units 2 4 -- 4 1 2 1 -- 2 1 -- -- 1 3 -- 1 3 5 --


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 29.6 25.2 19.7 9.3 6.8 5.5 5.0 7.4 7.2 5.8 6.2 7.5 6.7 5.1 5.7 6.5 10.8 6.3 4.1


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 24 43 80 136 196 197 172 168 115 67 40 46 45 33 37 16 7 25 12
Single Family 18 35 61 111 172 171 151 141 106 59 37 38 36 31 33 15 6 21 10
Condominium 2 6 4 10 6 11 7 16 4 2 2 1 6 1 1 -- -- 1 1
Building with 2-4 Units 4 2 15 14 17 15 13 11 5 6 1 6 3 1 3 1 1 3 1
Building with 5+ Units -- -- -- 1 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 0.5 1.0 1.8 3.0 4.4 4.4 3.8 3.8 2.6 1.5 0.9 1.0 1.0 0.7 0.8 0.4 0.2 0.6 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 25.1%


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 2 5 17 42 55 71 46 55 62 49 45 30 13 23 10 5 2 10 2
Single Family 2 5 14 26 37 52 38 47 53 44 39 25 12 19 10 5 2 8 2
Condominium -- -- 2 3 6 10 4 5 4 4 3 2 -- 2 -- -- -- 1 --
Building with 2-4 Units -- -- 1 13 11 9 4 3 5 1 3 2 1 2 -- -- -- 1 --
Building with 5+ Units -- -- -- -- 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 50.0% 40.0% 94.1% 97.6% 100.0% 94.4% 100.0% 96.4% 77.4% 73.5% 84.4% 80.0% 84.6% 69.6% 30.0% 40.0% -- 90.0% --
Single Family 50.0% 40.0% 100.0% 96.2% 100.0% 96.2% 100.0% 95.7% 75.5% 72.7% 84.6% 84.0% 91.7% 73.7% 30.0% 40.0% -- 87.5% --
Condominium -- -- 50.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 50.0% -- 50.0% -- -- -- 100.0% --
Building with 2-4 Units -- -- 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 77.8% 100.0% 100.0% 80.0% -- 66.7% 100.0% -- 50.0% -- -- -- 100.0% --
Building with 5+ Units -- -- -- -- 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 -- -- 0.4 0.9 1.2 1.5 1.0 1.2 1.1 0.8 0.9 0.5 0.2 0.4 0.1 -- -- 0.2 --


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 18,366


Population and Age

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


Indicator Value
Share of Population Aged 18 to 44 37.8%
Share of Population Aged 45 to 64 22.7%
Share of Population Aged over 65 13.7%
Share of Population Aged under 18 25.8%


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 Hispanic or Latino 81.2%


Race and Ethnicity

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


Indicator Value
Share of Population that is White 14.3%


Race and Ethnicity

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


Indicator Value
Share of Population that is African American 0.7%
Share of Population that is Asian 3.7%
Share of Population that is Some Other Race 0.1%


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
Share of Households with Income Less than $25,000 18.0%


Household Income

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


Indicator Value
Share of Households with Income $25,000 to $50,000 22.5%
Share of Households with Income $100,000 or More 30.0%
Share of Households with Income $50,000 to $100,000 29.5%


Household Income

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


Indicator Value
Total Households 5,546


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 12.5%


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 5,546


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 72.3%


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 27.7%


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 25.5%


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 63.1%


Share of All Households that are Cost-Burdened


Indicator Value
Share of All Households that are Cost-Burdened 36.0%