McKinley Park Existing Conditions Report

The major driver increasing interest in living in McKinley Park is the wealth of opportunities, good quality affordable homes, transportation options, and proximity to major employment centers. The study area offers easy access to downtown and Midway Airport via the CTA Orange Line, as well as to suburban job centers via the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). The excellent transportation offerings in McKinley Park puts a large number of jobs within reach of area residents, whether or not they have access to personal automobile.

The neighborhood features a large amount of older but high-quality housing. The majority of homes in McKinley Park were built before 1940 (64.5 percent) with only very few built in recent years (6 percent, built since 2000).

Beyond these attractive options for homeownership, McKinley Park has historically offered many options that are accessible for renters, lower income residents, and recent immigrants. About 62 percent of housing units in the study area are in multifamily buildings, and 87 percent are renter-occupied, similar to most surrounding community areas. Large apartment buildings and garden or basement units of smaller multifamily buildings offer a range of less expensive housing options, including units with sufficient space for families. About 8 percent of McKinley Park units are studios or have one bedroom, 38 percent have two bedrooms, and 42 percent have three bedrooms.

This distribution of housing unit sizes is similar to what is found in many nearby community areas, with the total percentage of 0-3 bedroom units comparable to all communities but Lower West Side (although the study areas has a higher percentage of 2-3 bedroom units than does the Lower West Side), see Figure 8.3. Overall, the diversity of housing options in McKinley Park has been a source of stability, allowing residents who may initially rent smaller units to move up to larger units, and eventually to homeownership.

Figure 8.3. McKinley Park Housing Size, 2012-16

Source: CMAP Analysis of American Community Survey Five-year Estimates 2012-16