It’s a tale as old as time: When underserved neighborhoods with scant resources start to flourish, longtime residents are at risk of being displaced. South Side neighborhoods have faced this problem before, but now, residents in Woodlawn are in an especially precarious position because of the neighborhood’s incomparable resources — the neighborhood borders the lakefront, is home to stunning, amenity-laden public parks and has excellent educational institutions, convenient public transportation and burgeoning retail.
Yet Woodlawn is still ailing economically. Chicago Metropolitan Planning Agency’s 2022 Community Data Snapshot showed its residents have median and per capita household incomes of $27,541 and $20,824 respectively, far below the citywide figures of $62,097 and $39,068 respectively. The neighborhood’s median net worth of at $4,439, the lowest of all 77 Chicago community areas.
