North Center · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
North Center.
- Active listings
- 18
- Median list
- $1.22M
- Avg time on market
- 7 days
- Sold · last year
- 418
Active listings
18 homes on the market
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About the community
Living in North Center.
North Center sits on Chicago's North Side, one of the city's 77 official community areas, number 5, bordered by Montrose Avenue on the north, Diversey Parkway on the south, the Chicago River on the west, and Ravenswood Avenue on the east, roughly anchored by the Irving Park, Lincoln, and Western corridors. It folds in several beloved sub-neighborhoods, including Roscoe Village, the Village Within the City, along with St. Ben's, Hamlin Park, and Horner Park. The housing stock leans toward classic Chicago single-family homes, brick bungalows, greystones, and two-flats, with new construction and factory-to-condo conversions mixed in, giving the area a settled, owner-occupied, family-oriented feel. It is anchored by some of the strongest public schools in the city, including Bell Elementary and Coonley Elementary, both top-rated CPS schools, plus the renowned Lane Tech College Prep High School. Day to day, life here revolves around walkable retail strips, green space at Welles Park and Horner Park, and a deep bench of independent restaurants, cafes, and breweries. The CTA Brown Line runs right through the community area with stops at Irving Park, Addison, and Montrose, putting the Loop within an easy ride. With a Walk Score of 90 and median home prices that recently pushed past 800,000 dollars, North Center reads as one of Chicago's most desirable family neighborhoods, and that desirability comes at a higher price point than much of the city.
At a glance
Community Area 5
North Center is officially community area number 5 on Chicago's North Side, with a 2023 population of about 35,400 residents.
Single-family, owner-occupied feel
Housing runs to single-family homes, brick bungalows, greystones, and two-flats, with factory spaces turned into condos, an unusually residential mix for the North Side.
Walk Score of 90
North Center earns a Walk Score of 90, ranking it among the most walkable neighborhoods in Chicago where daily errands do not require a car.
Transit Score of 67
With a Transit Score of 67 and roughly seven bus lines plus the Brown Line, North Center has good public transportation.
Top-rated CPS schools
Bell Elementary and Coonley Elementary are both ranked among the top schools in Illinois, and Lane Tech College Prep sits within the community area.
Brown Line stops
The CTA Brown Line serves the community area at the Irving Park, Addison, and Montrose stations.
Higher price point
North Center home prices reached a median of about 815,000 dollars, well above the wider Chicago median, reflecting strong demand.
Welles and Horner Parks
The area is served by 15.84-acre Welles Park and nearly 58-acre Horner Park, one of the largest parks on the North Side.
What it’s actually like to live here
Life in North Center is built around family and neighborhood. The community supports some of the best public schools in the city, including Bell Elementary, Coonley Elementary, and Lane Tech College Prep, which makes it a magnet for households planning to put down roots. Green space is central too, since Welles Park, a 15.84-acre park at Lincoln and Montrose, offers an indoor pool, fitness center, tennis and pickleball courts, and a European-style gazebo used for outdoor concerts, while Horner Park spreads across nearly 58 acres with softball diamonds, soccer fields, a nature area, and an oak savannah. The Northcenter Town Square hosts a Saturday farmers market from June to October, and the local chamber of commerce runs free family events through the year.
The retail and dining scene gives the neighborhood its everyday energy. Roscoe Street is the heart of Roscoe Village, lined with locally owned restaurants and shops, and it throws one of Chicago's most beloved street festivals, Retro on Roscoe. North Center is also home to Begyle Brewing, a community-supported brewery with a dog-friendly taproom in the Ravenswood Malt Row corridor, and the Old Town School of Folk Music anchors nearby Lincoln Avenue with concerts and hundreds of class offerings. With a Walk Score of 90 and a couple hundred restaurants, bars, and coffee shops in the area, residents can walk to several spots within five minutes, and the Brown Line keeps the commute downtown short.
Around town
What there is to do in North Center.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Parks
Welles Park
This 15.84-acre park at Lincoln and Montrose offers an indoor pool, fitness center, tennis and pickleball courts, and a European-style gazebo for outdoor concerts.
- Sports
Horner Park
At nearly 58 acres, Horner Park is one of the largest on the North Side, with softball fields, soccer fields, tennis and pickleball courts, and a nature area.
- Culture
Retro on Roscoe Fest
This beloved Roscoe Village street festival packs Roscoe Street with live music, a classic car show, vintage shopping, and family activities each year.
- Culture
Old Town School of Folk Music
Founded in 1957 and anchoring nearby Lincoln Avenue, the school hosts folk, world, and bluegrass concerts plus hundreds of class offerings for all ages.
- Food & Drink
Begyle Brewing
A community-supported brewery in the Ravenswood Malt Row corridor, Begyle runs a dog-friendly, bring-your-own-food taproom with rotating food pop-ups.
- Shopping
Roscoe Village shopping district
Nicknamed the Village Within the City, Roscoe Village centers on Roscoe Street's abundance of locally owned restaurants and independent shops.
By the numbers
North Center taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Median sold price
$761,250
MRED · last 12 mo (418 sales)
How North Center got here
A bit of history.
North Center grew up around European immigrant roots, German, Polish, Czech, Serbian, and others, with the area first accessible only by the Chicago River and Little Fort Road, today's Lincoln Avenue, beginning in the 1870s. That heritage still shows in the late-19th and early-20th-century architecture of the homes and storefronts. For decades the most famous landmark sat at Belmont and Western, where Riverview Park operated from 1904 to 1967. Founded by William Schmidt on the grounds of a former private shooting range, the park billed itself in the 1950s as the largest amusement park in the United States, with dozens of major rides and a staff of more than 1,000.
When the Schmidt family sold the Riverview grounds to developers in the late 1960s, the land was redeveloped into a shopping center, the Chicago Police Area 3 headquarters, DePaul College Prep, and Richard Clark Park, closing one chapter and accelerating North Center's evolution into a settled residential, family neighborhood. The Roscoe Village identity emerged around Roscoe Street, originally developed as housing for the area's factory workers and later embraced by residents as the Village Within the City, a walkable enclave of brownstones, bungalows, and converted factory condos. Today Roscoe Village alone is estimated to hold about 10,800 residents.
The questions buyers actually ask
North Center FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping North Center. If yours isn't here, text 224-385-8779, same-day reply.
- Which public schools serve North Center, and how do I confirm my attendance boundary?
- North Center is anchored by highly regarded CPS schools including Bell Elementary, Coonley Elementary, Audubon Elementary, and Lane Tech College Prep High School. Bell and Coonley both rank among the top schools in Illinois. Because exact attendance boundaries vary block by block, confirm your address using the official CPS School Locator.
- Why are home prices in North Center so high?
- North Center commands a premium because it pairs top-rated schools, a single-family residential character rare for the North Side, strong walkability, and Brown Line access. Recent data put the median sale price around 815,000 dollars, well above the wider Chicago median.
- Is North Center mostly single-family homes or condos?
- It skews more single-family than most North Side neighborhoods, with brick bungalows, greystones, and two-flats throughout, though you will also find new construction and factory-to-condo conversions, especially in Roscoe Village. That owner-occupied character is a big part of the area's family appeal.
- What do Roscoe Village and St. Ben's refer to?
- They are sub-neighborhoods within the North Center community area. Roscoe Village, nicknamed the Village Within the City, centers on Roscoe Street between roughly Addison and Belmont. St. Ben's is an unofficial neighborhood named for Saint Benedict's Parish, bounded by Irving Park, Addison, Damen, and Western.
- How is the commute downtown?
- The CTA Brown Line runs through the community area with stops at Irving Park, Addison, and Montrose, giving residents a direct rail ride to the Loop. North Center also carries a Transit Score of 67 and about seven bus lines.
- What family amenities does the neighborhood offer?
- Families have Welles Park with its indoor pool and playground, the nearly 58-acre Horner Park, a Saturday farmers market at Northcenter Town Square from June to October, and free community events hosted by the local chamber of commerce.
- Who is the real estate agent for North Center?
- Joe Keegan is the local licensed Illinois real estate broker who covers North Center in North Center, IL through Subdiview, a neighborhood-first home search for the Chicago suburbs and collar counties. Joe prices and negotiates from the live MRED sold comps for North Center specifically, not national averages, and can help you buy or sell here. Reach Joe at 224-385-8779 or joe@joekeeganhomes.com.
Nearby
Neighborhoods near North Center.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the neighborhoods right next to North Center.
Your local agent
Joe knows North Center
Most agents will list anything. I focus on the places I actually know, and the things that move value here don't show up in the MLS write-up: which streets and buildings hold demand, what the HOA or assessments really cover, how the comps read once you account for condition and location, and where buyers consistently want to be.
When you're ready to tour or list, you want someone who has read the last 50 closed comps in this specific market, not a national average, and can tell you what they actually mean for your price. That's how I work. Text or call any time, and I'll give you a real take, not a brochure.
- Licensed Illinois broker
- Comp-driven pricing
- North Center specialist
- Honest local market take
- Brokerocity
Thinking of selling?
What's your home actually worth?
Not a Zestimate. A real CMA from someone who's sold this neighborhood, knows the floor plan premiums, and can tell you which upgrades the buyer pool here actually pays for.
- Pricing range with comp-by-comp logic
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