Chicago
Community Partners: Logan Square
History
The community area of Logan Square on Chicago's
northwest side is the neighborhood bounded on the north by Diversey
Avenue, to the east by the north branch of the Chicago River, to the
south by Bloomingdale Avenue, and to the west by the railroad lines
running along Pulaski Road. It is a predominantly Hispanic community
with a diverse mix of incomes, a variety of businesses, and a strong
history in community organizing.
In the early twentieth century, Logan Square was
a major commercial center, especially along Milwaukee and Fullerton
avenues. The population grew substantially through
the 1920s with many immigrant groups moving into the community. Germans and Norwegians represented the
largest enclaves prior to 1920, but began to move out and were replaced
by a large Polish population in the 1920s. In
the 1930s Logan Square reached a peak population of over 114,000 people.
From 1930 to 1960, the population of Logan Square
began to decline. The
community experienced a decline in manufacturing, particularly in the
industrial area in the eastern part of the region. The
construction of the Kennedy Expressway in the 1950s fueled migration
out of the city into the suburbs, and added to the decline of Logan
Square. Over 20,000 left the community during
the 1950s and many businesses closed down. However,
the 1960s saw a rejuvenation of the community, with the construction
and renovation of many residential and commercial structures and the
creation of new retail in the area. The
Logan Square Neighborhood Association, formed in 1963, had a substantial
role in fostering the redevelopment.
After 1960, the population continued to decline,
albeit at a slower rate, to 82,715 in 2000.
Logan Square has experience a dramatic increase in the Hispanic
population in the last 40 years.
The Hispanic population has grown from less than 600 people in
1960 to almost 54,000 today (about 65% of the residents of Logan Square). The Hispanic population consists of large
Mexican and Puerto Rican communities, and one of the largest Central
and South American populations in the city of Chicago. A large Polish
population continues to live in Logan Square, making the community "trilingual";
many churches have conducted services in English, Polish, and Spanish,
and community services agencies and organizations must be able to work
with a diverse constituency.
In addition to its ethnic diversity, Logan Square
remains and economically diverse community. The distribution of household
incomes closely matches with that of the city of Chicago, implying
Logan Square is a microcosm of the city as a whole, with both low-income
and wealth families calling it home. The Bucktown neighborhood in the southeastern
part of Logan Square has experienced some modest gentrification, with
new, higher income residents moving into the community. Overall, the median household income
in Logan Square has grown faster than the citywide average over the
past decade. The Logan
Square community continues to face needs for local economic development
and faces the pressure of rising housing cost, particularly for its
low-income residents.
Links
LSNA-Building
Community Capacity through a Sustain Campaing for Affordable Housing
Logan
Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA)
Logan
Square Preservation
Progressive
Logan Square
West
Logan Square Block Club
Logan
Square "L"
Logan
Square Library
35th
Ward
Demographics
Profile of Logan Square - Key
Population and Housing Statistics, 1980-2000
|
|
|
1980
|
1990
|
2000
|
|
Total
Population
|
84,768
|
82,605
|
82,715
|
|
%
Male
|
49.8
|
49.9
|
50.9
|
|
%
Female
|
50.2
|
50.1
|
49.1
|
|
%
White
|
43.5
|
26.7
|
26.3
|
|
%
Black
|
2.4
|
5.4
|
5.2
|
|
%
Other Nonwhite Races**
|
2.5
|
1.5
|
3.5
|
|
%
Hispanic Origin
|
51.7
|
66.3
|
65.1
|
|
%
Under 5 Years Old
|
9.8
|
9.9
|
8.2
|
|
%
5-19 Years Old
|
25.3
|
25.1
|
22.6
|
|
%
20-44 Years Old
|
37.9
|
43.3
|
47.9
|
|
%
45-64 Years Old
|
17.6
|
14.6
|
15.3
|
|
%
65 Years and Older
|
9.4
|
8.2
|
6.0
|
|
Median School Years
|
10.5
|
11.7
|
11.9
|
|
Total
Housing Units
|
32,514
|
29,797
|
31,488
|
|
%
Owner Occupied
|
25.6
|
26.2
|
28.3
|
|
%
Renter Occupied
|
65.1
|
62.7
|
63.5
|
|
%
Vacant
|
9.3
|
11.0
|
8.2
|
|
Median Home Value***
|
$60,360
|
$87,970
|
$176,024
|
|
Median Gross Rent***
|
$427
|
$544
|
$639
|
|
Median Houshold Income***
|
$27,741
|
$29,314
|
$36,245
|
|
%
Persons in Poverty
|
20.8
|
26.4
|
19.8
|
| Source: US Census Bureau |
| *
Persons of Hispanic Origin can be of any race |
| **
2000 figure includes category: "Two or More Races" |
| ***
Adjusted for Inflation using CPI-U-RS |
