Report Release: Who Lives in Pilsen: The Trajectory of Gentrification from 2000-2020
Executive Summary
This study documents demographic and socioeconomic changes in the Lower West Side and its subareas. According to U.S. Census data, the Lower West Side—the Chicago community area that includes Pilsen—was 88 percent Hispanic or Latino in 1990. By 2020, that share had declined to 71 percent. While the neighborhood remains majority Latino, the findings confirm that over the past two decades gentrification has become firmly established along Pilsen’s eastern edge, intensified in Central Pilsen, and expanded throughout the broader Lower West Side.
Population trends from 2000 to 2020 show an overall decline in residents, driven largely by losses among foreign-born residents, Hispanic or Latino family households, and children under age 18. At the same time, the Lower West Side has become more educated, with rising median household incomes approaching those of the City of Chicago. Although Hispanic or Latino residents experienced gains in income and educational attainment, these levels continue to lag behind those of other racial and ethnic groups. Employment patterns also shifted significantly, with a substantial increase in professional occupations. Between 2005–2009 and 2016–2020, employment in management, business, science, and arts occupations grew by 151.4 percent—more than five times the citywide rate. Meanwhile, rising rents have increasingly divided the neighborhood between households paying more than $1,000 per month and those paying less.
If these trends persist, Pilsen risks losing its remaining working-class families. Development efforts, such as the 18th and Peoria site, may play a critical role in preserving affordability and preventing further displacement of working-class Mexican families.
This report was initiated by UIC Professor John J. Betancur, whose scholarly interest in Pilsen and gentrification spans several decades. The Great Cities Institute compiled this analysis at his request to document who currently lives in Pilsen.