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Chicago, IL

Chicago, IL

How we calculate the Chicago ParkScore^® Ranking

The ranking for Chicago is based on how it compares nationally on five characteristics of an excellent park system: acreage, access, investment, amenities, and equity.

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Acreage

32 pts

Access

98 pts

Investment

80 pts

Amenities

64 pts

Equity

89 pts

98% of Chicago residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.

Median City, 100 most populous U.S. cities: 74%
Median City, all urban cities and towns in U.S.: 55%

We’re working to ensure that every person, in every neighborhood, in every city across America has a quality park within a 10-minute walk of home.

See Our Work in Illinois

Chicago residents who live within a 10-minute walk of a park

The average distance most people are willing to walk to reach a destination is 10-minutes or roughly half a mile. The 10-minute walk standard helps us examine the availability of parks close to home.

By Age (%)

Children (0 - 19)

Adults (20 - 64)

Seniors (65+)

By Income (%)

High Income

Middle Income

Low Income

By Race/Ethnicity (%)

Native American*

Asian*

Black*

Hispanic

Pacific Islander*

White*

2 or More Races*

Other*

*Excludes those who report Hispanic origin (which is captured separately from race by the U.S. Census).

Comparing amount of park space between neighborhoods by race/ethnicity

Across the country, parks located in neighborhoods with a majority of residents of color are half the size of parks in predominantly white neighborhoods yet serve five times more people per acre, according to TPL park equity data. In Chicago, residents in neighborhoods of color* have access to 21% more park space per person than the city’s average neighborhood and 12% more than those in white neighborhoods. Additionally, we compared park space in the city’s average neighborhood with others by specific race and ethnicity:

*Neighborhoods of color are defined as those in Chicago with the highest concentrations of people who identify as Black, Hispanic, Indigenous and Native American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, multiple races, or other communities of color (more information).

Comparing amount of park space between neighborhoods by income

Across the country, parks serving low-income households are four times smaller yet serve four times more people per acre than parks serving high-income households, according to TPL park equity data. In Chicago, residents in low-income neighborhoods have access to 27% more park space per person than those in the average Chicago neighborhood and 25% more than those in high-income neighborhoods.

10% of Chicago’s land is used for parks and recreation.

National median 15%

How do park amenities measure up?

Parks help foster healthy, inclusive, and flourishing communities—the cities with the highest ParkScore ratings are healthier places to live. These six amenities reflect activities popular among a diverse selection of user groups (kids, teenagers, adults, seniors). For each amenity, Chicago is awarded points based on their abundance relative to the other 99 cities.

Basketball Hoops

52/100pts

4.4 per 10,000 people

Playgrounds

56/100pts

3.6 per 10,000 people

Rec & Senior Centers

100/100pts

1.8 per 20,000 people

Dog Parks

36/100pts

1.1 per 100,000 people

Bathrooms

39/100pts

1.2 per 10,000 people

Splashpads

100/100pts

8.8 per 100,000 people

How much is Chicago investing in parks?

We compared Chicago with the other 100 most populous cities in the nation on total park investment per person, aggregating all public and private spending for any publicly accessible park in the city. Visit our City Park Facts database to see how the other big cities stack up.

Park Investment (Three-Year Average)

City agency

$173 (97%)
Other public agencies

$1.95 (1%)
Private organizations

$1.91 (1%)
Monetized volunteer hours

$1.39 (1%)

$178

Total Spending Per Capita

National benchmark: Relative park spending by organization type
Average among 100 most populous cities
City agency: 85.5%
Other public agencies: 7%
Private organizations: 5.5%
Monetized volunteer hours: 2%
Total per capita spending: $108 per person

See the map

Where are the parks most needed?

Chicago has 1249 parks.

Trust for Public Land has mapped park access for every urban area in the U.S., including Puerto Rico. Our ParkServe® mapping platform helps you pinpoint park investments to address park need, climate, equity, and health.

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