Posts from October 4th, 2026

By Joe Bjorklund

When you begin thinking about buying your first home in Chicago, it's easy to start with listings. You choose a price range, enter the number of bedrooms, and scroll through photos.

But there's another question that deserves attention early:

What part of Chicago fits the life you want to build?

That's why I added a guide to Chicago's 77 community areas to ChicagoFirstTimeHomebuyer.com. Learning about the city belongs alongside learning about down payments, mortgages, inspections, and closing costs.

A City of Neighborhoods—and 77 Community Areas

Chicago has 77 officially designated community areas, with many smaller neighborhoods within them. Although people often use "neighborhood" and "community area" interchangeably, they aren'...

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