7th District

The 7th Congressional District in Illinois is one of the most exciting, engaging, diverse, and dynamic places to live and work in the nation. It is a community with unlimited potential. It is also a district with significant disparities and challenges.

The 7th District is wholly within Cook County and bordered on the east by Lake Michigan, and extends to the western border of Cook County. The district is generally south of Armitage Avenue and has one arm that extends as far south as 57th Street. (click here for large-scale map) or (click here for a street-level detail map of the 7th District) It includes much of the West Side of Chicago and parts of the suburban communities of Bellwood (all), Berkeley, Broadview, Forest Park, Hillside, La Grange, Maywood, Oak Brook, Oak Park (all), River Forest, and Westchester. In Chicago, the 7th District includes all or part of the community areas of Austin, Chinatown (Armour Square), Douglas, East Garfield Park, Englewood, Fuller Square, Bronzeville (Grand Boulevard), Humboldt Park, Kenwood, Loop, Near North Side, Near South Side, Near West Side, North Lawndale, Oakland, Washington Park, West Englewood, West Garfield Park, and West Town.

Click here to view a list of full or partial zip codes in the district.

The 7th District is home to a host of world-class cultural and higher education institutions. It is home to the architecture of Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan, and Frank Lloyd Wright. It is home to the Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Blackhawks. It is home to some of Illinois's best-known and most colorful neighborhoods, including Chinatown and Greektown. The District's suburban communities have long, rich histories and have amassed proud traditions.

The District includes downtown Chicago, home of Chicago's financial exchanges (the Chicago Board of Trade, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, and the Chicago Stock Exchange and is one of the world's great international financial centers. The District also includes much of Chicago's public housing (managed by the Chicago Housing Authority), which encompass some of the poorest census tracts in America.

The District includes twenty-one hospitals, dozens of clinics, and many world-class research institutions and medical schools - but it also includes some of the most medically underserved communities in America, with some communities on Chicago's Westside experiencing infant mortality rates comparable to third-world countries.

According to the latest census information, the 7th Congressional District had a population of 592,000. The population was 47% male and 53% female; 34% White, 59% Black, 4% Asian, and 7% Hispanic. 10% were aged 65 and over; 23% were age 45 to 64; 31% age 25 to 44; 9% were age 18 to 24; and 26% were under age 18. There are 22,085 veterans living in the 7th District. More census information about the 7th District may be found here.

82% of persons 25 years of age and older were high school graduates -- 34% had a Bachelor's degree or higher. The median household income was $38,585; 22% were receiving Social Security with an average Social Security payment of $11,956. 24% of families and 44% of children under 18 lived below the poverty level.

23% of workers in the District are employed in Education, health, and social services; 16% in professional and business services; 12% in finance, real estate, and rental/leasing; 10% in retail trade; 9% in manufacturing; 8% in leisure and hospitality; 5% in construction; 4% in wholesale trade and 2% in information.

There are 238,000 housing units in the 7th District. Average household size is 2.5 persons; married couples 29%; other families 26%; people living alone 39% and other non-family 7%. 49% are owner-occupied, and 51% are renter-occupied. 50% of owners with mortgages, 31% of owners without mortgages, and 54% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

The people who live or work here are justly proud of the community they have built . . . and they are committed to developing and growing this community for all its residents. If you are looking for a place to live, to work, to invest, or to vacation, please know you are welcome . . . you will love what you find in the 7th District of Illinois.