The CPS Annual Regional Analysis (ARA) is a collection of reports that have been created to support conversations with communities and stakeholders. These reports provide data that helps answer questions about who attends CPS schools, where do students enroll, what programs do CPS schools offer, and is the district meeting family and community needs.
Updated yearly, the ARA presents CPS data in one place and does not make recommendations or suggestions for action. Instead, these reports are designed to empower stakeholders with the information they need to ask questions and advocate for the types of schools they want in their communities. In doing so, the ARA supports CPS's goal of ensuring that every student in every neighborhood receives a high-quality education.
Stakeholders are encouraged to review this information to understand current school quality, enrollment patterns, school choice options, and program offerings at the district level and across the 16 Chicago regions.
Structure & Organization
The ARA consists of a district report and 16 regional reports. The City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development created boundaries for regions based on housing and employment research. Natural borders such as rivers and train lines divide each region. These borders are likely considerations for families when selecting a school. The ARA uses these regions since they are more consistent than city wards or school networks.
The ARA includes all CPS schools, including traditional neighborhood schools, Charter schools, Selective Enrollment, Magnet, Special Education, Specialty, and Options High Schools.
District Reference Map
Region Map
The Greater Lincoln Park region's boundaries are, generally, West Diversey Parkway and West Irving Park Road to the north, Lake Michigan to the east, West Division to the south, and the Kennedy Expressway and Metra Union Pacific / North Line and Ravenswood Avenue to the west.
It consists primarily of two community areas – Lake View and Lincoln Park and includes portions of Logan Square, Near North Side, Uptown, and West Town. The region has a high density of housing and has access to the north branch of the Chicago River and the lakefront.
It contains parts of 9 wards, 14 neighborhoods, and 8 community areas. It is served by 11 CTA train stops and 1 Metra stop.
* Denotes Options/alternative or special education specialty school
School Type
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
HIGH SCHOOL
Demographic Composition
Diversity Within the Region
The following charts use the Simpson Diversity Index, a tool commonly used to measure population diversity based on both the variety of demographic groups and the size of each group.
In the Greater Lincoln Park region, the demographic composition of students residing in the region is less racially / ethnically diverse than that of students attending school in the region. At the same time, the demographic composition of both students residing and students attending school in the region is more racially / ethnically diverse than the district overall.
NOTE: For more information on the Simpson Diversity Index (SDI) and the specific SDI values for the district and regions, see the downloadable data file on the ARA Archive page. Demographic data used in this analysis is from the annual 20th-day count (September 23, 2024).
Racial/Ethnic Composition
In the region's student population over the last four years, the largest racial/ethnic group is students who identify as White. During that time, the percentage of students identifying as White has decreased from 52% to 51% while the second largest racial/ethnic group, students identifying as Black, has remained the same at 18%.
The region is generally diverse with the majority of students identifying as White and the southern portion near the Central Area region being primarily students that identify as Black.
Race/Ethnicity Composition Over Time
Race/Ethnicity Composition Over Time
NOTE: This map combines the racial/ethnic identity of students who live in each area (hexagon) of the region. The design of this map protects individual student’s identities while displaying the distribution of race/ethnicity and student density in the region.
The legend shows how the colors associated with each racial/ethnic identity blend together. Areas (hexagons) that show more of one color than another have a higher density of that racial/ethnic identity. Areas with no distinct color are more diverse.
Free and Reduced Lunch Rate
In the past four years, the percentage of students qualifying for Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL) has increased from 24% to 25%. The percentage of students qualifying for FRL in the region remains lower than the overall district percentage of 72%. 1, 2
The Greater Lincoln Park region primarily includes areas with high median family income.
Free and Reduced Lunch Rate Over Time
Free and Reduced Lunch Rate Over Time
1Before 2015, CPS relied on the Nutrition Services department to administer, communicate, and collect the FRL forms. When the federal lunch program was expanded to all students, CPS needed to administer a separate “Fee Waiver Form” that replaced the FRL form. As fee waivers continue to be collected throughout the school year, the percentage of qualifying students increases.
2FRL data is from the 20th day of each school year. Data from school years 2020-21 and 2021-22 was impacted in part by the COVID-19 global pandemic and the ability to administer and collect FRL forms during remote learning.
NOTE: The Median Family Income map uses annual U.S. Census data collected from all families within each census tract. Median income represents the midpoint, where 50% of families earn more and 50% earn less, providing a more balanced measure of income that is less influenced by extremely high or low values in a given area.
The income categories in this map use the “natural breaks” classification method, which groups similar income values and separates dissimilar ones. This creates a more balanced representation across income categories and more likely reflects how Chicagoans naturally view differences in income.