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Mapping Chicago area income inequality by Metra route

Crain’s Chicago Business put together an interactive map that shows income levels by Metra train stop: The geographic disparity in Chicago’s wealth can be seen by tracking household income in the ZIP...

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Underwater mortgages slow housing recovery in Chicago area

Crain’s Chicago Business highlights an issue that is slowing the real estate market in the Chicago area: homeowners with underwater mortgages. More than 506,000 Chicago-area homes—or one-third of the...

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Better to expand Metra service to Oswego and Yorkville or use money to solve...

Discussion is growing about expanding Metra commuter rail service to Oswego and Yorkville but where the money will come from is an issue: Metra board directors on Friday supported increasing a...

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Suburbs wooing the Chicago Cubs highlights the regional nature of sports...

The Chicago Cubs moving out of the city seems unlikely. But, that hasn’t stopped several Chicago suburbs from suggesting they would be willing to work out a deal with the Cubs to build a new stadium:...

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Average new US house over 2,500 square feet; average new Chicago area house...

Here is an update on the average (not the median) new house size in the United States and in the Chicago region: As a result, the average new home completed last year was 2,505 square feet. That...

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McMansion owners in the Chicago suburbs get cheaper ComEd rates than...

Crain’s Chicago Business highlights an interesting part of the regulations for ComEd: a suburban homeowner pays a more advantageous rater than a city resident. The reason: The price to reserve...

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The changing nature of poverty in the Chicago region between 1980 and 2010

Building off a post two days ago about comparing maps of urban poverty in 1980 and 2010, here is a closer look at how poverty has changed in the Chicago region over the same time period: The shift is...

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NIMBY reactions in Chicago suburbs to possible marijuana dispensaries

With a medical marijuana bill in the works in Illinois, some Chicago suburbs are trying to prepare for marijuana dispensaries: In anticipation of the law, the Lake County Municipal League plans a...

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Argument: many Chicago suburbs have boring mottos

The Daily Herald suggests a number of Chicago suburbs have dull mottos that don’t say much about the communities: Town mottos are like nicknames in that the best ones, such as “City of Big Shoulders”...

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Sociologist Charles Tilly honored in Elmhurst, IL

It is not often that you see renowned sociologists acknowledged by their high schools in the Chicago suburbs: the late Charles Tilly is being honored by York High School in Elmhurst. York High School...

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More Chicago area houses purchased with cash

In perhaps another sign of the bifurcated housing market, more and more buyers are purchasing Chicago area homes with cash: Some people actually pay cash to buy a house. In fact, it happens more than...

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Suburban worries that Metra troubles may end up giving Chicago more influence

DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin doesn’t want the troubles with Metra to give Chicago an opportunity to grab more power over regional transit: As Metra tries to function amid scandal, it’s essential...

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“The United States Redrawn as Fifty States with Equal Populations” leads to...

Here is a fun map/solution/art project regarding reforming the American electoral college: have all the states have equal populations. Here is the methodology for the map: The map began with an...

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Transforming Rosemont from a small suburb to a entertainment and commercial...

The suburb of Rosemont, Illinois has changed quite a bit in recent decades with a strong push from local leaders: “Now Rosemont pretty much has everything people need,” Stephens said. “There is no need...

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Report shows Chicago region’s poverty split equally between city and suburbs

Mirroring larger American trends, a new report finds poverty is split evenly between Chicago and its suburbs. The “Poverty Matters” report, released today by the Heartland Alliance’s Social IMPACT...

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Who pays in and receives tax money for transit in the Chicago metropolitan...

Amidst the fight over tax dollars for mass transit in the Chicago region, here is a breakdown of where the tax money comes from and who gets to spend it: Metra, the CTA and Pace receive around half of...

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Persistent homelessness in the Chicago suburbs shouldn’t be a surprise

Homelessness is an ongoing concern for Chicago suburbs: Advocates say her story reflects an ongoing dilemma for those working to end homelessness. The problem often is dismissed as an urban one, but...

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As Chicago area home prices rise, housing affordability drops

Affordable housing is a persistent issue in the Chicago region – and the percent of affordable homes has dropped in the last four quarters: Housing affordability in the Chicago area just took its...

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Chicago area highway drivers going faster: 85th percentile between 71 and 75 mph

A new report highlights the fast highway driving along Chicago area highways: Only a few are obeying the law. In those stretches, an average of 1 out of 20 motorists drives at or below that limit… The...

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Big companies buying up hundreds of Chicago area homes

In a sign of the post-Great Recession real estate market, big firms are buying up Chicago area real estate: The Chicago market is vast enough that even an invasion of this size won’t change home prices...

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