From the city's own open data
How the ward compares with the other 49, on crime and on city services. Rankings are 1 (best) to 50 (worst). Nothing here is chosen to make a point.
The pattern
The city closes these faster than in most wards: street light out, alley light out, graffiti removal, vacant or abandoned building. It closes these slower than in most wards: pothole, rat complaint. These tickets sit open for 30 days or more far more often than in a typical ward: sanitation code violation, fly dumping complaint, street light pole damage complaint, e-scooter parking complaint. The same addresses keep getting reported again for: traffic signal out, public way inspection, fly dumping.
Picked by rule from the tables below: ranks 1 to 16 are better than most, 35 to 50 worse. Nothing is hand-chosen, and this block rebuilds itself every day. These are the city's records of reports and tickets. They show where problems get closed and where they do not. They do not show who is responsible for each one, and the alderman does not command the police. Repeat counts can also reflect busy corridors.
The finding
The city closes vacant-building complaints in the 27th Ward in about 20 days, faster than most wards. But 40 addresses here have been reported three or more times since May 2023, against 12 in the typical ward. That is the 14th highest of 50 wards. 25 of them were reported again in the last 12 months. A closed ticket is not a fixed building. See the addresses.
Also
60 fly-dumping complaints and 57 sanitation code violations have sat open for more than 30 days. In a typical ward the share is close to zero. Of the wards with any, this ward has the most. Every one of these tickets was opened in 2026, and the open fly-dumping tickets grow each month: 10, 17, 29, 43, 2. Trash left in alleys is a common reason for rats, which fits what residents describe, but this data cannot prove the link. See what else is left sitting.
Every dot is one 311 request in the ward from the last 12 months, for six things residents report: potholes, street lights, alley lights, vacant buildings, fly dumping, and sanitation violations. The color shows how long it took the city to close it. Use the boxes to pick what to see. Try "Only the slow and open ones" to find the parts of the ward that waited.
Dots show where a request was reported, so busy streets show more dots. This is not a map of what is broken, only of what people told the city about. It also shows requests, not menu-money projects, because the city does not publish those as map data. Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors.
These are the 40 addresses in the 27th Ward that were reported to 311 as vacant or abandoned three or more times since May 2023. Rows with a gold edge were reported again in the last 12 months. Open violations are the city's own building-code records.
| Address | Times reported | First reported | Last reported | Latest ticket | Open building violations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1136 N Lawndale Ave | 13 | 2023-03-23 | 2026-09-13 | Open | 39 open since 2021-09-15 |
| 742 N Christiana Ave | 9 | 2024-03-01 | 2026-07-29 | Completed | 4 open since 2019-12-19 |
| 837 N Lawndale Ave | 9 | 2021-08-16 | 2026-07-19 | Completed | 11 open since 2018-05-04 |
| 1017 N Avers Ave | 8 | 2024-04-16 | 2025-07-21 | Completed | 3 open since 2025-10-29 |
| 2149 W Warren Blvd | 7 | 2019-03-19 | 2026-08-30 | Open | 1 open since 2016-09-21 |
| 2661 W Maypole Ave | 7 | 2022-08-04 | 2025-09-24 | Completed | 4 open since 2025-05-30 |
| 2910 W Fulton St | 7 | 2020-08-31 | 2026-03-16 | Completed | none on file |
| 849 N St Louis Ave | 7 | 2022-04-10 | 2026-04-09 | Completed | 7 open since 2016-09-19 |
| 901 N Trumbull Ave | 7 | 2022-03-04 | 2025-03-09 | Completed | 1 open since 2026-08-25 |
| 923 N Homan Ave | 7 | 2022-09-15 | 2025-08-19 | Completed | 17 open since 2025-11-03 |
| 1132 N Lawndale Ave | 6 | 2020-09-02 | 2026-08-19 | Completed | 3 open since 2022-07-29 |
| 2915 W Warren Blvd | 6 | 2022-08-14 | 2026-08-10 | Completed | none on file |
| 3001 W Fulton Blvd | 6 | 2020-02-26 | 2025-07-03 | Completed | 6 open since 2015-09-23 |
| 410 N Monticello Ave | 6 | 2024-07-21 | 2026-04-25 | Completed | 3 open since 2009-02-26 |
| 700 W Chicago Ave | 6 | 2019-02-16 | 2025-07-29 | Completed | none on file |
| 714 N Kedzie Ave | 6 | 2019-03-16 | 2026-06-23 | Completed | 1 open since 2010-10-19 |
| 1008 N Drake Ave | 5 | 2022-03-17 | 2023-06-05 | Completed | 29 open since 2018-01-19 |
| 1110 N Lawndale Ave | 5 | 2022-07-24 | 2026-03-13 | Completed | none on file |
| 16 S California Ave | 5 | 2019-08-28 | 2026-04-24 | Completed | 9 open since 2014-12-15 |
| 1859 W Walnut St | 5 | 2023-12-26 | 2024-09-23 | Completed | 1 open since 2010-09-17 |
| 726 N Lawndale Ave | 5 | 2023-01-14 | 2026-05-23 | Completed | 13 open since 2015-11-17 |
| 833 N Homan Ave | 5 | 2026-03-08 | 2026-08-24 | Open | none on file |
| 920 N Trumbull Ave | 5 | 2020-01-07 | 2026-09-18 | Open | 3 open since 2020-02-26 |
| 25 S Oakley Blvd | 4 | 2025-03-12 | 2025-08-28 | Completed | 10 open since 2007-03-28 |
| 3136 W Walnut St | 4 | 2025-07-17 | 2026-05-13 | Completed | none on file |
| 814 N Monticello Ave | 4 | 2024-08-19 | 2024-12-05 | Completed | 2 open since 2025-09-02 |
| 1015 N Avers Ave | 3 | 2024-05-28 | 2024-08-14 | Completed | 5 open since 2011-11-29 |
| 1134 N Lawndale Ave | 3 | 2024-02-20 | 2026-09-13 | Open | none on file |
| 1212 W Hubbard St | 3 | 2025-06-10 | 2025-09-15 | Completed | 6 open since 2013-11-15 |
| 1361 W Walton St | 3 | 2025-07-28 | 2026-05-17 | Completed | none on file |
| 208 S Hoyne Ave | 3 | 2026-04-06 | 2026-09-24 | Open | 5 open since 2009-06-30 |
| 254 N California Ave | 3 | 2023-07-10 | 2024-06-12 | Completed | 6 open since 2021-05-12 |
| 3153 W Fulton St | 3 | 2024-05-26 | 2026-07-15 | Completed | none on file |
| 3342 W Iowa St | 3 | 2026-04-27 | 2026-06-05 | Completed | 12 open since 2011-09-30 |
| 457 N Western Ave | 3 | 2023-08-25 | 2026-02-18 | Completed | 2 open since 2025-03-12 |
| 620 N Troy St | 3 | 2025-09-02 | 2026-02-06 | Completed | 33 open since 2025-07-09 |
| 707 W Grand Ave | 3 | 2024-04-03 | 2026-05-27 | Completed | 24 open since 2010-05-17 |
| 734 N St Louis Ave | 3 | 2025-08-21 | 2026-05-02 | Completed | 10 open since 2022-02-14 |
| 735 N Spaulding Ave | 3 | 2024-06-21 | 2025-08-02 | Completed | none on file |
| 852 N St Louis Ave | 3 | 2023-07-22 | 2024-04-08 | Completed | none on file |
For each kind of request, this is the share still open after 30 days or more, in the last 12 months. In most wards almost none are. These are the kinds where the 27th Ward is furthest from the typical ward.
| Kind of request | Still open 30+ days | Typical ward | Rank (1 = best) | Open now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanitation Code Violation | 12.3% | 0.0% | 49 of 50 | 57 |
| Fly Dumping Complaint | 10.5% | 0.0% | 50 of 50 | 60 |
| Street Light Pole Damage Complaint | 19.0% | 10.4% | 45 of 50 | 20 |
| E-Scooter Parking Complaint | 13.4% | 4.9% | 42 of 42 | 17 |
| Clean Vacant Lot Request | 6.4% | 0.0% | 28 of 32 | 18 |
| Blue Recycling Cart | 6.3% | 0.9% | 43 of 49 | 23 |
| Building Violation | 16.8% | 11.8% | 29 of 50 | 84 |
| Nuisance Animal Complaint | 10.4% | 5.9% | 41 of 47 | 13 |
Addresses reported three or more times in 12 months for the same problem. Sorted worst first. A high number can mean a problem that is not getting fixed. It can also mean a busy corridor, or residents who report a lot, so read these as a place to look, not a verdict.
| Kind of request | Addresses reported 3+ times | Typical ward | Rank (1 = fewest) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic signal out | 122 | 50 | 50 of 50 |
| Public way inspection | 13 | 4 | 46 of 50 |
| Fly dumping | 23 | 8 | 44 of 50 |
| Sanitation code violation | 23 | 13 | 43 of 50 |
| Graffiti | 281 | 100 | 39 of 50 |
| Garbage cart problems | 30 | 15 | 37 of 50 |
| Building violation | 29 | 17 | 36 of 50 |
| Pothole | 27 | 22 | 32 of 50 |
| Abandoned vehicle | 70 | 64 | 31 of 50 |
| Rat complaint | 47 | 54 | 23 of 50 |
| Street light out | 22 | 22 | 22 of 50 |
Every alderman gets a menu budget each year, $1.5 million in the city reports, to pick street, alley, sidewalk, and lighting projects in the ward. The city posts a report each quarter. These are the numbers for the 27th Ward, read straight from those reports.
| Year | Report | Committed | Of budget | Unspent | Rank (1 = most committed) | Typical ward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 so far | Q3 2024 report | $1,500,000 | 100.0% | $0 | 1 of 50 | 97.1% |
| 2025 | Q4 2025 report | $1,486,732 | 99.1% | $13,268 | 21 of 50 | 97.9% |
| 2026 so far | Q2 2026 report | $1,170,899 | 78.1% | $329,101 | 27 of 50 | 80.5% |
From 2005 to 2017, the ward spent about $151,770 a year on alley resurfacing and ranked about 9th of 50 on average, in the top 10 in 9 of 13 years. From 2018 to 2023, it spent about $71,480 a year and ranked about 26th, in the top 10 in 0 of 6 years.
Ward 27 Typical ward (median of the 50) * the year is not finished, so the comparison is unfair. Hover a bar for the numbers.
Alley resurfacing only. Speed humps and aprons are not counted. 2005 to 2023 come from Ward Wise, a volunteer group that read the city's PDFs into data (MIT license). 2024 on comes from the city's own reports. We checked Ward Wise's work against the city: for 2024, all 33 of 33 of this ward's project lines in their file matched the city's own report, and the totals are identical. The older years cannot be checked line by line against the city's PDFs, but this ward's yearly totals match the budget sizes the city has reported ($1.32 million a year through 2019, $1.5 million since 2021).
| Project type | 2024 so far | 2025 | 2026 so far |
|---|---|---|---|
| Street Resurfacing | $1,218,975 | $802,317 | $363,862 |
| Sidewalk | $64,416 | $353,956 | $140,396 |
| Alley Resurfacing | $125,097 | $142,076 | $241,398 |
| Street Light Residential Staggered Piggy Back | $370,000 | ||
| Alley Speed Hump Replacement | $79,141 | $0 | |
| Miscellaneous CDOT Projects | $47,937 | $24,043 | |
| Street Speed Hump | $19,059 | $19,520 | $26,500 |
| Street Bump Outs | $10,469 | $34,362 | |
| Viaduct Improvement | $22,642 | ||
| Curb & Gutter | $16,317 | ||
| Pavement Markings | $1,000 | $13,050 | |
| ADA - Alley Resurfacing | $7,245 | ||
| All other | $5,802 | $1,950 | $6,100 |
| Committed | $1,500,000 | $1,486,732 | $1,170,899 |
| Type | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Alley Resurfacing | N LEAVITT ST & W CARROLL AVE&W FULTON ST & N HOYNE AVE | $58,061 |
| Alley Resurfacing | N TRUMBULL AVE & W HURON ST&W OHIO ST & N HOMAN AVE | $46,906 |
| Alley Resurfacing | ON W COTTAGE PL FROM S RACINE AVE (1200 W) TO S THROOP ST (1260 W) | $43,062 |
| Alley Resurfacing | W MONROE ST & S OAKLEY BLVD&S LEAVITT ST & W MADISON ST | $76,817 |
| Alley Resurfacing | W WARREN BLVD & N LEAVITT ST&N OAKLEY BLVD & W WASHINGTON BLVD | $16,552 |
| Alley Speed Hump | S HOYNE AVE & W MONROE ST&W MADISON ST & S SEELEY AVE | $4,000 |
| Alley Speed Hump | W MADISON ST & S LEAVITT ST&S HOYNE AVE & W MONROE ST | $1,600 |
| Alley Speed Hump Replacement | N TRUMBULL AVE & W HURON ST&W OHIO ST & N HOMAN AVE | $0 |
| Alley Speed Hump Replacement | W WARREN BLVD & N LEAVITT ST&N OAKLEY BLVD & W WASHINGTON BLVD | $0 |
| Sidewalk | 1140 N LAWNDALE AVE | $9,228 |
| Sidewalk | 1815-1851 W POLK ST | $23,491 |
| Sidewalk | 3059 W WALNUT ST | $35,996 |
| Sidewalk | 641 N TRUMBULL AVE | $5,419 |
| Sidewalk | 742 N ADA ST | $18,511 |
| Sidewalk | ON W CHESTNUT ST FROM N ELIZABETH ST (1300 W) TO N NOBLE ST (1400 W) | $47,752 |
| Street Light Residential Staggered Piggy Back | ON N SANGAMON ST FROM N MILWAUKEE AVE (670 N) TO W HURON ST (700 N); ON N PEORIA ST FRO | $370,000 |
| Street Light Upgrade | 653 W GRAND AVE | $500 |
| Street Resurfacing | ON N SAWYER AVE FROM W FRANKLIN BLVD N (500 N) TO W HURON ST (700 N) | $70,383 |
| Street Resurfacing | ON N WHIPPLE ST FROM W FULTON BLVD (300 N) TO W CARROLL AVE (340 N) | $21,409 |
| Street Resurfacing | ON S ALBANY AVE FROM W FULTON BLVD (300 N) TO W CARROLL AVE (400 N) | $55,502 |
| Street Resurfacing | ON W GLADYS AVE FROM S WASHTENAW AVE (2700 W) TO S CALIFORNIA AVE (2800 W) | $52,202 |
| Street Resurfacing | ON W IOWA ST FROM N CENTRAL PARK AVE (3600 W) TO N RIDGEWAY AVE (3740 W) | $133,693 |
| Street Resurfacing | ON W IOWA ST FROM N TRUMBULL AVE (3440 W) TO N ST LOUIS AVE (3500 W) | $30,674 |
| Street Speed Hump | ON W IOWA ST FROM N HOMAN AVE (3400 W) TO N CENTRAL PARK AVE (3600 W) | $10,600 |
| Street Speed Hump | ON W MONROE ST FROM S HOYNE AVE (2100 W) TO S LEAVITT ST (2200 W) | $5,300 |
| Street Speed Hump | ON W MONROE ST FROM S RACINE AVE (1200 W) TO S LOOMIS ST (1400 W) | $10,600 |
| Viaduct Improvement | 940 W FRY ST | $22,642 |
The fairest tests are the things an alderman actually controls. Some of these we can measure now. Some we cannot yet, and we say so.
The crime, shooting, and service numbers come from the City of Chicago Data Portal. Attendance comes from the City Clerk public API at api.chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov. The data portal sources are: 311 Service Requests, Crimes, 2001 to Present, and Violence Reduction: Victims of Homicides and Non-Fatal Shootings. We download them directly, and the code only counts and compares. No person or program adds opinion. The same numbers are here as data: ward-metrics.json.