Auburn Gresham | |
|---|---|
| Community Area 71 - Auburn Gresham | |
 Two-flats built in the early 20th century are common in Gresham. | |
 Location within the city of Chicago | |
| Coordinates:41°44.4′N87°39.6′W / 41.7400°N 87.6600°W /41.7400; -87.6600 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Cook |
| City | Chicago |
| Neighborhoods | list
|
| Area | |
• Total | 3.77 sq mi (9.76 km2) |
| Population (2023)[1] | |
• Total | 44,878 |
| • Density | 11,900/sq mi (4,600/km2) |
| Demographics (2023)[1] | |
| • White | 0.8% |
| • Black | 94.2% |
| • Hispanic | 3.6% |
| • Asian | 0.2% |
| • Other | 1.1% |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | part of 60620 |
| Median income[1] | $37,741 |
| Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services | |
Auburn Gresham is acommunity area inChicago, Illinois, on the far south side of the city. It was the original location of theSouth Side Irish Parade before it relocated to the adjoiningBeverly neighborhood to the southwest. Its residents are mostly African American.
Auburn Gresham's development as a community dates back to the early nineteenth century, when the area was defined primarily by smallGerman andDutch settlements. A later influx ofIrish railroad workers and others lured to theSouth Side by newly extended city services in the late nineteenth century led to further residential and commercial growth.
In the 1920s, the population increased nearly threefold, from 19,558 to 57,381.[2] The plethora ofbungalow-style housing and brick two-flat apartment buildings throughout Auburn Gresham serves as lasting evidence of the community's formative years. TheAuburn Gresham Bungalow Historic District, featuring 264 brickChicago bungalows built between 1918 and 1932, is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[3]
Like most other Southside communities, Auburn Gresham suffered fromblockbusting, risingcrime, andwhite flight during the 1960s: the neighborhood was nearly 100% white in 1960, but flipped to being 69% black by the 1970 census.
Auburn Gresham is serviced byGresham station, aMetra commuter rail stop at W. 87th St. and Vincennes Ave. which provides daily inbound service toLaSalle Street Station in Chicago and outbound service toJoliet.
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Community leaders have long encouraged the construction of an additional Metra rail stop at W. 79th St.[4] In 2014, the City of Chicago obtained a half-acre parcel of land on which to construct the newAuburn Park station.[5] As of 2025[update], the station is under construction.[6]
CTAred line stops at 79th St. and 87th St. are also available along theDan Ryan Expressway in nearbyChatham.
Chicago Public Library operates the Thurgood Marshall Branch in Auburn Gresham at W. 75th St. and S. Racine Ave. The 13,500 square foot library, which features a 125-seat auditorium, reading garden, and several artworks, opened in April 1994.[7][8]
St. Sabina Church is located in the community, headed by Rev.Michael Pfleger. The church and its priest have been pivotal in helping transform Auburn Gresham, with new housing and store fronts opening up in the neighborhood. One of the largest new single-family home developments in Chicago is nearly complete at W. 87th St. and S. Parnell Ave., in the southeast corner of Auburn Gresham.
Auburn Gresham is home to theSt. Leo Campus for Veterans, which includes the Catholic Charities' St. Leo's Residence, the Auburn Gresham Community Based Outpatient Clinic, the St. Leo's Veteran's Garden, and thePope John Paul II Residence.[9]
The community is also home to Perspectives Leadership Academy and Perspectives Technology Academy which are a part of the Renaissance 2010 program. Both schools are housed in the same building that was home to the formerCalumet High School in the Auburn Gresham community. Calumet High School was one of Chicago's oldest high schools opening its doors to Auburn Gresham neighborhood students in 1919.
The Auburn Gresham community is also home to the first urbanSOS Children's Village in the U.S.[10]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 19,558 | — | |
| 1930 | 57,381 | 193.4% | |
| 1940 | 57,293 | −0.2% | |
| 1950 | 60,978 | 6.4% | |
| 1960 | 59,484 | −2.5% | |
| 1970 | 68,850 | 15.7% | |
| 1980 | 65,132 | −5.4% | |
| 1990 | 59,808 | −8.2% | |
| 2000 | 55,928 | −6.5% | |
| 2010 | 48,743 | −12.8% | |
| 2020 | 44,878 | −7.9% | |
| [1][11] | |||
The Auburn Gresham community area has supported theDemocratic Party in the past two presidential elections. In the2016 presidential election, the Auburn Gresham cast 19,286 votes forHillary Clinton and cast 272 votes forDonald Trump (97.29% to 1.37%).[12] In the2012 presidential election, Auburn Gresham cast 24,782 votes forBarack Obama and cast 130 votes forMitt Romney (99.34% to 0.52%).[13]
Places adjacent to Auburn Gresham, Chicago | |
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| International | |
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| National | |
