East Side

The East Side (Chicago Community Area 52) is located on the far southeast side of Chicago between the Calumet River and the Illinois-Indiana state line, approximately 13 miles south-east of downtown. 1 The East Side has long been considered a suburb of South Chicago. 1 Bordered by water on three sides and shielded by miles of mills, the East Side is geographically isolated from surrounding communities.

The East Side currently has an average median income of $79,284 and is predominantly a working-class Hispanic/Latino enclave. 2 Between the years 1980 and 2000 the Hispanic/Latino population grew from 13 to 57.7 percent. 2 Despite recent growth, the decline of the Chicago steel industry has had serious effects on the East Side community. Many of the area's residents now commute to other areas for work. 1

However, the East Side is steadily redeveloping; new homes are being built, new grocery chains are entering the community, and the redevelopment of Lake Pointe Plaza is increasing. 1

According to a 2006 Community Health Profile, the East Side had a very high hospitalization rate due to diabetes. 2 Diabetes is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and also the leading cause of non-traumatic amputations, blindness, and end-stage kidney disease. 3 CEED@Chicago chose the East Side as an initial target community because of 1) the high concentration of Hispanics/Latinos in the area, and 2) because diabetes and CVD disproportionately affect Hispanic/Latino populations both nationally and in Chicago. 2 Both conditions are among the top ten leading causes of death and a leading causes of US hospitalizations. 3

  1. East Side . Encyclopedia of Chicago . Retrieved on March, 2009 LINK.
  2. Chicago Department of Public Health. Chicago Community Health Profile. Retrieved on April, 2006t LINK.
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Fact Sheet: General Information and National Estimates on Diabetes in the U.S. , 2005. Atlanta , GA : U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC.; 2005.

Back to Top