Best-Value Neighborhoods in LA, Chicago, and NYC: 2025 Data
By Sharon Ben-Moshe · June 19, 2026
Across our LA, Chicago, and NYC ZIPs, the best balance of NeighborScore and price is Marquette Park, Chicago (54/100 at a ~$320K median) — and the priciest ZIPs score worst on affordability.
NeighborScore's value score is a pure affordability signal — how a ZIP's typical home price compares with its state median — and it is shown separately from the overall (which counts only safety and schools). Across our Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York ZIPs, the best balance of overall score and affordability is Marquette Park, Chicago.
The best score-per-dollar: Marquette Park (60629)
Marquette Park scores 54/100 at a ~$320K median — the lowest price in this set and an affordability score of 38. No other ZIP here pairs a mid-50s overall with a price that low; Lincoln Park (61, ~$835K) scores a bit higher but costs more than double.
Affordable, lower-scoring: South LA and Hollywood
South Central / Florence-Graham (90001) has the highest affordability score here (55, ~$650K) and Hollywood (90028) is next (44, ~$860K), but both score in the 30s-40s overall — affordable, but you are trading away safety and schools.
Top quality, worst value
The highest overalls are also the priciest: Beverly Hills (92, affordability 12), DUMBO (60, 17), and Chelsea (38, 14) all sit near the bottom on affordability. Strong neighborhoods cost more — which is exactly why value is shown separately and not folded into the overall.
Bottom line
If you want the most safety-and-schools per dollar in this set, Marquette Park leads; if you simply want the cheapest relative to its state, South Central scores highest on affordability. Sources: city open data, NCES, Zillow.