Off-Campus Housing Near DePaul: Best Options for 2026-2027

Why DePaul Students Are Moving Off Campus

DePaul's Lincoln Park campus sits in one of Chicago's best neighborhoods for off-campus living, and students are taking advantage of it. The reasons are consistent: cost savings over dorms, the privacy of your own room, independence from university housing rules, and access to amenities that dormitories simply cannot match. After freshman year, the dorm stops feeling like a rite of passage and starts feeling like a constraint.

According to DePaul's published cost of attendance, room and board runs approximately $15,000 to $16,000 per academic year. That works out to $1,667 to $1,778 per month for a shared room with a communal bathroom and a mandatory meal plan that most upperclassmen find restrictive. For the same monthly cost — or less — you can rent a private, furnished room off campus with a full kitchen, your own schedule, and no quiet hours enforced by an RA.

The off-campus migration is also driven by DePaul's campus geography. The Lincoln Park campus is surrounded by housing options in every direction, with some of the best transit access in the city. Unlike universities in more isolated settings, DePaul students do not need a car or a campus shuttle to reach quality off-campus housing. Many of the best options are within walking distance.

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Best Neighborhoods Near DePaul's Lincoln Park Campus

DePaul's Lincoln Park campus is centered around Fullerton and Sheffield, giving students direct access to several strong neighborhoods. The right choice depends on your budget, your tolerance for commuting, and how much nightlife you want on your doorstep.

Lincoln Park (Walking Distance)

Lincoln Park is the obvious first choice for DePaul students and for good reason. The campus is embedded in the neighborhood, so moving off campus does not mean adding a commute. Streets like Fullerton, Armitage, and Halsted are lined with restaurants, coffee shops, and bars that cater to a student and young professional crowd. The Red Line at Fullerton and the Brown Line at Armitage connect you to the rest of the city without a transfer.

Post Chicago at 853 W Blackhawk St sits in the southern end of Lincoln Park, approximately 0.5 miles from DePaul's main campus buildings. That is a straight walk south on Sheffield or Halsted — 10 minutes at a normal pace. The building is also steps from the North/Clybourn CTA station, which gives you Red Line access to the Loop, DePaul's downtown campus, and everywhere in between.

Rents in Lincoln Park for traditional apartments range from $1,400 to $2,200/mo for a one-bedroom, making it one of the pricier neighborhoods in Chicago. But the premium buys you safety, walkability, and a quality-of-life advantage that is hard to replicate elsewhere.

Old Town

Old Town sits directly south of DePaul's campus, centered around Wells Street and North Avenue. The neighborhood has a mix of historic brownstones and newer construction, with strong dining options (Twin Anchors, Old Jerusalem, The Second City comedy club). It is slightly closer to downtown than Lincoln Park proper, with the Brown Line at Sedgwick providing additional transit access. Rents are comparable to Lincoln Park. Walking distance to DePaul: 15-20 minutes from most Old Town addresses.

Lakeview and Wrigleyville

Lakeview sits directly north of Lincoln Park, and the DePaul campus is close enough to the neighborhood boundary that some addresses in southern Lakeview are only a 10-15 minute walk from class. The neighborhood trends slightly younger and more social than Lincoln Park, especially around Wrigleyville near the ballpark. Rents are 10-15% lower on average. The Red and Brown Lines at Belmont and Diversey stations keep the commute manageable. This is a strong choice for students who want more nightlife options and a slightly lower rent, with the tradeoff of a marginally longer commute.

Sheffield Neighbors

The micro-neighborhood immediately surrounding DePaul's campus — bounded roughly by Fullerton, Halsted, Armitage, and the river — is called Sheffield Neighbors. It is the most convenient possible location for DePaul students, with some apartments literally across the street from classroom buildings. The tradeoff is that availability is limited and landlords know they can charge a premium for the proximity. Expect to pay Lincoln Park prices or higher for smaller units.

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How Much Does Off-Campus Housing Cost Near DePaul?

The cost question is the one that drives most students off campus in the first place. Here is how the three main options compare for a DePaul student on an academic-year timeline.

Expense	DePaul Dorms	Traditional Apt (LP)	Co-Living (Post Chicago)
Monthly Cost	$1,667-1,778	$1,400-2,200	$1,350-1,550
Room Type	Shared room	Private (if 1BR)	Private room
Bathroom	Communal	Private	Shared or en-suite
Furniture	Basic (twin bed, desk)	You buy everything	Fully furnished
Utilities	Included	$200-350/mo extra	Included
WiFi	Included	$60-80/mo extra	Included (500+ Mbps)
Cleaning	Not included	You clean or hire	Weekly professional cleaning
Kitchen	None or communal	Full kitchen	Full shared kitchen
Meal Plan	Required ($2,500-3,500/yr)	N/A	N/A
Lease Term	Academic year	12 months	3-18 months
True Monthly Cost	$1,945-2,167	$1,660-2,630	$1,350-1,550

The dorm's "true monthly cost" adds the amortized meal plan ($278-389/mo). The traditional apartment's range adds average utilities, WiFi, and amortized furniture costs. The co-living number is the complete cost — nothing to add.

For a 9-month academic year, the total comes to:

• DePaul dorms: $17,500-19,500
• Traditional apartment: $14,940-23,670 (plus $3,000-5,000 in furniture if you do not already own it)
• Co-living at Post Chicago: $12,150-13,950

The co-living option saves a DePaul student between $2,790 and $9,720 compared to the alternatives over a single academic year. Over three years of off-campus living (sophomore through senior year), those savings compound into a meaningful financial advantage.

According to NCES data on undergraduate expenses, housing is the second-largest cost of attending college after tuition. Any reduction in that line item directly reduces your total cost of education — or the amount of student loan debt you carry after graduation.

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What Makes Co-Living Perfect for DePaul Students?

Co-living was not designed specifically for students, but the fit for DePaul students in Lincoln Park is nearly seamless. Here is why.

Half a Mile from Campus

Post Chicago at 853 W Blackhawk St is 0.5 miles from DePaul's Lincoln Park campus. That is closer than many dorm assignments and dramatically closer than off-campus apartments in Lakeview, Logan Square, or other neighborhoods where students end up when Lincoln Park apartments exceed their budget. The 10-minute walk to class means no CTA fare, no waiting in the cold for a bus, and no planning your schedule around transit.

Furnished for the Semester, Not Forever

Every room comes with a bed, desk, chair, and linens. The common areas have a full kitchen setup, living room furniture, and in-unit laundry. You do not buy furniture in August and sell it in May. You do not rent a truck. You do not spend your first week of classes assembling a bed frame from a box. You show up, unpack your clothes, and you are done.

Lease Terms That Match Academic Calendars

At Post Chicago, lease terms range from 3 to 18 months. A 9-month lease covers the full academic year (September through May). A 3-month lease covers summer session. A 5-month lease covers a single semester with a buffer. You do not pay for a 12-month lease when you only need nine months of housing — and you do not need to find a subletter for the summer.

Community Without the Forced Socializing

Co-living gives you access to shared spaces — a coffee bar, fitness center, outdoor terrace with a fire pit, co-working areas — where you can meet people when you want to and retreat to your private room when you need to study. It is the social benefit of dorm life without the mandatory floor meetings and quiet hours.

Study-Friendly Co-Working Spaces

Post Chicago has dedicated co-working spaces and study areas in the building, including phone booths for video calls. When the library is packed during finals, you have an alternative workspace 30 seconds from your bedroom. The WiFi runs at 500+ Mbps — faster than the campus network at most universities.

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Getting to Campus from Post Chicago

The 0.5-mile distance from Post Chicago to DePaul's Lincoln Park campus gives you multiple easy commute options regardless of weather or schedule.

Walking (10 Minutes)

The most direct route runs north on Sheffield Avenue or Halsted Street from Blackhawk to Fullerton. The walk is flat, well-lit, and passes through residential Lincoln Park — one of the safest neighborhoods in Chicago. In good weather, it is a pleasant start to the day. In winter, it is still manageable with proper layers.

Biking (3 Minutes)

Divvy bike share stations are located near Post Chicago and throughout the DePaul campus area. A Divvy annual membership costs $119/year (with student discounts often available), making it one of the most cost-effective commute options in the city. The ride from Blackhawk to Fullerton takes about 3 minutes on low-traffic residential streets. Post Chicago also offers bike storage in the building if you own your own bike.

CTA (For DePaul's Loop Campus)

DePaul's Loop campus at Jackson and State is a separate location from the Lincoln Park campus, used primarily for business and law courses. From Post Chicago, walk to North/Clybourn CTA station (5-minute walk), take the Red Line south to Jackson (12 minutes), and you are at the Loop campus door. Total commute: under 20 minutes.

Rideshare

On late nights or in severe weather, a rideshare from Post Chicago to DePaul's campus runs $6-$10 — roughly the same as it would cost from a dorm on the edge of campus.

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When to Start Your Search

Lincoln Park is one of the most competitive rental markets in Chicago. Starting your housing search early is not optional — it is the difference between getting your first choice and scrambling for whatever is left.

For Fall Semester (August/September Move-In)

Start looking: May or June. The best off-campus options in Lincoln Park — especially furnished and flexible-lease options — begin to fill in late spring. By July, availability is noticeably thinner. If you wait until August, you are competing with every other DePaul student who procrastinated.

For Spring Semester (January Move-In)

Start looking: October or November. Mid-year turnover is lower than the fall rush, so fewer units are available. Starting in October gives you enough time to tour, apply, and lock in a lease before the winter break.

For Summer Session (May/June Move-In)

Start looking: March or April. Summer leases are a natural fit for co-living's 3-month minimum term. Demand is lighter in summer, so you have more flexibility — but the best-located options still go fast.

Application Tips for DePaul Students

• Have your documentation ready. Most buildings require a government-issued ID, proof of income (or a parent/guardian co-signer for students without income), and a completed application. Having these ready speeds the process from weeks to days.
• Tour in person. Photos and virtual tours are useful for initial screening, but nothing replaces walking through the actual space, meeting the property team, and checking the commute route to campus yourself.
• Ask about student-friendly policies. At Post Chicago, the application process is designed for students — including those without traditional employment income or rental history. Our team responds to inquiries within 24 hours.

Read the full student housing guide

The real cost of living off campus as a Chicago student