Student Housing in Evanston, IL
Student Housing in Evanston, IL
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About Student Housing in Evanston
Evanston, IL is Chicago's first North Shore suburb, a lakefront city that runs largely on Northwestern University. The campus stretches right along Lake Michigan, and student life spills into downtown Evanston around the Davis Street hub, where shops, restaurants, and CTA and Metra stations sit a few blocks apart. You've got beaches and the lakefront on one side, leafy residential streets on the other, and a walkable core that feels like a real city rather than a campus bubble. Public parks, the lake, and a steady run of civic events and festivals fill the calendar, and when you want the full big-city fix, downtown Chicago is a quick train ride south.
Best Neighborhoods for Students in Evanston
Northeast Evanston
Sits closest to campus, quiet and residential with the lakefront nearby and a premium attached.
Downtown Evanston
Around Davis Street, the most connected spot, walkable to transit and nightlife but in higher demand.
South Evanston
Along the Main-Dempster corridor, a mix of older buildings and newer construction with solid Purple Line access and gentler numbers.
Getting Around Evanston as a Student
Here's what you need to know about getting around Evanston.
Public Transit
The CTA Purple Line runs straight through Evanston with stops at Davis, Foster, Noyes, Central, Main, and Dempster, connecting you to the rest of the 'L' and downtown Chicago. Metra's Union Pacific North line adds a faster express option into the city. Northwestern runs its own intercampus shuttles. Most students lean on the train and the shuttles rather than keeping a car.
Walking and Biking
Evanston is genuinely walkable, and most Northwestern students live close enough to walk or bike to class. The flat, grid-like streets make biking easy in the warmer months. The downtown core feels like a real city you can navigate on foot. Between the lakefront and the compact grid, walking and biking cover most daily trips.
Parking
A car is more hassle than help here, with tight street parking and permit zones, so most students skip it and lean on the train and their feet. Street parking in Evanston is limited and tightly regulated. Those who keep a car often need a residential permit. For most, the Purple Line and walking beat the parking headache.
Frequently Asked Questions: Student Housing in Evanston
Common questions from students searching for housing.
Evanston runs on the higher side for the suburbs. Studios average around $1,500 a month and one-bedrooms near $1,800, with two-bedrooms often $2,400 and up. Splitting a larger unit with roommates is how most students bring the per-person number down.
Northeast Evanston is closest to campus, downtown around Davis Street is the most connected, and South Evanston along Main-Dempster gives you transit access for less. West Evanston is the most affordable stretch.
No. The Purple Line, Metra, and Northwestern shuttles cover the area, and the town is flat and walkable. Street parking is tight and permit-restricted, so a car is usually more trouble than it's worth.
Very close. Northeast Evanston and the downtown core put you within a short walk of Northwestern, and the Purple Line covers anyone living a little further south.
Evanston is a settled, family-heavy North Shore city, and the student areas are generally calm and well-lit. Use normal city sense and check a specific block, but it's a comfortable place to live.
Early. Demand peaks in spring, so start searching by February for a fall move-in. The closest-to-campus units go first, so settle on roommates before the rush.
Twelve-month leases are standard, typically September to September to line up with the academic year. Expect a security deposit, and note that some older buildings include heat in the lease.
Plan on about $80-$170 a month per person for electricity, gas, and internet, with winter heating pushing the top of that range. Buildings that include heat will run lower.
Yes. With Northwestern next door, roommate matching is easy and summer sublets are common when students leave for break. Confirm subletting is allowed in your lease first.
The lakefront. You get beaches, parks, and the Lake Michigan shoreline right at the edge of campus, a walkable downtown, and a fast train to Chicago whenever you want the big city.
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