Chicago City Wire

In 2021, West Garfield Park was the gun crime capital of Chicago, suffering a per capita shooting rate 20 times the city average.

But it wasn't all bad news.

West Garfield Park residents also managed to secure 6,282 individual Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling more than $120 million last year, also tops per capita in the city.

The West Garfield Park loans averaged $19,119 a piece, according to data published by the U.S. Small Business Administration, analyzed by Chicago City Wire.

Which might be puzzling, as the neighborhood has only 21,000 working-age adults, 4,700 of whom (22 percent) told the U.S. Census they were unemployed. Another 10,500 West Garfield Park residents claimed to be out of the workforce, not to even looking for a job. That leaves about 6,000 who are gainfully employed, if not employing.

The Paycheck Protection Program was touted as a way to help businesses with employees avoid laying them off, as state leaders like Gov. J.B. Pritzker forced them to close their doors.

But most PPP loans, Chicago City Wire has learned, didn't go to employee-heavy businesses but rather to self-described "sole proprietors" or "independent contractors" who promised only, apparently, to keep paying themselves. 

All told, 165,348 Chicagoans received PPP loans under $25,000, totaling $2.78 billion.

Of the 30 Chicago Metro communities receiving the most under $25,000 PPP loans per capita, 11 are high-crime, high unemployment city neighborhoods on the south and west sides like West Garfield Park.

Nearly 60 percent of Chicago's total went to individuals in neighborhoods on the South Side, including Englewood ($84 million), West Englewood ($92 million) and Auburn-Gresham ($187 million). Another 24 percent went to West Side neighborhoods.

Chicago's South Suburbs also received a disproportionate number of PPP loans, with 14 communities in the top 30.

In Dolton, one of every three working-age adults -- 3,871 people-- received a loan averaging $18,332 for a total of $71 million. Neighboring Riverdale received 4,266 loans totaling $79 million.

University Park in northern Will County received 1,044 PPP loans totaling $18 million. The community has only 4,061 working age adults.

Austin $142 million, Kane County $147 million

Chicago's PPP loan prowess looks even more dominating-- or unusual-- put in context.

Chicago's "long suffering" Austin neighborhood on its far western border, where 60 percent of men ages 20-24 are neither employed or in school, received 7,470 Paycheck Protection loans totaling $142.71 million.

That's three times what Kendall County (pop. 134,867) received, twice that of McHenry County (pop. 311,122) and about the same as Kane County (pop. 515,588).

The three counties are among Illinois' fastest-growing. Austin has lost 20 percent of its population in the past 20 years.

Austin, Englewood and West Englewood combined received as much PPP money as DuPage County (pop. 924,885), the state's second-largest. 

In those city communities, one in three working age adults received a $20,000 PPP loan.

That's versus, on average, one of every 22 in DuPage County one of every 27 in Lake County, one of every 33 in Will, 51 in Kane and 52 in McHenry. 

Chicago City Wire reported last week on the 10,126 loans made to Auburn-Gresham residents.,

The PPP loan fee schedule for lenders paid them a $2,500 flat rate for each one under $25,000. The loans are intended to be forgiven, paid for by taxpayers.

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One PPP loan for every 3.4 residents?

In some Chicago area communities, one of every three residents received a forgivable PPP loan worth some $20,000.

Where did the PPP loans go?

Chicagoland by Region

Community	PPP Loans	Working Age Adults	PPP Loans/Person	Total $$$
City of Chicago	165,348	2,746,388	16.6	$2,774,575,498
Suburban Cook	119,469	2,426,758	20.3	$1,868,498,855
DuPage County	28,029	924,885	33.0	$386,331,139
Will County	20,863	697,252	33.4	$322,072,317
Lake County	15,257	711,239	46.6	$208,120,315
Kendall County	2,797	134,867	48.2	$41,765,119
Kane County	10,186	515,588	50.6	$147,777,697
McHenry County	5,997	311,122	51.9	$74,880,949
TOTAL	367,946	8,468,099	23.0	$5,824,021,889

City of Chicago/Suburban Cook County by Area

Community	PPP Loans	Working Age Adults	PPP Loans/Person	Total $$$
Chicago Loop/Central	5,795	93,218	16.1	$84,940,342
Chicago North Side	32,598	1,026,917	31.5	$429,902,419
Chicago South Side	89,734	1,078,674	12.0	$1,589,228,401
Chicago West Side	37,221	481,754	12.9	$670,504,336
North Cook	32,815	1,066,380	32.5	$415,771,449
South Cook	63,864	874,087	13.7	$1,089,257,302
West Cook	22,790	561,682	24.6	$363,470,104

Chicagoland's Top 30-- which communities received the most PPP loans per person?

Rank	Zip	Community	County	Region	PPP Loans	Total $$$	Woking Age Adults	PPP Loans/Person	Avg. Loan Size
1	60624	West Garfield Park	Cook	Chicago	6,282	$120,106,207	21,383	3.4	$19,119
2	60419	Dolton	Cook	South Cook	3,871	$70,964,573	13,596	3.5	$18,332
3	60621	Englewood	Cook	Chicago	4,509	$84,437,494	16,309	3.6	$18,726
4	60636	West Englewood	Cook	Chicago	4,939	$92,816,546	18,324	3.7	$18,793
5	60644	Austin	Cook	Chicago	7,470	$142,718,864	28,011	3.7	$19,106
6	60484	University Park	Will		1,044	$18,878,018	4,061	3.9	$18,082
7	60478	Country Club Hills	Cook	South Cook	2,542	$45,826,142	10,110	4.0	$18,028
8	60827	Riverdale	Cook	South Cook	4,266	$78,667,552	17,279	4.1	$18,441
9	60619	Chatham	Cook	Chicago	9,169	$167,555,352	37,437	4.1	$18,274
10	60620	Auburn Gresham	Cook	Chicago	10,126	$187,700,977	41,944	4.1	$18,537
11	60429	Hazel Crest	Cook	South Cook	2,225	$40,425,759	9,390	4.2	$18,169
12	60628	Roseland/West Pullman	Cook	Chicago	9,323	$172,060,336	39,655	4.3	$18,455
13	60409	Calumet City	Cook	South Cook	5,147	$93,873,492	22,100	4.3	$18,238
14	60428	Markham	Cook	South Cook	1,709	$31,198,077	7,361	4.3	$18,255
15	60473	South Holland	Cook	South Cook	3,126	$55,880,494	13,534	4.3	$17,876
16	60472	Robbins	Cook	South Cook	676	$12,409,504	3,030	4.5	$18,357
17	60155	Broadview	Cook	West Cook	1,037	$19,087,974	4,683	4.5	$18,407
18	60104	Bellwood	Cook	West Cook	2,527	$47,458,359	11,467	4.5	$18,781
19	60471	Richton Park	Cook	South Cook	1,839	$32,977,003	8,464	4.6	$17,932
20	60649	South Shore	Cook	Chicago	6,131	$111,361,779	28,721	4.7	$18,164
21	60653	Oakland/Grand Boulevard	Cook	Chicago	4,319	$77,354,930	20,480	4.7	$17,910
22	60612	East Garfield Park	Cook	Chicago	4,124	$75,034,789	19,666	4.8	$18,195
23	60153	Maywood	Cook	West Cook	2,960	$55,229,062	14,244	4.8	$18,658
24	60637	Hyde Park	Cook	Chicago	5,811	$105,907,889	28,439	4.9	$18,225
25	60194	Schaumburg/West	Cook	North Cook	583	$7,018,493	2,860	4.9	$12,039
26	60466	Park Forest	Cook	South Cook	2,524	$45,308,980	12,722	5.0	$17,951
27	60425	Glenwood	Cook	South Cook	1,054	$18,992,368	5,469	5.2	$18,019
28	60443	Matteson	Cook	South Cook	2,548	$45,389,425	13,236	5.2	$17,814
29	60426	Harvey	Cook	South Cook	3,117	$57,611,119	16,996	5.5	$18,483
30	60643	Beverly/Washington Heights	Cook	Chicago	5,167	$91,864,273	29,629	5.7	$17,779

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); Analysis tracks all PPP loans $25,000 and under in Chicagoland communities 4,000 pop. or more.