New data shows South Side residents earned $15M from tourism in 2025, Obama Presidential Center to bring more visitors to the neighborhood

In 2025, residents across Chicago's South Side earned more than $15.1 million by hosting visitors in their homes¹-income that approximately 60 percent of hosts say helped them stay in their homes and manage the city's rising cost of living. Nearly 20 percent of hosts report that earnings helped them avoid eviction or foreclosure.²

According to newly released estimates, resident-led tourism is not only providing visitors with accommodation options closer to the action, but also putting money directly into the pockets of South Side residents and businesses that would otherwise not see this visitor spending due to a lack of hotels in the area. Set to open in June, The Obama Presidential Center is projected to draw approximately 750,000 visitors annually. These findings show how hosting can help communities benefit directly from tourism when visitor demand translates into income for local residents and small businesses.

Major cultural events drive South Side host earnings

In 2025, major cultural events such as Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour and Lollapalooza offered a preview of what increased tourism demand can look like. During Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour weekend in May, hosts earned approximately $248,000 in the 4th Ward, $54,000 in the 5th Ward, and $82,000 in the 20th Ward across Chicago's South Side.³ These combined earnings represented an increase of approximately 140 percent compared to Beyoncé's Renaissance tour in 2023, her previous Soldier Field concert.

Visitor demand increased further during Lollapalooza later that summer. Over the festival weekend, hosts earned approximately $390,000 in the 4th Ward, in the 5th Ward, and $117,000 in the 20th Ward, $97,000,⁴ representing a combined increase of nearly 66 percent compared to Lollapalooza in 2023.

Together, these findings show how resident-led hosting can help Chicago absorb increased visitor demand and direct tourism dollars into neighborhoods that lack hotels. According to OpenStreetmap data, over 70 percent of census tracts in Chicago are home to Airbnb listings but no hotels.

Overall in 2025, hosting on Airbnb brought approximately $2.7 million to the 20th Ward, home to the Obama Presidential Center, and nearly $9.9 million and $2.5 million the neighboring 4th and 5th Wards-supporting residents and helping to drive visitor spending at nearby small businesses.

The economic benefits of the influx of tourism is making a meaningful difference for locals: last year, hosts across Chicago earned over $199 million, money that helped them pay bills and mortgages, and supported small businesses through visitors choosing to spend locally.

Airbnb expands its efforts to empower South Side residents

Last year, Airbnb announced its largest-ever investment into Chicago organizations, with a $500,000 donation distributed across five Chicago-based organizations designed to expand access to affordable housing, homeownership, entrepreneurship, and neighborhood resilience. Ahead of what's expected to be another eventful spring and summer on the South Side, Airbnb and The Obama Foundation are partnering to host a virtual community workshop on February 18, 2026, aimed at helping local residents prepare for the influx of new visitors-and how they can participate directly in local tourism. The session is part of an ongoing series of free monthly workshops equipping South Side residents and business owners with information and tools to benefit from the increased tourism in their neighborhoods expected when the Obama Presidential Center opens in June.

The free workshop will empower residents with a pathway to entrepreneurship by becoming hosts and receiving introductory information on the Airbnb platform, hosting best practices, and how to get started. Residents can sign up to participate at obama.org/prep-sessions.

In a year marked by major cultural moments and significant tourism dollars flowing into local communities, the findings show growing momentum behind resident-led tourism in Chicago's economy. This analysis offers lessons for how local residents can benefit from tourism and gives momentum to the upcoming community event focused on preparing South Side communities for increased visitor demand.

"The numbers speak for themselves: hosting is a vital and unparalleled economic opportunity for South Side residents-and big events are giving visitors another way to see all of Chicago, not just the parts of the city where hotels dominate. With the Obama Presidential Center opening in June, we will make sure South Side residents have the resources to capitalize on this generational opportunity and directly benefit from the expected increase in visitors and build their wealth for the long-term."

Airbnb Director of Community Partner Programs and Engagement Janaye Ingram

"The opening of the Obama Presidential Center is a powerful catalyst for creating economic growth and generational wealth on the South Side. At Emerald South, our mission is to ensure that residents and local businesses are positioned to directly benefit from new investment and increased visitor demand. We're proud to partner with The Obama Foundation and Airbnb on this workshop series, which will equip community members with practical tools, resources, and pathways to build income, strengthen neighborhoods, and create lasting opportunity."

Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative President and CEO Ghian Foreman