Its residents are predominantly African American, and it is home to former Senator Roland Burris.

Housing many city employees and other officials, Chatham has been a central area for Chicago's middle-class African Americans since the late 1950s.

In addition to two residential historic districts, Chatham is also the location of the Four Nineteen Building, a building which demonstrates the domestic style of gas station architecture, in which stations were designed to resemble small houses.

The district includes 283 Chicago bungalows built between 1913 and 1930 along with a smaller number of other residential buildings.

[11] The Chatham community area has supported the Democratic Party in the past two presidential elections.