Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality and neighborhood characteristics in Chicago

•Residential context influences COVID-19 mortality rates.•Residential context’s influence has largely been evaluated across large areas.•This work evaluates the influence of 33 neighborhood descriptors in Chicago.•The analysis is done over census tracts, and focuses on deaths outside nursing homes.•We find racial disparities in overall mortality and age of death from COVID-19.•Barriers to social distancing and health care were associated with higher COVID-19 mortality.•This describes communities that may benefit from targeted campaigns for prevention and testing