New York/Compare
Bed-Stuy vs Upper East Side
Bed-Stuy and Upper East Side are two official neighborhoods in New York. Bed-Stuy is the calmer Part I map (71 vs 67). Bed-Stuy wins the errand count. Bed-Stuy has the lower ACS median ($2,079).
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · NYPD Oct 2025 – Jun 2026 · OSM Sep 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Scores
Fit axes among official New York neighborhoods.
| Axis | Bed-Stuy | Upper East Side |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 71 | 67 |
| Schools | 17 | 97 |
| Walk | 100 | 73 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 89 |
| Vibe | 36 | 59 |
| Median rent | $2,079 | $2,817 |
| Median home | $1,371,517 | $1,416,654 |
| Population | 182,837 | 193,914 |
| Commute to Midtown | 35 min | 15 min |
| Commute to FiDi | 33 min | 30 min |
| Commute to Downtown Brooklyn | 14 min | 29 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Bed-Stuy | Upper East Side |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 78% | 62% |
| Median age | 33 | 43.2 |
| Median income | $85K | $162K |
| Part I per 1k | 10.5 | 11.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 165 | 101 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 312 | 251 |
| Parks / 800m | 120 | 96 |
| 311 last 14 days | 3,010 | 1,659 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for New York city. Up 48% since 2014. Bed-Stuy is 14% above the 2024 city median. UES is 55% above the 2024 city median.
Overlapping 5-year ACS windows (B25064), not asking rent. Census does not publish a rent series for each official neighborhood, so the line is the city place. Dashed marks are each area’s ACS 2024 median.
Which to pick
The same numbers as the table, in sentences. Nobody wins the city.
Pick Bed-Stuy if the rent gap is the point and you want the errands on foot. ACS median rent is $2,079 vs $2,817. Walk is 100 vs 73. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Upper East Side if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the cafes and the night. Schools score 97 vs 17. Vibe is 59 vs 36. 15 vs 35 minutes to Midtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Bed-Stuy
Block after block of brownstone, a food scene that caught up, and a scale the other Brooklyn names do not have.
$2,079 median rent · safety 71 · walk 100
Upper East Side
Doorman buildings, school-district hunting, and a museum wall along the park. The east 80s are quieter than the listings imply.
$2,817 median rent · safety 67 · walk 73
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Bed-Stuy or Upper East Side?
Bed-Stuy is the lower ACS median: $2,079 vs $2,817. About 78% rent in Bed-Stuy vs 62% in Upper East Side. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Bed-Stuy more walkable than Upper East Side?
Bed-Stuy wins the errand count (walk 100 vs 73). Groceries inside 800 meters: 165 vs 101. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Bed-Stuy or Upper East Side?
Bed-Stuy is the calmer Part I read (71 vs 67). Combined rate 10.5 vs 11.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Bed-Stuy or Upper East Side?
Upper East Side leads the school axis (97 vs 17). Nearby rating is 8.7 / 10 vs 6.3 / 10. Median age 43.2 vs 33. Bed-Stuy has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Midtown?
35 minutes from Bed-Stuy to Midtown, 15 from Upper East Side. Upper East Side is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Bed-Stuy or Upper East Side: Fort Greene. The park, BAM, and brownstones that held value through every cycle. Clinton Hill is the next street over.
Scores are relative among official New York neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.