New York/Compare
Brooklyn Heights vs DUMBO
Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO are two official neighborhoods in New York. Brooklyn Heights is the calmer Part I map (81 vs 14). DUMBO wins the errand count. DUMBO has the lower ACS median ($3,092).
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 | Brooklyn Heights | DUMBO |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 81 | 14 |
| Schools | 83 | 50 |
| Walk | 4 | 43 |
| Cost fit | 79 | 81 |
| Vibe | 15 | 36 |
| Median rent | $3,146 | $3,092 |
| Median home | $1,160,148 | $1,449,254 |
| Population | 26,031 | 39,977 |
| Commute to Midtown | 33 min | 30 min |
| Commute to FiDi | 22 min | 24 min |
| Commute to Downtown Brooklyn | 13 min | 8 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Brooklyn Heights | DUMBO |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 52% | 74% |
| Median age | 38.2 | 35.4 |
| Median income | $181K | $168K |
| Part I per 1k | 9.7 | 30.0 |
| Groceries / 800m | 26 | 73 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 78 | 162 |
| Parks / 800m | 120 | 120 |
| 311 last 14 days | 367 | 1,480 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for New York city. Up 48% since 2014. Bk Hts is 73% above the 2024 city median. DUMBO is 70% 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 Brooklyn Heights if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 81 vs 14. Schools score 83 vs 50. Brooklyn Heights is tagged family on this map; DUMBO is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick DUMBO if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 43 vs 4. Vibe is 36 vs 15. Read both pages before you decide.
Brooklyn Heights
The promenade, the court district, and the first suburb the ferry invented. Quiet money, stoops, and a skyline you do not own.
$3,146 median rent · safety 81 · walk 4
DUMBO
Cobblestones under the bridges, tech offices, and a park that photographs well. Downtown Brooklyn is in the same official unit.
$3,092 median rent · safety 14 · walk 43
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Brooklyn Heights or DUMBO?
DUMBO is the lower ACS median: $3,146 vs $3,092. About 74% rent in DUMBO vs 52% in Brooklyn Heights. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Brooklyn Heights more walkable than DUMBO?
DUMBO wins the errand count (walk 4 vs 43). Groceries inside 800 meters: 26 vs 73. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Brooklyn Heights or DUMBO?
Brooklyn Heights is the calmer Part I read (81 vs 14). Combined rate 9.7 vs 30.0 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Brooklyn Heights or DUMBO?
Brooklyn Heights leads the school axis (83 vs 50). Nearby rating is 8.3 / 10 vs 7.3 / 10. Median age 38.2 vs 35.4. DUMBO has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Midtown?
33 minutes from Brooklyn Heights to Midtown, 30 from DUMBO. DUMBO is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Brooklyn Heights or DUMBO: Carroll Gardens. Court Street, Italian leftovers, and Gowanus condos at the edge. Cobble Hill and Red Hook share the official polygon.
Scores are relative among official New York neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.