New York/Compare
DUMBO vs Lower East Side
DUMBO and Lower East Side are two official neighborhoods in New York. DUMBO is the calmer Part I map (14 vs 10). DUMBO wins the errand count. Lower East Side has the lower ACS median ($1,780).
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 | DUMBO | Lower East Side |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 14 | 10 |
| Schools | 50 | 7 |
| Walk | 43 | 31 |
| Cost fit | 81 | 100 |
| Vibe | 36 | 43 |
| Median rent | $3,092 | $1,780 |
| Median home | $1,449,254 | $890,452 |
| Population | 39,977 | 32,164 |
| Commute to Midtown | 30 min | 18 min |
| Commute to FiDi | 24 min | 15 min |
| Commute to Downtown Brooklyn | 8 min | 18 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | DUMBO | Lower East Side |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 74% | 75% |
| Median age | 35.4 | 39.6 |
| Median income | $168K | $79K |
| Part I per 1k | 30.0 | 31.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 73 | 67 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 162 | 91 |
| Parks / 800m | 120 | 120 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,480 | 765 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for New York city. Up 48% since 2014. DUMBO is 70% above the 2024 city median. LES is 2% below 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 DUMBO if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the errands on foot. Schools score 50 vs 7. Walk is 43 vs 31. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Lower East Side if you want the cafes and the night and the rent gap is the point. Vibe is 43 vs 36. ACS median rent is $1,780 vs $3,092. 18 vs 30 minutes to Midtown. Read both pages before you decide.
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
Lower East Side
Orchard Street, public housing, and new condos sharing the same blocks. Night-out density with daytime fruit stands.
$1,780 median rent · safety 10 · walk 31
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, DUMBO or Lower East Side?
Lower East Side is the lower ACS median: $3,092 vs $1,780. About 75% rent in Lower East Side vs 74% in DUMBO. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is DUMBO more walkable than Lower East Side?
DUMBO wins the errand count (walk 43 vs 31). Groceries inside 800 meters: 73 vs 67. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, DUMBO or Lower East Side?
DUMBO is the calmer Part I read (14 vs 10). Combined rate 30.0 vs 31.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, DUMBO or Lower East Side?
DUMBO leads the school axis (50 vs 7). Nearby rating is 7.3 / 10 vs 6.0 / 10. Median age 35.4 vs 39.6. Lower East Side has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Midtown?
30 minutes from DUMBO to Midtown, 18 from Lower East Side. Lower East Side is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not DUMBO or Lower 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.