New York/Compare
DUMBO vs Upper West Side
DUMBO and Upper West Side are two official neighborhoods in New York. Upper West Side is the calmer Part I map (52 vs 14). Upper West Side wins the errand count. Upper West Side has the lower ACS median ($2,660).
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 | Upper West Side |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 14 | 52 |
| Schools | 50 | 87 |
| Walk | 43 | 74 |
| Cost fit | 81 | 94 |
| Vibe | 36 | 59 |
| Median rent | $3,092 | $2,660 |
| Median home | $1,449,254 | $1,352,804 |
| Population | 39,977 | 198,830 |
| Commute to Midtown | 30 min | 12 min |
| Commute to FiDi | 24 min | 30 min |
| Commute to Downtown Brooklyn | 8 min | 32 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | DUMBO | Upper West Side |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 74% | 65% |
| Median age | 35.4 | 43.5 |
| Median income | $168K | $153K |
| Part I per 1k | 30.0 | 13.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 73 | 99 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 162 | 265 |
| Parks / 800m | 120 | 120 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,480 | 2,166 |
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. UWS is 46% 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 DUMBO if you already want this pocket more than the table. Upper West Side leads the numbered axes on this page.
Pick Upper West Side if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 52 vs 14. Schools score 87 vs 50. Walk is 74 vs 43. 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
Upper West Side
Pre-war co-ops, the park, and a grocery on every other corner. Family default for people who still want a subway.
$2,660 median rent · safety 52 · walk 74
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, DUMBO or Upper West Side?
Upper West Side is the lower ACS median: $3,092 vs $2,660. About 65% rent in Upper West Side vs 74% in DUMBO. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is DUMBO more walkable than Upper West Side?
Upper West Side wins the errand count (walk 43 vs 74). Groceries inside 800 meters: 73 vs 99. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, DUMBO or Upper West Side?
Upper West Side is the calmer Part I read (52 vs 14). Combined rate 13.5 vs 30.0 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, DUMBO or Upper West Side?
Upper West Side leads the school axis (87 vs 50). Nearby rating is 8.4 / 10 vs 7.3 / 10. Median age 43.5 vs 35.4. DUMBO has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Midtown?
30 minutes from DUMBO to Midtown, 12 from Upper West Side. Upper West Side is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not DUMBO or Upper West Side: East Village. St. Marks to Tompkins, bars stacked on bars, and a residual punk that the brunch menus cannot quite kill.
Scores are relative among official New York neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.