New York/Compare
Greenpoint vs Upper East Side
Greenpoint and Upper East Side are two official neighborhoods in New York. Greenpoint is the calmer Part I map (95 vs 67). Upper East Side wins the errand count. Greenpoint has the lower ACS median ($2,642).
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 | Greenpoint | Upper East Side |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 95 | 67 |
| Schools | 53 | 97 |
| Walk | 20 | 73 |
| Cost fit | 95 | 89 |
| Vibe | 22 | 59 |
| Median rent | $2,642 | $2,817 |
| Median home | $1,509,489 | $1,416,654 |
| Population | 39,784 | 193,914 |
| Commute to Midtown | 27 min | 15 min |
| Commute to FiDi | 35 min | 30 min |
| Commute to Downtown Brooklyn | 17 min | 29 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Greenpoint | Upper East Side |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 82% | 62% |
| Median age | 35.7 | 43.2 |
| Median income | $129K | $162K |
| Part I per 1k | 8.2 | 11.4 |
| Groceries / 800m | 56 | 101 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 82 | 251 |
| Parks / 800m | 120 | 96 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,386 | 1,659 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for New York city. Up 48% since 2014. Greenpt is 45% 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 Greenpoint if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 95 vs 67. ACS median rent is $2,642 vs $2,817. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Upper East Side if you want the errands on foot and the school rating nearby is the point. Walk is 73 vs 20. Schools score 97 vs 53. Vibe is 59 vs 22. Read both pages before you decide.
Greenpoint
Polish bakeries, a waterfront that finally opened, and the overflow from Williamsburg without the L-train crush.
$2,642 median rent · safety 95 · walk 20
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, Greenpoint or Upper East Side?
Greenpoint is the lower ACS median: $2,642 vs $2,817. About 82% rent in Greenpoint vs 62% in Upper East Side. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Greenpoint more walkable than Upper East Side?
Upper East Side wins the errand count (walk 20 vs 73). Groceries inside 800 meters: 56 vs 101. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Greenpoint or Upper East Side?
Greenpoint is the calmer Part I read (95 vs 67). Combined rate 8.2 vs 11.4 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Greenpoint or Upper East Side?
Upper East Side leads the school axis (97 vs 53). Nearby rating is 8.7 / 10 vs 7.4 / 10. Median age 43.2 vs 35.7. Greenpoint has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Midtown?
27 minutes from Greenpoint 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 Greenpoint or Upper East Side: Williamsburg. The Bedford stop, the waterfront towers, and a weekend that starts on Thursday. Still the default Brooklyn landing.
Scores are relative among official New York neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.