New York/Compare
Park Slope vs Upper West Side
Park Slope and Upper West Side are two official neighborhoods in New York. Park Slope is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 52). 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 | Park Slope | Upper West Side |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 100 | 52 |
| Schools | 100 | 87 |
| Walk | 0 | 74 |
| Cost fit | 82 | 94 |
| Vibe | 7 | 59 |
| Median rent | $3,043 | $2,660 |
| Median home | $1,614,230 | $1,352,804 |
| Population | 59,281 | 198,830 |
| Commute to Midtown | 41 min | 12 min |
| Commute to FiDi | 34 min | 30 min |
| Commute to Downtown Brooklyn | 19 min | 32 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Park Slope | Upper West Side |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 57% | 65% |
| Median age | 37.8 | 43.5 |
| Median income | $194K | $153K |
| Part I per 1k | 7.5 | 13.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 38 | 99 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 72 | 265 |
| Parks / 800m | 41 | 120 |
| 311 last 14 days | 884 | 2,166 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for New York city. Up 48% since 2014. Slope is 67% 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 Park Slope if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 100 vs 52. Schools score 100 vs 87. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Upper West Side if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 74 vs 0. Vibe is 59 vs 7. 12 vs 41 minutes to Midtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Park Slope
Prospect Park, strollers, and food-coop politics that became a punchline and then a brand. The family neighborhood people mean.
$3,043 median rent · safety 100 · walk 0
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, Park Slope or Upper West Side?
Upper West Side is the lower ACS median: $3,043 vs $2,660. About 65% rent in Upper West Side vs 57% in Park Slope. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Park Slope more walkable than Upper West Side?
Upper West Side wins the errand count (walk 0 vs 74). Groceries inside 800 meters: 38 vs 99. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Park Slope or Upper West Side?
Park Slope is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 52). Combined rate 7.5 vs 13.5 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Park Slope or Upper West Side?
Park Slope leads the school axis (100 vs 87). Nearby rating is 8.8 / 10 vs 8.4 / 10. Median age 37.8 vs 43.5. Upper West Side has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Midtown?
41 minutes from Park Slope 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 Park Slope or Upper West Side: Carroll Gardens. Court Street, Italian leftovers, and Gowanus condos at the edge. Cobble Hill and Red Hook share the official polygon.
Park Slope vs Carroll GardensUpper West Side vs Carroll Gardens
Scores are relative among official New York neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.