New York/Compare
Upper East Side vs Williamsburg
Upper East Side and Williamsburg are two official neighborhoods in New York. Upper East Side is the calmer Part I map (67 vs 48). Walk is a wash (73 vs 72). Williamsburg has the lower ACS median ($2,549).
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 | Upper East Side | Williamsburg |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 67 | 48 |
| Schools | 97 | 40 |
| Walk | 73 | 72 |
| Cost fit | 89 | 98 |
| Vibe | 59 | 61 |
| Median rent | $2,817 | $2,549 |
| Median home | $1,416,654 | $1,284,729 |
| Population | 193,914 | 117,387 |
| Commute to Midtown | 15 min | 27 min |
| Commute to FiDi | 30 min | 31 min |
| Commute to Downtown Brooklyn | 29 min | 13 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Upper East Side | Williamsburg |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 62% | 85% |
| Median age | 43.2 | 32.9 |
| Median income | $162K | $129K |
| Part I per 1k | 11.4 | 13.9 |
| Groceries / 800m | 101 | 100 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 251 | 221 |
| Parks / 800m | 96 | 120 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,659 | 2,487 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for New York city. Up 48% since 2014. UES is 55% above the 2024 city median. Wburg is 40% 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 Upper East Side if the school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 97 vs 40. Safety is 67 vs 48. 15 vs 27 minutes to Midtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Williamsburg if you want the cafes and the night and the rent gap is the point. Vibe is 61 vs 59. ACS median rent is $2,549 vs $2,817. Read both pages before you decide.
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
Williamsburg
The Bedford stop, the waterfront towers, and a weekend that starts on Thursday. Still the default Brooklyn landing.
$2,549 median rent · safety 48 · walk 72
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Upper East Side or Williamsburg?
Williamsburg is the lower ACS median: $2,817 vs $2,549. About 85% rent in Williamsburg vs 62% in Upper East Side. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Upper East Side more walkable than Williamsburg?
Walk is basically a tie (73 vs 72). Count groceries if you care: 101 in Upper East Side vs 100 in Williamsburg, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Upper East Side or Williamsburg?
Upper East Side is the calmer Part I read (67 vs 48). Combined rate 11.4 vs 13.9 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Upper East Side or Williamsburg?
Upper East Side leads the school axis (97 vs 40). Nearby rating is 8.7 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 43.2 vs 32.9. Williamsburg has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Midtown?
15 minutes from Upper East Side to Midtown, 27 from Williamsburg. Upper East Side is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Upper East Side or Williamsburg: Long Island City. Waterfront towers, the 7 train, and a skyline that faces Manhattan. New-build default for people priced out of the island.
Upper East Side vs Long Island CityWilliamsburg vs Long Island City
Scores are relative among official New York neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.