Philadelphia/Compare
Bella Vista vs Rittenhouse
Bella Vista and Rittenhouse are two official neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Bella Vista is the calmer Part I map (63 vs 5). Rittenhouse wins the errand count. Bella Vista has the lower ACS median ($1,724).
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · PPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM Sep 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Scores
Fit axes among official Philadelphia neighborhoods.
| Axis | Bella Vista | Rittenhouse |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 63 | 5 |
| Schools | 35 | 43 |
| Walk | 38 | 86 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 59 | 100 |
| Median rent | $1,724 | $2,093 |
| Median home | $502,900 | $741,558 |
| Population | 4,710 | 19,546 |
| Commute to Center City | 14 min | 8 min |
| Commute to University City | 18 min | 16 min |
| Commute to Navy Yard | 16 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Bella Vista | Rittenhouse |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 51% | 71% |
| Median age | 34.8 | 33.9 |
| Median income | $75K | $99K |
| Part I per 1k | 40.5 | 113.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 11 | 16 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 10 | 71 |
| Parks / 800m | 42 | 42 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Philadelphia city. Up 53% since 2014. Bella V is 23% above the 2024 city median. Rittenhouse is 50% 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 Bella Vista if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 63 vs 5. ACS median rent is $1,724 vs $2,093. Bella Vista is tagged family on this map; Rittenhouse is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Rittenhouse if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 86 vs 38. Vibe is 100 vs 59. Schools score 43 vs 35. Read both pages before you decide.
Bella Vista
The Italian Market is the errand and the smell. Ninth Street still works as a grocery, not just a postcard. South of Washington Square, denser than Queen Village, cheaper than Rittenhouse.
$1,724 median rent · safety 63 · walk 38
Rittenhouse
The Square is the lawn. Walnut is the shop. Fitler Square is a search that sits next door, not a second official polygon here. You pay for the postcard and for the visitors who use it.
$2,093 median rent · safety 5 · walk 86
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Bella Vista or Rittenhouse?
Bella Vista is the lower ACS median: $1,724 vs $2,093. About 51% rent in Bella Vista vs 71% in Rittenhouse. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Bella Vista more walkable than Rittenhouse?
Rittenhouse wins the errand count (walk 38 vs 86). Groceries inside 800 meters: 11 vs 16. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Bella Vista or Rittenhouse?
Bella Vista is the calmer Part I read (63 vs 5). Combined rate 40.5 vs 113.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Bella Vista or Rittenhouse?
Rittenhouse leads the school axis (43 vs 35). Nearby rating is 7.1 / 10 vs 6.9 / 10. Median age 33.9 vs 34.8. Bella Vista has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Center City?
14 minutes from Bella Vista to Center City, 8 from Rittenhouse. Rittenhouse is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Bella Vista or Rittenhouse: Queen Village. Fabric Row, the river, and a grid that still feels like a neighborhood. South Street is the tax. Society Hill is the garden north.
Scores are relative among official Philadelphia neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.