Philadelphia/Compare
Chestnut Hill vs East Falls
Chestnut Hill and East Falls are two official neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Chestnut Hill is the calmer Part I map (95 vs 89). Chestnut Hill wins the errand count. East Falls has the lower ACS median ($1,694).
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 | Chestnut Hill | East Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 95 | 89 |
| Schools | 100 | 52 |
| Walk | 10 | 0 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 8 | 8 |
| Median rent | $1,837 | $1,694 |
| Median home | $752,413 | $368,170 |
| Population | 10,672 | 11,223 |
| Commute to Center City | 32 min | 22 min |
| Commute to University City | 28 min | 16 min |
| Commute to Navy Yard | 44 min | 36 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Chestnut Hill | East Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 46% | 56% |
| Median age | 46.8 | 32.8 |
| Median income | $120K | $102K |
| Part I per 1k | 29.8 | 30.5 |
| Groceries / 800m | 3 | 3 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 24 | 3 |
| Parks / 800m | 23 | 21 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Philadelphia city. Up 53% since 2014. Chestnut is 31% above the 2024 city median. E Falls is 21% 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 Chestnut Hill if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the errands on foot. Schools score 100 vs 52. Walk is 10 vs 0. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick East Falls if the shorter ride to Center City is the point and the rent gap is the point. 22 vs 32 minutes to Center City. ACS median rent is $1,694 vs $1,837. Read both pages before you decide.
Chestnut Hill
The northwest village. Germantown Avenue is the errand. More house than brick, more Regional Rail than subway. Downtown is a trip, not a walk.
$1,837 median rent · safety 95 · walk 10
East Falls
Kelly Drive, the river path, and a hill that actually is a hill. Closer in than Chestnut Hill, quieter than Fairmount’s museum strip. The Schuylkill is the commute and the weekend.
$1,694 median rent · safety 89 · walk 0
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Chestnut Hill or East Falls?
East Falls is the lower ACS median: $1,837 vs $1,694. About 56% rent in East Falls vs 46% in Chestnut Hill. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Chestnut Hill more walkable than East Falls?
Chestnut Hill wins the errand count (walk 10 vs 0). Groceries inside 800 meters: 3 vs 3. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Chestnut Hill or East Falls?
Chestnut Hill is the calmer Part I read (95 vs 89). Combined rate 29.8 vs 30.5 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Chestnut Hill or East Falls?
Chestnut Hill leads the school axis (100 vs 52). Nearby rating is 8.4 / 10 vs 7.3 / 10. Median age 46.8 vs 32.8. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Center City?
32 minutes from Chestnut Hill to Center City, 22 from East Falls. East Falls is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Chestnut Hill or East Falls: West Mount Airy. Porches, mixed blocks, Germantown Avenue as the seam. East Mount Airy is a different official line we do not fold in. More house than Manayunk, less village than Chestnut Hill.
Chestnut Hill vs West Mount AiryEast Falls vs West Mount Airy
Scores are relative among official Philadelphia neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.