Philadelphia/Compare
Chestnut Hill vs Rittenhouse
Chestnut Hill and Rittenhouse are two official neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Chestnut Hill is the calmer Part I map (95 vs 5). Rittenhouse wins the errand count. Chestnut Hill has the lower ACS median ($1,837).
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 | Rittenhouse |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 95 | 5 |
| Schools | 100 | 43 |
| Walk | 10 | 86 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 8 | 100 |
| Median rent | $1,837 | $2,093 |
| Median home | $752,413 | $741,558 |
| Population | 10,672 | 19,546 |
| Commute to Center City | 32 min | 8 min |
| Commute to University City | 28 min | 16 min |
| Commute to Navy Yard | 44 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Chestnut Hill | Rittenhouse |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 46% | 71% |
| Median age | 46.8 | 33.9 |
| Median income | $120K | $99K |
| Part I per 1k | 29.8 | 113.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 3 | 16 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 24 | 71 |
| Parks / 800m | 23 | 42 |
| 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. 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 Chestnut Hill if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 95 vs 5. Schools score 100 vs 43. ACS median rent is $1,837 vs $2,093. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Rittenhouse if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 100 vs 8. Walk is 86 vs 10. 8 vs 32 minutes to Center City. 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
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, Chestnut Hill or Rittenhouse?
Chestnut Hill is the lower ACS median: $1,837 vs $2,093. About 46% rent in Chestnut Hill vs 71% in Rittenhouse. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Chestnut Hill more walkable than Rittenhouse?
Rittenhouse wins the errand count (walk 10 vs 86). Groceries inside 800 meters: 3 vs 16. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Chestnut Hill or Rittenhouse?
Chestnut Hill is the calmer Part I read (95 vs 5). Combined rate 29.8 vs 113.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Chestnut Hill or Rittenhouse?
Chestnut Hill leads the school axis (100 vs 43). Nearby rating is 8.4 / 10 vs 7.1 / 10. Median age 46.8 vs 33.9. Rittenhouse has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Center City?
32 minutes from Chestnut Hill 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 Chestnut Hill or Rittenhouse: Fairmount. The Art Museum steps, the park, and streets that still feel like a neighborhood. Girard and Fairmount Avenue are the errands. The Parkway is the tourist tax.
Scores are relative among official Philadelphia neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.