Philadelphia/Compare
Chestnut Hill vs Society Hill
Chestnut Hill and Society Hill are two official neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Chestnut Hill is the calmer Part I map (95 vs 84). Society Hill 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 | Society Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 95 | 84 |
| Schools | 100 | 57 |
| Walk | 10 | 68 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 8 | 84 |
| Median rent | $1,837 | $2,044 |
| Median home | $752,413 | $510,250 |
| Population | 10,672 | 6,485 |
| Commute to Center City | 32 min | 10 min |
| Commute to University City | 28 min | 20 min |
| Commute to Navy Yard | 44 min | 18 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Chestnut Hill | Society Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 46% | 40% |
| Median age | 46.8 | 56.3 |
| Median income | $120K | $113K |
| Part I per 1k | 29.8 | 36.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 3 | 13 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 24 | 49 |
| Parks / 800m | 23 | 48 |
| 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. Society 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 Chestnut Hill if the school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 100 vs 57. Safety is 95 vs 84. ACS median rent is $1,837 vs $2,044. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Society Hill if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 84 vs 8. Walk is 68 vs 10. 10 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
Society Hill
Gardens, brick, Headhouse. Quieter than Old City’s Mall, tighter than Queen Village. The Square is the lawn you share with Washington Square West.
$2,044 median rent · safety 84 · walk 68
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Chestnut Hill or Society Hill?
Chestnut Hill is the lower ACS median: $1,837 vs $2,044. About 46% rent in Chestnut Hill vs 40% in Society Hill. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Chestnut Hill more walkable than Society Hill?
Society Hill wins the errand count (walk 10 vs 68). Groceries inside 800 meters: 3 vs 13. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Chestnut Hill or Society Hill?
Chestnut Hill is the calmer Part I read (95 vs 84). Combined rate 29.8 vs 36.2 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Chestnut Hill or Society Hill?
Chestnut Hill leads the school axis (100 vs 57). Nearby rating is 8.4 / 10 vs 7.4 / 10. Median age 46.8 vs 56.3. Society Hill 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, 10 from Society Hill. Society Hill is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Chestnut Hill or Society Hill: 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.
Scores are relative among official Philadelphia neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.