Philadelphia/Compare
East Falls vs Rittenhouse
East Falls and Rittenhouse are two official neighborhoods in Philadelphia. East Falls is the calmer Part I map (89 vs 5). Rittenhouse 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 | East Falls | Rittenhouse |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 89 | 5 |
| Schools | 52 | 43 |
| Walk | 0 | 86 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 8 | 100 |
| Median rent | $1,694 | $2,093 |
| Median home | $368,170 | $741,558 |
| Population | 11,223 | 19,546 |
| Commute to Center City | 22 min | 8 min |
| Commute to University City | 16 min | 16 min |
| Commute to Navy Yard | 36 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | East Falls | Rittenhouse |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 56% | 71% |
| Median age | 32.8 | 33.9 |
| Median income | $102K | $99K |
| Part I per 1k | 30.5 | 113.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 3 | 16 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 3 | 71 |
| Parks / 800m | 21 | 42 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Philadelphia city. Up 53% since 2014. E Falls is 21% 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 East Falls if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 89 vs 5. ACS median rent is $1,694 vs $2,093. East Falls is tagged family on this map; Rittenhouse is not. 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 0. 8 vs 22 minutes to Center City. Read both pages before you decide.
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
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, East Falls or Rittenhouse?
East Falls is the lower ACS median: $1,694 vs $2,093. About 56% rent in East Falls vs 71% in Rittenhouse. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is East Falls more walkable than Rittenhouse?
Rittenhouse wins the errand count (walk 0 vs 86). Groceries inside 800 meters: 3 vs 16. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, East Falls or Rittenhouse?
East Falls is the calmer Part I read (89 vs 5). Combined rate 30.5 vs 113.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, East Falls or Rittenhouse?
East Falls leads the school axis (52 vs 43). Nearby rating is 7.3 / 10 vs 7.1 / 10. Median age 32.8 vs 33.9. Rittenhouse has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Center City?
22 minutes from East Falls 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 East Falls 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.