Philadelphia/Compare
Fishtown vs Northern Liberties
Fishtown and Northern Liberties are two official neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Fishtown is the calmer Part I map (26 vs 16). Walk is a wash (26 vs 29). Fishtown has the lower ACS median ($1,847).
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 | Fishtown | Northern Liberties |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 26 | 16 |
| Schools | 17 | 17 |
| Walk | 26 | 29 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 20 | 25 |
| Median rent | $1,847 | $2,030 |
| Median home | $408,523 | $631,628 |
| Population | 15,438 | 9,739 |
| Commute to Center City | 14 min | 12 min |
| Commute to University City | 24 min | 22 min |
| Commute to Navy Yard | 26 min | 24 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Fishtown | Northern Liberties |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 35% | 55% |
| Median age | 35.5 | 33.5 |
| Median income | $116K | $136K |
| Part I per 1k | 69.3 | 96.0 |
| Groceries / 800m | 11 | 9 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 31 | 39 |
| Parks / 800m | 18 | 17 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Philadelphia city. Up 53% since 2014. Fishtown is 32% above the 2024 city median. NoLibs is 45% 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 Fishtown if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 26 vs 16. ACS median rent is $1,847 vs $2,030. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Northern Liberties if you want the cafes and the night. Vibe is 25 vs 20. Read both pages before you decide.
Fishtown
Frankford Avenue is the night. The El is the spine. The official line is Fishtown–Lower Kensington — Kensington as a search is not this whole map, and not a second polygon here.
$1,847 median rent · safety 26 · walk 26
Northern Liberties
Second Street, Piazza-era leftovers, and a walk to the El that is not quite Fishtown. Newer than Old City, louder than Fairmount. NoLibs is the search.
$2,030 median rent · safety 16 · walk 29
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Fishtown or Northern Liberties?
Fishtown is the lower ACS median: $1,847 vs $2,030. About 35% rent in Fishtown vs 55% in Northern Liberties. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Fishtown more walkable than Northern Liberties?
Walk is basically a tie (26 vs 29). Count groceries if you care: 11 in Fishtown vs 9 in Northern Liberties, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Fishtown or Northern Liberties?
Fishtown is the calmer Part I read (26 vs 16). Combined rate 69.3 vs 96.0 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Fishtown or Northern Liberties?
Fishtown leads the school axis (17 vs 17). Nearby rating is 6.5 / 10 vs 6.5 / 10. Median age 35.5 vs 33.5. Northern Liberties has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Center City?
14 minutes from Fishtown to Center City, 12 from Northern Liberties. Northern Liberties is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Fishtown or Northern Liberties: Old City. Cobblestones, the Mall, First Friday. You live next to a national park. Walk maxes out. Part I is padded by people who do not sleep here.
Scores are relative among official Philadelphia neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.