Philadelphia/Compare
Old City vs Rittenhouse
Old City and Rittenhouse are two official neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Old City is the calmer Part I map (11 vs 5). Rittenhouse wins the errand count. Rittenhouse has the lower ACS median ($2,093).
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 | Old City | Rittenhouse |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 11 | 5 |
| Schools | 13 | 43 |
| Walk | 78 | 86 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 92 | 100 |
| Median rent | $2,191 | $2,093 |
| Median home | $491,745 | $741,558 |
| Population | 5,135 | 19,546 |
| Commute to Center City | 10 min | 8 min |
| Commute to University City | 22 min | 16 min |
| Commute to Navy Yard | 20 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Old City | Rittenhouse |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 70% | 71% |
| Median age | 34.6 | 33.9 |
| Median income | $105K | $99K |
| Part I per 1k | 101.8 | 113.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 15 | 16 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 61 | 71 |
| Parks / 800m | 41 | 42 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Philadelphia city. Up 53% since 2014. Old City is 57% 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 Old City if you already want this pocket more than the table. Rittenhouse leads the numbered axes on this page.
Pick Rittenhouse if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the cafes and the night. Schools score 43 vs 13. Vibe is 100 vs 92. Walk is 86 vs 78. Read both pages before you decide.
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.
$2,191 median rent · safety 11 · walk 78
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, Old City or Rittenhouse?
Rittenhouse is the lower ACS median: $2,191 vs $2,093. About 71% rent in Rittenhouse vs 70% in Old City. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Old City more walkable than Rittenhouse?
Rittenhouse wins the errand count (walk 78 vs 86). Groceries inside 800 meters: 15 vs 16. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Old City or Rittenhouse?
Old City is the calmer Part I read (11 vs 5). Combined rate 101.8 vs 113.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Old City or Rittenhouse?
Rittenhouse leads the school axis (43 vs 13). Nearby rating is 7.1 / 10 vs 6.4 / 10. Median age 33.9 vs 34.6. Old City has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Center City?
10 minutes from Old City 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 Old City or Rittenhouse: Queen Village. Fabric Row, the river, and a grid that still feels like a neighborhood. South Street is the tax. Society Hill is the garden north.
Scores are relative among official Philadelphia neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.