Philadelphia/Compare
Passyunk Square vs Rittenhouse
Passyunk Square and Rittenhouse are two official neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Passyunk Square is the calmer Part I map (32 vs 5). Rittenhouse wins the errand count. Passyunk Square has the lower ACS median ($1,637).
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 | Passyunk Square | Rittenhouse |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 32 | 5 |
| Schools | 30 | 43 |
| Walk | 37 | 86 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 45 | 100 |
| Median rent | $1,637 | $2,093 |
| Median home | $453,950 | $741,558 |
| Population | 7,197 | 19,546 |
| Commute to Center City | 18 min | 8 min |
| Commute to University City | 20 min | 16 min |
| Commute to Navy Yard | 14 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Passyunk Square | Rittenhouse |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 44% | 71% |
| Median age | 35.6 | 33.9 |
| Median income | $113K | $99K |
| Part I per 1k | 59.5 | 113.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 16 | 16 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 11 | 71 |
| Parks / 800m | 26 | 42 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Philadelphia city. Up 53% since 2014. Passyunk is 17% 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 Passyunk Square if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 32 vs 5. ACS median rent is $1,637 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 45. Walk is 86 vs 37. Schools score 43 vs 30. Read both pages before you decide.
Passyunk Square
East Passyunk Avenue is the strip. Cheesesteaks are the tourist layer; the restaurants behind them are why people stay. South of Bella Vista, north of the stadiums.
$1,637 median rent · safety 32 · walk 37
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, Passyunk Square or Rittenhouse?
Passyunk Square is the lower ACS median: $1,637 vs $2,093. About 44% rent in Passyunk Square vs 71% in Rittenhouse. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Passyunk Square more walkable than Rittenhouse?
Rittenhouse wins the errand count (walk 37 vs 86). Groceries inside 800 meters: 16 vs 16. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Passyunk Square or Rittenhouse?
Passyunk Square is the calmer Part I read (32 vs 5). Combined rate 59.5 vs 113.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Passyunk Square or Rittenhouse?
Rittenhouse leads the school axis (43 vs 30). Nearby rating is 7.1 / 10 vs 6.8 / 10. Median age 33.9 vs 35.6. Passyunk Square has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Center City?
18 minutes from Passyunk Square 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 Passyunk Square or Rittenhouse: Bella Vista. The Italian Market is the errand and the smell. Ninth Street still works as a grocery, not just a postcard. South of Washington Square, denser than Queen Village, cheaper than Rittenhouse.
Scores are relative among official Philadelphia neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.