Philadelphia/Compare
Rittenhouse vs University City
Rittenhouse and University City are two official neighborhoods in Philadelphia. University City is the calmer Part I map (42 vs 5). Rittenhouse wins the errand count. University City has the lower ACS median ($1,856).
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 | Rittenhouse | University City |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 5 | 42 |
| Schools | 43 | 13 |
| Walk | 86 | 60 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 100 | 65 |
| Median rent | $2,093 | $1,856 |
| Median home | $741,558 | $860,800 |
| Population | 19,546 | 17,588 |
| Commute to Center City | 8 min | 16 min |
| Commute to University City | 16 min | 6 min |
| Commute to Navy Yard | 22 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Rittenhouse | University City |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 71% | 94% |
| Median age | 33.9 | 21.8 |
| Median income | $99K | $32K |
| Part I per 1k | 113.3 | 55.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 16 | 17 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 71 | 49 |
| Parks / 800m | 42 | 40 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Philadelphia city. Up 53% since 2014. Rittenhouse is 50% above the 2024 city median. UCity is 33% 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 Rittenhouse if you want the cafes and the night and the school rating nearby is the point. Vibe is 100 vs 65. Schools score 43 vs 13. Walk is 86 vs 60. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick University City if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 42 vs 5. ACS median rent is $1,856 vs $2,093. Read both pages before you decide.
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
University City
Penn, Drexel, the hospitals. Median income looks low because of students; home values do not. Powelton is a search on the north edge of this official line.
$1,856 median rent · safety 42 · walk 60
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Rittenhouse or University City?
University City is the lower ACS median: $2,093 vs $1,856. About 94% rent in University City vs 71% in Rittenhouse. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Rittenhouse more walkable than University City?
Rittenhouse wins the errand count (walk 86 vs 60). Groceries inside 800 meters: 16 vs 17. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Rittenhouse or University City?
University City is the calmer Part I read (42 vs 5). Combined rate 55.3 vs 113.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Rittenhouse or University City?
Rittenhouse leads the school axis (43 vs 13). Nearby rating is 7.1 / 10 vs 6.4 / 10. Median age 33.9 vs 21.8. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Center City?
8 minutes from Rittenhouse to Center City, 16 from University City. Rittenhouse is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Rittenhouse or University City: Graduate Hospital. South of South Street, west of Broad. Newer than Bella Vista, tighter than Point Breeze. The hospital name is leftover. The product is brick and a walk to Center City.
Rittenhouse vs Graduate HospitalUniversity City vs Graduate Hospital
Scores are relative among official Philadelphia neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.