Philadelphia/Compare
Rittenhouse vs Washington Square West
Rittenhouse and Washington Square West are two official neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Rittenhouse is the calmer Part I map (5 vs 0). Washington Square West wins the errand count. Washington Square West has the lower ACS median ($1,700).
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 | Washington Square West |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 5 | 0 |
| Schools | 43 | 26 |
| Walk | 86 | 100 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 100 | 92 |
| Median rent | $2,093 | $1,700 |
| Median home | $741,558 | $631,363 |
| Population | 19,546 | 13,550 |
| Commute to Center City | 8 min | 8 min |
| Commute to University City | 16 min | 16 min |
| Commute to Navy Yard | 22 min | 18 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Rittenhouse | Washington Square West |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 71% | 79% |
| Median age | 33.9 | 33.2 |
| Median income | $99K | $88K |
| Part I per 1k | 113.3 | 121.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 16 | 24 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 71 | 103 |
| Parks / 800m | 42 | 22 |
| 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. Wash West is 22% 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 the school rating nearby is the point and you want the cafes and the night. Schools score 43 vs 26. Vibe is 100 vs 92. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Washington Square West if the rent gap is the point and you want the errands on foot. ACS median rent is $1,700 vs $2,093. Walk is 100 vs 86. 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
Washington Square West
The Square, the Gayborhood, Jeweler’s Row as searches inside one line. Walk maxes out. Part I is the highest violent read in this Philadelphia set — visitors and the night count.
$1,700 median rent · safety 0 · walk 100
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Rittenhouse or Washington Square West?
Washington Square West is the lower ACS median: $2,093 vs $1,700. About 79% rent in Washington Square West vs 71% in Rittenhouse. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Rittenhouse more walkable than Washington Square West?
Washington Square West wins the errand count (walk 86 vs 100). Groceries inside 800 meters: 16 vs 24. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Rittenhouse or Washington Square West?
Rittenhouse is the calmer Part I read (5 vs 0). Combined rate 113.3 vs 121.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Rittenhouse or Washington Square West?
Rittenhouse leads the school axis (43 vs 26). Nearby rating is 7.1 / 10 vs 6.7 / 10. Median age 33.9 vs 33.2. Washington Square West has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Center City?
8 minutes from Rittenhouse to Center City, 8 from Washington Square West. A wash on this estimate. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Rittenhouse or Washington Square West: 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 HospitalWashington Square West vs Graduate Hospital
Scores are relative among official Philadelphia neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.