Philadelphia/Compare
Rittenhouse vs West Mount Airy
Rittenhouse and West Mount Airy are two official neighborhoods in Philadelphia. West Mount Airy is the calmer Part I map (68 vs 5). Rittenhouse wins the errand count. West Mount Airy has the lower ACS median ($1,382).
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 | West Mount Airy |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 5 | 68 |
| Schools | 43 | 74 |
| Walk | 86 | 2 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 100 | 0 |
| Median rent | $2,093 | $1,382 |
| Median home | $741,558 | $494,359 |
| Population | 19,546 | 12,903 |
| Commute to Center City | 8 min | 30 min |
| Commute to University City | 16 min | 26 min |
| Commute to Navy Yard | 22 min | 42 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Rittenhouse | West Mount Airy |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 71% | 48% |
| Median age | 33.9 | 41.5 |
| Median income | $99K | $102K |
| Part I per 1k | 113.3 | 39.7 |
| Groceries / 800m | 16 | 6 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 71 | 5 |
| Parks / 800m | 42 | 14 |
| 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. W Mt Airy is 1% below 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 you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 100 vs 0. Walk is 86 vs 2. 8 vs 30 minutes to Center City. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick West Mount Airy if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 68 vs 5. Schools score 74 vs 43. ACS median rent is $1,382 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
West Mount Airy
Porches, mixed blocks, Germantown Avenue as the seam. East Mount Airy is a different official line we do not fold in. More house than Manayunk, less village than Chestnut Hill.
$1,382 median rent · safety 68 · walk 2
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Rittenhouse or West Mount Airy?
West Mount Airy is the lower ACS median: $2,093 vs $1,382. About 48% rent in West Mount Airy vs 71% in Rittenhouse. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Rittenhouse more walkable than West Mount Airy?
Rittenhouse wins the errand count (walk 86 vs 2). Groceries inside 800 meters: 16 vs 6. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Rittenhouse or West Mount Airy?
West Mount Airy is the calmer Part I read (68 vs 5). Combined rate 39.7 vs 113.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Rittenhouse or West Mount Airy?
West Mount Airy leads the school axis (74 vs 43). Nearby rating is 7.8 / 10 vs 7.1 / 10. Median age 41.5 vs 33.9. Rittenhouse 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, 30 from West Mount Airy. Rittenhouse is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Rittenhouse or West Mount Airy: Fairmount. The Art Museum steps, the park, and streets that still feel like a neighborhood. Girard and Fairmount Avenue are the errands. The Parkway is the tourist tax.
Scores are relative among official Philadelphia neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.