Philadelphia/Compare
Spruce Hill vs University City
Spruce Hill and University City are two official neighborhoods in Philadelphia. University City is the calmer Part I map (42 vs 37). University City wins the errand count. Spruce Hill has the lower ACS median ($1,443).
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 | Spruce Hill | University City |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 37 | 42 |
| Schools | 39 | 13 |
| Walk | 41 | 60 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 45 | 65 |
| Median rent | $1,443 | $1,856 |
| Median home | $574,761 | $860,800 |
| Population | 7,673 | 17,588 |
| Commute to Center City | 18 min | 16 min |
| Commute to University City | 8 min | 6 min |
| Commute to Navy Yard | 24 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Spruce Hill | University City |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 92% | 94% |
| Median age | 29 | 21.8 |
| Median income | $57K | $32K |
| Part I per 1k | 57.3 | 55.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 16 | 17 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 30 | 49 |
| Parks / 800m | 32 | 40 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Philadelphia city. Up 53% since 2014. Spruce H is 3% 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 Spruce Hill if the school rating nearby is the point and the rent gap is the point. Schools score 39 vs 13. ACS median rent is $1,443 vs $1,856. Spruce Hill is tagged family on this map; University City is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick University City if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 65 vs 45. Walk is 60 vs 41. Read both pages before you decide.
Spruce Hill
Clark Park, Baltimore Avenue, porches. Next to University City without being the campus. Cedar Park is a search just west of this line.
$1,443 median rent · safety 37 · walk 41
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, Spruce Hill or University City?
Spruce Hill is the lower ACS median: $1,443 vs $1,856. About 92% rent in Spruce Hill vs 94% in University City. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Spruce Hill more walkable than University City?
University City wins the errand count (walk 41 vs 60). Groceries inside 800 meters: 16 vs 17. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Spruce Hill or University City?
University City is the calmer Part I read (42 vs 37). Combined rate 55.3 vs 57.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Spruce Hill or University City?
Spruce Hill leads the school axis (39 vs 13). Nearby rating is 7.0 / 10 vs 6.4 / 10. Median age 29 vs 21.8. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Center City?
18 minutes from Spruce Hill to Center City, 16 from University City. University City is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood that is not Spruce Hill or University City: 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.