Safest Neighborhoods in Philadelphia: How to Compare Them

Chestnut Hill, Somerton, Manayunk and a few Northeast and Northwest areas show up on most Philadelphia safety lists. Use these lists as a starting point, then compare crime data and housing costs for the exact blocks you are considering.

By Housing Ledger Editorial Nov 12, 2026 7 min read

In this article

Chestnut Hill and Manayunk show up on nearly every list of the safest neighborhoods in Philadelphia, and Somerton leads at least one recent ranking. Each list uses its own method, so no single neighborhood can claim the title of safest in the city. Related reading: Safest Neighborhoods in Wilmington, DE: How to Compare.

Chestnut Hill ranks first on one list of the 10 safest Philadelphia neighborhoods, and Manayunk appears on that list too ^[1]. A July 2026 ranking for renters puts Somerton first, followed by Chestnut Hill, West Mount Airy, Society Hill and Manayunk ^[2]. A third list of safe areas in and around the city again includes Chestnut Hill and Manayunk ^[3].

If you're choosing where to buy or rent, treat these names as a starting shortlist. This article walks through the neighborhoods that keep appearing, explains why the rankings differ, and shows how to compare areas using block-level crime data and housing costs.

Northwest Philadelphia: Chestnut Hill, Mount Airy, Manayunk and nearby

Northwest Philadelphia supplies more names to safety lists than any other part of the city. In one top-10 ranking, five of the first six spots go to Northwest neighborhoods: Chestnut Hill at No. 1, East Falls at No. 3, Roxborough at No. 4, Manayunk at No. 5 and Mount Airy at No. 6 ^[1]. If you are building a shortlist, this cluster is a practical place to start, because several adjoining areas show up together.

Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy

Chestnut Hill tops that same ranking ^[1]. It also appears on a renter-focused list dated July 2026 and on a separate list of safe areas in and around the city ^[2]^[3]. Seeing one name across lists built for different purposes is a stronger signal than a single high rank.

Mount Airy is ranked as one neighborhood in one list ^[1]. A renter list from July 2026 names West Mount Airy specifically ^[2]. If you rent, start your search on the west side of Mount Airy, then compare individual blocks, since a list that treats Mount Airy as a whole may hide differences between its parts.

Manayunk, Roxborough and East Falls

Manayunk is the Northwest name that appears most widely. It is ranked No. 5 in one top-10 list ^[1]. It is also named among the safest neighborhoods in a list focused on safe, affordable areas ^[4], in the July 2026 renter list ^[2], and among the top safe areas in and around Philadelphia ^[3]. For a buyer or renter weighing cost alongside safety, that combination makes Manayunk worth a close look.

Roxborough and East Falls sit next to Manayunk and appear in the same top-10 ranking ^[1]. You can treat the three as one search area and compare listings across them.

Stone storefronts and leafy trees line the cobblestone main avenue of Chestnut Hill in Northwest Philadelphia.

Northeast Philadelphia: Somerton, Bustleton, Fox Chase and Pennypack

Northeast Philadelphia shows up on several safety lists, with Pennypack Park and Somerton East described as having crime rates well below the Philadelphia average. ^[5] For you, that makes the far Northeast a reasonable place to start a search if lower reported crime is near the top of your priorities. These areas sit at the city's northern edge and are mostly residential.

Pennypack Park and Somerton East

Pennypack Park and Somerton East are called two of the safest neighborhoods in Philadelphia. ^[5] That description compares them with the citywide average. It tells you these areas do better than the city as a whole, but it does not tell you how any single street compares with another a few blocks away.

Bustleton and Fox Chase

Bustleton and Fox Chase appear by name among the safest neighborhoods in Philadelphia on a list focused on safe, affordable areas. ^[4] Another list calls Bustleton the safest neighborhood in Philadelphia for families and retirees. ^[6] If you are weighing safety together with price, these two are worth adding to your shortlist because one of the lists that names them also considers affordability.

Somerton

Somerton is first on a renter-focused list of the safest Philadelphia neighborhoods as of July 2026. ^[2] A separate list describes Somerton as one of the most diverse and safe parts of Philadelphia. ^[6] If you rent, Somerton's appearance on more than one list gives it a stronger case than an area named only once.

As a practical example, a renter who wants a quieter area might compare listings in Somerton and Bustleton side by side, since each turns up on more than one list. A family could add Fox Chase and look at homes near Pennypack Park.

A row of brick twin homes with small front lawns and driveways on a quiet residential street in Northeast Philadelphia.

Center City areas that make the lists

Four neighborhoods in or next to Center City show up on published safety lists: Society Hill, Rittenhouse Square, Queen Village and Fairmount-Spring Garden. Each one appears on a different mix of lists, so it helps to know which list named which area before you weigh it.

Society Hill

Society Hill is named on two lists. A guide from a home security company published in May 2026 includes it among the top six safest areas in and around Philadelphia ^[3]. A renter-focused list dated July 2026 also names Society Hill among the safest neighborhoods for renters ^[2]. Appearing on lists written for different audiences makes it a reasonable name for your shortlist.

Rittenhouse Square and Queen Village

Rittenhouse Square and Queen Village both appear on the May 2026 security company list of the six safest areas in and around the city ^[3]. Neither shows up on the other lists covered in this article, so you have one ranking behind each name. If you are looking at a rental or a home in either area, give that single mention less weight than a name that recurs across several lists.

Fairmount-Spring Garden

Fairmount-Spring Garden ranks second on a real estate site's list of the 10 safest neighborhoods in Philadelphia ^[1]. That list puts it just behind Chestnut Hill and ahead of the Northwest neighborhoods that fill out the rest of its top spots ^[1].

Lower Merion Township is outside the city

The May 2026 list also names Lower Merion Township ^[3]. Lower Merion is a separate township outside Philadelphia city limits, and the list covers areas "in and around" the city ^[3]. If you are comparing it with Center City neighborhoods, remember that it falls under a different local government.

Why safety rankings disagree

Safety rankings for Philadelphia disagree mostly because each list is built for a different reader, at a different time, with different criteria. Before you treat any list as an answer, find out who it was written for, when it was published, and what it measured.

Different years, different audiences

A list aimed at renters weighs different things than one aimed at families or retirees. One July 2026 ranking is written specifically for renters and leads with Somerton ^[2]. A March 2026 list instead calls Bustleton the safest neighborhood for families and retirees ^[6]. Both can be reasonable, because the people they serve want different things from a neighborhood.

Publication dates matter too. Crime patterns and rents shift from year to year, so a list from a few years back can name areas that no longer fit the way it describes them.

Safety mixed with affordability

Some lists rank neighborhoods on safety and cost together. One guide groups Bustleton, Fox Chase and Manayunk as safe and affordable, and pairs a crime rate rating with monthly rent ^[4]. On a combined list, a very safe area can drop out because it is expensive, and a moderately safe area can rise because rents are low. That kind of list answers a different question from "where is crime lowest."

One number hides the blocks

A neighborhood-wide crime figure averages many streets into a single score. Two homes in the same neighborhood can sit on blocks with very different activity, such as a quiet residential street and a busy commercial corridor a few blocks away. A strong overall rating tells you about the area as a whole, not about the specific block where you would live.

How to compare neighborhoods for yourself

Compare neighborhoods block by block, weigh what you find against what you would pay to live there, and then see the streets in person. A neighborhood name covers a lot of ground, and two addresses a few blocks apart can feel very different.

Look at the blocks you would actually live on

Search crime reports by street address or a small radius around a specific home instead of reading one figure for the whole neighborhood. A quiet residential street can sit next to a busy commercial corridor, and an area-wide average blends the two together.

When you look at incidents, sort them by type. A cluster of car break-ins near a nightlife strip tells you something different than a pattern of incidents on the residential block you are considering. Look at several months of reports so that one unusual week does not decide things for you.

Put safety next to what you can afford

A street that feels safe only helps you if the monthly cost fits your budget. For each block on your shortlist, write down the asking rent or home price for a comparable unit, then set it beside what you learned about local crime. You may find a nearby block that feels about the same and costs less.

For home purchases, add the yearly property tax to the price. Our related articles on Philadelphia property tax and average rent explain how to estimate those costs.

Visit at different times of day

Walk the block on a weekday morning, again in the evening, and once on a weekend night. Notice street lighting, foot traffic, how many homes look occupied, and how loud the area gets late at night. If you can, ask a neighbor who is outside how long they have lived there and what has changed.

Narrowing your shortlist

The names that show up on more than one list make the most useful starting point. Chestnut Hill, East Falls, Roxborough, Manayunk and Mount Airy all appear on one ranking of the city's safest neighborhoods ^[1], and another list highlights Pennypack Park and Somerton East ^[5]. If you are weighing a move, pick three or four of these that fit your commute and budget, and set aside areas that appear only once.

Before you sign a lease or make an offer, pull current crime figures for the exact blocks you are considering and price out rent or taxes for a typical home there. A ranking is a starting point, and a neighborhood is a good fit only if the current numbers hold up for your street and your budget.