Best PlacesNorth Central, Philadelphia, PA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around North Central, Philadelphia, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
North Central, Philadelphia ranks 4,622nd of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on transit by a wide margin, and taxes are the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in North Central, Philadelphia
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
North Central, Philadelphia's strengths and weaknesses
Where North Central, Philadelphia ranks high
- TransitBetter than 94% of neighborhoods
- WalkabilityBetter than 93% of neighborhoods
- Big-city accessBetter than 90% of neighborhoods
- Cell coverageBetter than 88% of neighborhoods
- Disaster safetyBetter than 81% of neighborhoods
Where North Central, Philadelphia ranks low
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than only 3% of neighborhoods
- Low vacancyBetter than only 10% of neighborhoods
- QuietBetter than only 11% of neighborhoods
- Short commute32.4 minutes each way, better than only 11% of neighborhoods
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than only 12% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in North Central, Philadelphia
A household needs to earn about $75,000 a year to comfortably buy the median North Central, Philadelphia home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $47,364, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses North Central, Philadelphia's effective rate of 0.76%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 9 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in North Central, Philadelphia
North Central, Philadelphia runs younger than the country.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for North Central, Philadelphia.
Who works in North Central, Philadelphia, and how
Work in North Central, Philadelphia centers on health care & social and retail trade. Unemployment runs well above the national rate, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 40%
- Work from home 13%
- Transit, walk, or bike 47%
Life in North Central, Philadelphia
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across North Central, Philadelphia.
What the weather is like in North Central, Philadelphia, month by month
North Central, Philadelphia sees roughly 65 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 91 degrees. January highs sit near 45, with lows near 27. The comfortable stretch runs April through June, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 36° | 27° |
| April | 68° | 56° | 44° |
| July | 91° | 80° | 71° |
| October | 72° | 61° | 51° |
Flying in and out of North Central, Philadelphia
Philadelphia International sits about 9 miles away. It is a large hub and boarded 14.8 million passengers in 2025, with 179 nonstop destinations.
The best schools in and around North Central, Philadelphia
Schools across North Central, Philadelphia average a C, better than 53% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Duckrey Tanner SchD+ · 25% proficient
- Dick William SchD+ · 25% proficient
- Kipp Philadelphia CsD− · 15% proficient
Top middle schools
- Amy At MartinD+ · 25% proficient
Top high schools
- Carver HsA+ · 86% proficient
- Arts Academy At Benjamin RushA− · 65% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every North Central, Philadelphia school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
North Central, Philadelphia measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare North Central, Philadelphia against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Who North Central, Philadelphia suits
Retirees
Set weather, quiet, and health care weights on the map to test the fit.
Common questions about living in North Central, Philadelphia
Is North Central, Philadelphia a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, North Central, Philadelphia ranks 4,622nd of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on transit, walkability, and big-city access, and lowest on taxes and empty homes. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is North Central, Philadelphia expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $287,339. The overall cost of living runs about 8% below the national average. Set against a $47,364 median income, cost of living beats 12% of neighborhoods.
Is North Central, Philadelphia safe?
North Central, Philadelphia is safer than 24% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $595 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in North Central, Philadelphia?
July highs average about 91 degrees, and January highs near 45 with lows near 27. That works out to about 65 pleasant days a year, more than 17% of neighborhoods.
Is North Central, Philadelphia good for families?
Schools beat 53% of neighborhoods, crime safety beats 24%, and childcare runs $1,021 a month.
Compare North Central, Philadelphia with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to North Central, Philadelphia. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in North Central, Philadelphia represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
North Central, Philadelphia detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for North Central, Philadelphia: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in North Central, Philadelphia: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of North Central, Philadelphia: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in North Central, Philadelphia: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
North Central, Philadelphia detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.