Society Hill

Philadelphia, PA

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Society Hill - Philadelphia, PA Area Guide

Where history lives

Walkable Historic Landmarks Riverfront Urban Entertainment Culture

With its brick-paved sidewalks, cobblestone alleyways, and gorgeous historic architecture, Society Hill is one of Philadelphia's oldest and most sought-after neighborhoods. The name is slightly misleading -- it isn't on a hill and it has nothing to do with social standing. Instead, the name is derived from the original settlers, a group of Free Society of Traders who received land from William Penn back in 1682. They planted a flag on a small hill in the neighborhood, and the area quickly became known as the "Society's Hill."

Society Hill contains a variety of spectacular buildings, some dating to its original settlement. The neighborhood was diverse, even back in the 1700s, with small row houses sitting next to mansions. One of those mansions, the Physick House, built in 1786, is one of the neighborhood's last surviving Federal-style mansions. Today, it is a house museum that offers public tours. Other historic landmarks in Society Hill include Old St. Joseph's, a Roman Catholic church founded in 1733; the Shippen-Wistar House, built around 1750 (by the first doctor to use bodies for dissection, Dr. William Shippen); and Old Pine, a church built in 1766.

Society Hill is home to one of the five public squares laid out by William Penn, Washington Square. Back then, it was used as a pasture and a burial ground. Today, it is a picturesque park with a fountain, sitting next door to some of Philadelphia's major landmarks, including Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Head to Headhouse Square to shop at the oldest farmer's market in Philly, the Headhouse Square Farmer's Market, and stroll the cobblestone Dock Street to enjoy some of Philly's best restaurants and theaters.

Rent Trends

As of April 2026, the average apartment rent in Society Hill is $1,034 for a studio, $1,958 for one bedroom, $2,946 for two bedrooms, and $9,377 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Society Hill has increased by 1.9% in the past year.

  • Studio

  • 340 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $1,034/month

    Average Rent

  • 1 BR

  • 698 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $1,958/month

    Average Rent

  • 2 BR

  • 1,032 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $2,946/month

    Average Rent

  • 3 BR

  • 2,723 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $9,377/month

    Average Rent

Getting Around

Exceptionally Walkable

Walkability

100 / 100

Exceptional Public Transit

Transit

100 / 100

Fairly Drivable

Drivability

40 / 100

Moderately Bikeable

Bikeability

70 / 100

Daily Essentials

Supermarket Within a 5 Minute Walk

Groceries

90 / 100

Exceptional Restaurant Variety Nearby

Restaurants

90 / 100

Exceptional Café Variety Nearby

Cafes

90 / 100

Exceptional Variety of Shops Nearby

Shopping

100 / 100

Recreation

Exceptional Amount of Park Space Nearby

Parks

100 / 100

Exceptional Wellness Amenity Variety Nearby

Wellness

100 / 100

Local Vibe

Exceptionally Vibrant Atmosphere

Vibrancy

90 / 100

Exceptional Nightlife Variety Nearby

Nightlife

90 / 100

Somewhat Noisy

Quiet Score

80 / 100

Points of Interest

Parks and Recreation

  • Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial
  • Great Egg Harbor River
  • Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River
  • Independence Seaport Museum
  • Independence National Historical Park

Airports

  • Philadelphia International
  • Trenton Mercer

Top Apartments in Society Hill

Houses for Rent in Society Hill

Property Management Companies

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Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2026.

Demographic information comes from Neustar and combines detailed address data with U.S. Census and American Community Survey statistics to produce reliable local estimates.