City profile · Pennsylvania · Census ACS 2023

Philadelphia, PA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Philadelphia - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

1,582,432
Residents
$60,698
Median income
$232,400
Median home
$1,810
Median rent (state)

Philadelphia - the verdict

Philadelphia ranks in the 36th percentile for household income and the 3rd percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

36th
percentile, household income
51st
percentile, home value
74th
percentile, median rent
3rd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia is a major U.S. city in Pennsylvania, home to 1,582,432 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $60,698 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 17.5%. Typical homes in Philadelphia are valued around $232,400, and the median resident age is 35.1 years. About 34.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 58.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 2,962 residential building permits were authorized in Philadelphia (Construction Slowdown), down 35% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Philadelphia's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 5456.9 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Philadelphia's yearly average temperature at 56.3°F with 44.1 inches of precipitation per year and 23.1 inches of snowfall.

Pennsylvania tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Pennsylvania at 97.6 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,810 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $260 across Pennsylvania, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 26.8 minutes, with 46.7% driving alone and 16.4% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 99.6 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

1,582,432 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Pennsylvania

Median Household Income

$60,698 /yr

Poverty 17.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

97.6 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Pennsylvania average

How does Philadelphia compare to other US cities?

Here's how Philadelphia stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 36% higher than other cities
Home value 51% pricier than other cities
Median rent 74% pricier than other cities
Safety 3% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Pennsylvania alone, Philadelphia ranks #400 of 402 Pennsylvania cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Philadelphia's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Pennsylvania, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

36thIncome percentile
3rdSafety percentile

36th percentile nationally for median household income · 3rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Philadelphia's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Philadelphia's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 26 Avg. percentile National median
Philadelphia's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Philadelphia's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$232,400 49th percentile more affordable than 49% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). This entry sits in this band. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Philadelphia $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia, PA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Philadelphia, PA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Philadelphia, PA median $60,698/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Philadelphia, PA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Philadelphia, PA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 34.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 17.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 58.0%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
1,582,432
Median Income
$60,698
Median Home Value
$232,400
Median Age
35.1
Poverty Rate
17.5%
Labor force participation
58.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
34.6%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
5456.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
908.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
4548.2
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
56.3°F
Annual Precipitation
44.1"
Annual Snowfall
23.1"

Schools

Total Schools
303
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
1,560,000 residents1,580,000 residents1,600,000 residents1,620,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 1,600,737 residents 1,574,281 residents ▼ -1.7%
Philadelphia's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
2,962
housing units authorized
Single-Family
539
detached homes
Multifamily
2,423
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.9
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 4,566
2020 5,665
2021 25,257
2022 3,223
2023 3,863
2024 2,962

Permit volume decreased 35% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
26.8 minutes
Drive Alone
46.7%
Carpool
7.6%
Public Transit
17.9%
Walk
7.5%
Work from Home
16.4%
Other
3.9%

Based on 722,263 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Pennsylvania - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$120
avg/month
Natural Gas
$88
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$52
avg/month
Total Utilities
$260
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Pennsylvania state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Pennsylvania state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Philadelphia sits in

Cost of Living Index
97.6
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,810/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
99.6 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh
303,620 people
Allentown
125,320 people
Reading
94,836 people
Erie
94,156 people
Bethlehem
77,069 people
Scranton
76,074 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Philadelphia's 1,582,432 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Phoenix, AZ
1,624,832 people
San Antonio, TX
1,458,954 people
San Diego, CA
1,385,061 people
Dallas, TX
1,299,553 people
San Jose, CA
990,054 people
Austin, TX
967,862 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Philadelphia's $60,698 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Tuolumne, CA
$60,694 median income
Gardere, LA
$60,694 median income
Portage Des Sioux, MO
$60,694 median income
Chamberino, NM
$60,694 median income
Fair Haven, NY
$60,694 median income
Wellsburg, NY
$60,694 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Philadelphia, PA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Philadelphia, PA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 36.1% 39.9% 7.8% 8.4% 7.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 15.2% White 36.1% Black or African American 39.9% Asian 7.8% American Indian 0.4% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 8.4% Two or more races 7.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Philadelphia compares to nearby Pennsylvania cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Philadelphia (this city) 1,582,432 $60,698
Pittsburgh 303,620 $64,137
Allentown 125,320 $53,403
Reading 94,836 $45,599
Census ACS 5-year FIPS PA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Philadelphia, PA?

What is the population of Philadelphia, PA? +

Philadelphia, PA has a population of 1,582,432 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Philadelphia, PA? +

In Philadelphia, the typical household earns $60,698 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Philadelphia? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Philadelphia; the closest available measure is the Pennsylvania state average, a cost of living index of 97.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Pennsylvania vary by metro area.

Is Philadelphia, PA safe? +

Philadelphia has a total crime rate of 5456.9 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Philadelphia, PA? +

Homes in Philadelphia carry a median value of $232,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Philadelphia? +

Philadelphia has an average annual temperature of 56.3°F, 44.1 inches of precipitation, and 23.1 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.