Census tract · Philadelphia County
Census Tract 281, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Census Tract 281, GEOID 42101028100, in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, entirely within Philadelphia. 3,020 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±674); the 2020 Census counted 3,362.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,020
±674 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,362
Median household income
$62,435
±$10,532 (90% margin)
Philadelphia County: $61,953
Median home value
$158,200
±$43,941 (90% margin)
Philadelphia County: $243,100
Median gross rent
$1,071
±$121 (90% margin)
Philadelphia County: $1,397
Where is Census Tract 281?
Census Tract 281 is one of 408 census tracts in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. It covers 0.19 square miles of land, 17,330 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 42101028100, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 100% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 281: Tract 278, Tract 279.02 ($51,950), Tract 280 ($35,847), Tract 282 and Tract 283 ($47,594). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 281?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 281's population at 3,020 (±674) in 1,754 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,362 residents and 1,517 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 281 | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,020±674 | 1,579,706 |
| Households | 1,754±400 | 679,428 |
| Average household size | 1.70±0.20 | 2.26 |
| Housing units | 1,939±383 | 748,270 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 281?
The median resident of Census Tract 281 is 45.9 years old; 11.5% are under 18 and 25.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 85.7%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 10.9%.
| Measure | Tract 281 | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.9±12.1 | 35.3 |
| Under 18 years | 11.5%±5.8 pts | 21.2% |
| 65 years and over | 25.6%±8.5 pts | 14.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.3%±2.3 pts | 15.6% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 10.9%±10.4 pts | 33.2% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 85.7%±11.1 pts | 38.3% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 7.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.2%±1.4 pts | 4.1% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 0.8% |
| Born outside the United States | 5.1%±4.7 pts | 15.2% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.8%±2.2 pts | 24.4% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 10.4%±12.1 pts | 3.7% |
| With a disability | 15.3%±7.2 pts | 17.4% |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.3%±3.3 pts | 7.1% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 89.9%±6.1 pts | 87.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 16.5%±12.1 pts | 35.4% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 10.3%±11.9 pts | 15.8% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.4%±5.4 pts | 86.5% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 281 earn?
Half of the 1,754 households in Census Tract 281 earn less than $62,435 a year (±$10,532), against $61,953 across Philadelphia County: 183rd highest of the county's 355 tracts with a reliable estimate. 22.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 281 | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,435±$10,532 | $61,953 |
| Mean household income | $77,351±$23,747 | $90,217 |
| Per capita income | $38,691±$9,979 | $38,905 |
| People below the poverty line | 22.3%±11.4 pts | 21.4% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 57.6%±30.7 pts | 29.0% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 29.0%±11.0 pts | 26.2% |
| Households with a computer | 97.2%±2.4 pts | 94.3% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 81.4%±13.7 pts | 89.1% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 281?
Owners occupy 73.8% of Census Tract 281's occupied homes and renters 26.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $158,200 by its owner (±$43,941). The median renter pays $1,071 a month including utilities, and 56.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 281 | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $158,200±$43,941 | $243,100 |
| Median gross rent | $1,071±$121 | $1,397 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 56.6%±30.6 pts | 44.1% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,381±$94 | $1,620 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 73.8%±12.1 pts | 51.8% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 26.2%±12.1 pts | 48.2% |
| Housing units | 1,939±383 | 748,270 |
| Single-family detached homes | 0.0%±1.7 pts | 8.5% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±1.7 pts | 0.4% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±1.7 pts | 1.1% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0%±1.7 pts | 5.1% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 63.4%±11.3 pts | 39.9% |
| Households with no vehicle | 21.8%±9.4 pts | 27.9% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 281 get to work?
59.2% of Census Tract 281's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 34.6 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 281 | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.9%±10.8 pts | 63.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 12.6%±17.0 pts | 8.1% |
| Drove alone to work | 59.2%±14.9 pts | 46.0% |
| Carpooled | 1.3%±2.2 pts | 7.8% |
| Public transportation | 21.6%±9.9 pts | 16.7% |
| Walked | 0.0%±2.2 pts | 7.1% |
| Worked from home | 14.4%±10.1 pts | 18.4% |
| Mean travel time to work | 34.6 min±7.3 | 31.7 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 281 compare with the other tracts in Philadelphia County?
Among Philadelphia County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 281 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Philadelphia County | In Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 277th of 389 | 277th of 389 |
| Residents per square mile | 215th of 408 | 215th of 408 |
| Median household income | 183rd of 355 | 183rd of 355 |
| Per capita income | 149th of 387 | 149th of 387 |
| Median home value | 282nd of 369 | 282nd of 369 |
| Median gross rent | 319th of 377 | 319th of 377 |
| Poverty rate | 149th of 321 | 149th of 321 |
| Median age | 42nd of 390 | 42nd of 390 |
| Owner-occupied share | 57th of 378 | 57th of 378 |
The tracts next to it on Philadelphia County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 288 | 180th | $62,900±$20,703 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 41.04 | 181st | $62,827±$27,536 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 286 | 182nd | $62,509±$38,335 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 281 | 183rd | $62,435±$10,532 |
| Tract 308 | 184th | $62,411±$9,816 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 307 | 185th | $62,344±$9,725 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 37.01 | 186th | $62,206±$27,092 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 281?
5 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 281 on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections