Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Philadelphia.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Philadelphia compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 1,582,432City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $60,698Incorporated place (ACS)23% below U.S. avgU.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 87ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)13% below U.S. avgU.S. 100
- Median home value
- $232,400City limits (ACS)23% below U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,323City limits (ACS)Near U.S. avg ($1,348)U.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 5.0%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 33 min32% above U.S. avgU.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 7976% above U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- UnavailableFBI CDE gap
- Property crime rate
- UnavailableFBI CDE gap
- Summer high
- 86°FNear U.S. avg (87°F)U.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 28°F6.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 44.1 in34% above U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 2448% below U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare Philadelphia with another city
Appalachian ridges and legacy industrial river towns create varied housing stock. Expect summer highs near 86°F and winter lows around 28°F. Average one-way commute time is about 33 minutes, and Walk Score estimates land around 79/100. Labor-market readings near 5.0% unemployment are neither boom nor bust by national standards. Crime rates are marked unavailable for this municipality in our FBI CDE pull; do not rely on a citywide index.
Philadelphia (pop. 1,582,432) sits in Pennsylvania. With median income around $60,698 and a cost index of 87, the market reads below the national housing-cost baseline. Ownership is a high bar — typical values near $232,400 push many newcomers toward renting first.
Newcomers often start housing searches in Center City and Fishtown, then compare against University City once a commute target is clear. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Philadelphia with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Neighborhoods often researched
- Center City
- Fishtown
- University City
- South Philly
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Philadelphia city, 1600000US4260000)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN421010000000003 (Philadelphia County, May 2026)
- Crime: data unavailable
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00013739 PHILADELPHIA INTL AP)
Last updated 2026-07-28
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