A report from

March 2016

Katye Martens/The Pew Charitable Trusts

Philadelphia:
The State of the City
A 2016 Update

Overview
Philadelphia in 2016 is a growing city undergoing a sweeping transformation, most evident in the age and
diversity of those who live here.
The citys population has risen for nine consecutive years, up another 5,880 in the most recent count. The
increase since 2006 stands at 78,732, a stark reversal after a decrease of nearly 600,000 over the previous
five decades.
More compelling, though, are some of the factors that underlie the citys growth.
One is age. As the United States has gotten older, Philadelphia has become youngerlargely because of the
growth of the citys young adult population, the much-discussed millennials. A decade ago, Philadelphia had a
median age of 35.3, only a year below the nations 36.4. In the most recent census, the citys age was down to
33.8, while the national figure had risen to 37.7a difference of nearly four years. Remarkably, this happened
over a time in which the number of children in the city was declining.
Philadelphia is again a city of immigrants, as it had been for most of its historybut not for much of the 20th
century. As recently as 1990, Philadelphia had barely more than 100,000 foreign-born residents. Today, it
has in excess of 200,000, mostly from Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, with no single nationality
accounting for more than 13 percent of the whole.
Partly as a result of this immigrant influx, Philadelphia is becoming increasingly diverse. Twenty-five years ago,
only 9 percent of residents identified themselves as something other than African-American or non-Hispanic
white. Today, that figure is 23 percent and growing14 percent Latino, 7 percent Asian, and 2 percent everyone
elsecreating a richer and more complex civic landscape in one neighborhood after another.
This is a lot of change in a relatively short time. But other aspects of life in Philadelphia have not changedat
least not enough to make much of a difference.
Poverty, arguably Philadelphias most daunting and intractable problem, falls into that category. At last count,
the citys poverty rate stood at 26 percent, down slightly in the past few years but still the highest among the
nations 10 largest cities. More than 400,000 Philadelphians live below the federal poverty line, including 37
percent of children and 43 percent of Latinos.
Helping to explain this poverty and the low median income rate is the low level of educational attainment. Only
slightly more than 1 in 4 Philadelphians over the age of 25 have at least a four-year college degree. Thats better
than in recent years but far behind many other cities. In Boston, about 300 miles north of Philadelphia, nearly
half of all adults are college graduates; in Washington, 130 miles to the south, more than half are.
A number of other indicators also have improved over time but remain troublesome.
In 2015, for instance, unemployment in Philadelphia fell to 7 percent on an annualized basis, the lowest in eight
years. But the rate remained higher than the national figure of 5.3 percent and greater than in a number of other
cities, including Cleveland and Chicago. The citys job count reached 680,800, the highest since 2002. But it
grew by less than 1 percent in 2015, hardly cause for celebration when the national job total increased by more
than twice as much.
The number of violent crimes, which has been declining gradually during the past decade, was virtually
unchanged in 2015, while homicides rose by 13 percent from historic lows the previous two years. Philadelphias

per capita homicide rate was lower than those in Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, and Washington but higher than
those in Boston, Chicago, and Houston.
Home sales increased for the fourth year in a row, and residential building permits came in only slightly lower
than the record number in 2014. But civic leaders and neighborhood activists expressed concerns about rising
rents, the availability of affordable units, and the sustainability of the housing boom, particularly if the uncertainty
and turmoil surrounding the citys school system continue.
For nearly a decade, Philadelphia has been transformed by demographic trends that have produced growing
populations across much of urban America. The question is whether those trends are forming a foundation for
real progress on the citys most persistent challenges.

Contact: Elizabeth Lowe, communications officer

Email: elowe@pewtrusts.org
Project website: pewtrusts.org/philaresearch

The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of knowledge to solve todays most challenging problems. Pew applies a rigorous, analytical
approach to improve public policy, inform the public, and invigorate civic life.

Figure 1

Portrait of the City

Population

1,567,442

Percentage of residents who are:

Under the age of 20

25%

Age 20-34

27%

Age 35-54

24%

Age 55 or older

24%

Black or African-American

41%

Non-Hispanic white

36%

Hispanic or Latino

14%

Percentage of adult residents who:

Percentage of workers employed by:

Graduated from college

26%

The private sector

83%

Did not graduate from high

school

17%

Government agencies

13%

Their own businesses

4%

Percent of adults who are:

Married or live as a couple

30%

Never married

52%

Divorced or separated

13%
6%

Widowed

Asian

7%

Percentage of women who gave

birth in the previous 12 months
who were unmarried

Other

2%

Median household income

60%

$39,043

Were born in Pennsylvania

68%

Were born in other states

15%

Were born in Puerto Rico or a

U.S. territory

4%

670,445

Percentage of units listed as:

Vacant

14%

Occupied

86%

Percentage of units built before

1939

41%

Median monthly rent

Percentage of households with annual

income of:

Percentage of residents who:

Total housing units

$936

Percentage of units
Owner-occupied

52%
48%

Less than $35,000

46%

Rented

$35,000 to $74,999

30%

Where residents lived the previous year:

$75,000 to $99,999

9%

Same house

86%

Were foreign born

13%

$100,000 or more

15%

Different house in Philadelphia

9%

Speak a foreign language at

home

23%

Percentage of population below

poverty level

26%

Somewhere in the U.S.

4%

Abroad

1%

Number of school-age
children
Number of students enrolled
in college or graduate school

237,092

Percentage of households with:

No vehicles available

31%

Two or more vehicles available

25%

140,956

Percentage of residents without

health insurance

13%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

2016 The Pew Charitable Trusts

Figure 2

Philadelphia Population, 2005-15

1.58

1,567,442
1,556,686

1.56

1,561,562
1,539,087

People (in millions)

1.54

1,514,694

1.52

1.5

1,550,584

1,526,006

1,493,309

1,490,861

1,499,731
1,488,710

1.48

1.46

1.44
2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

After reaching its lowest point in a century in 2006, Philadelphias population has risen nine consecutive years, adding a total of
78,732 residents.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates
2016 The Pew Charitable Trusts

Peter Tobia

Figure 3

Philadelphias Changing Age Profile, 2005-14

Male

Female

Year 2005
85 and over
8084
7579
7074
6569
6064
5559
5054
4549
4044
3539
3034
2529
2024
1519
1014
59
Younger than 5

100,000

80,000

60,000

40,000

20,000

Male

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

80,000

100,000

Female

Year 2014
85 and over
8084
7579
7074
6569
6064
5559
5054
4549
4044
3539
3034
2529
2024
1519
1014
59
Younger than 5

100,000

80,000

60,000

40,000

20,000

20,000

40,000

60,000

In recent years, Philadelphia recorded one of the largest percentage increases of millennials of any major city in the country. From 2005 to
2014, the number of residents ages 20 to 34 grew by more than 120,000, helping to drive the citys population increase.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2005 and 2014, One-Year Estimates
2016 The Pew Charitable Trusts

$30,000

Median Household Income, 2009-14

Philadelphia
2009

6.2%

$50,000

4.5%

$40,000

2014

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American

Community Survey, 2009 and 2014, OneYear Estimates

$30,000

2016 The Pew Charitable Trusts

$53,657

$55,418

$62,171

$66,280

$39,043

$40,878

$20,000
$10,000
0
Philadelphia
2009

Metropolitan area

U.S.

2014

Figure 5

Unemployment in Comparable Cities, 2015

7.8 %

Washington

7.0 %

Philadelphia

7.0 %

Cleveland

6.9 %

2016 The Pew Charitable Trusts

5.4 %

Phoenix

5.1 %

Pittsburgh

4.4 %

Boston

4.2 %

Houston

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local

Area Unemployment Statistics, 2015

6.5 %

Chicago

0%

Philadelphias unemployment rate declined

in 2015 to 7 percent on an annualized basis,
its lowest level since 2007. In the years
since the Great Recession, the jobless level
in Philadelphia has declined more slowly
than in some comparable cities, including
Chicago and Cleveland. The national
unemployment rate in 2015 was 5.3 percent.

12.3 %

Detroit
Baltimore

3%

6%

9%

$62,171

Metropolitan area

Median household income in Philadelphia is

starkly lower than in the greater Philadelphia
metro area or nationally. From 2009 to
2014, the citys inflation-adjusted income
figure declined less than the regions, but
more than the nations as a whole.

3.2%

$60,000

$66,280

$80,000
$70,000

$39,043

$10,000

Figure 4

$40,878

$20,000

12%

15%

Figure 6

Poverty Rate, 2014

Detroit

39.3 %

Cleveland

39.2 %

Philadelphia

26 %

Pittsburgh

23.8 %

Baltimore

23.6 %

Phoenix

23.3 %

Boston

22.6 %

Houston

22.4 %

Chicago

22 %

Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate

of the nations 10 largest cities. Among
our comparison cities, it ranks third and is
among seven with poverty rates ranging
from 22 to 26 percent. Philadelphias poverty
rate has declined slightly in recent years.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2014, One-Year
Estimates
2016 The Pew Charitable Trusts

17.7 %

Washington
0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Figure 7

Residential Building Permits Issued in Philadelphia, 2005-15

3,973

4,000

3,666

3,500

2,815

3,000

2,506
2,500

2,164

2,175

1,972

2,000

1,701

1,552

1,500

947

1,000

984

500
Number of units
0

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Philadelphias residential construction boom continued in 2015. The number of units for which building permits were issued, 3,666, was the
second-highest in the last 20 years, down slightly from the peak of 3,973 in 2014.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits
2016 The Pew Charitable Trusts

Figure 8

Sales of Residential Units in Philadelphia, 2005-15

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2013

2014

15,601

2012

14,261

2011

13,428

12,238

2005

11,836

13,144

10,000

14,110

16,493

21,783

20,000

25,511

29,146

30,000

2015

In 2015, sales of residential units rose for the fourth straight year and reached the highest level since 2008.
Source: Kevin Gillen, senior research fellow at Drexel Universitys Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation
2016 The Pew Charitable Trusts

Figure 9

Percentage of Residents Born Outside the U.S., 2014

29.3%

Houston
Boston

27.6 %

Chicago

20.5 %

Phoenix

20.3 %

13 %

Philadelphia
Baltimore

7.8 %

Pittsburgh

7.6 %

2016 The Pew Charitable Trusts

5.7 %

Detroit

5.1 %

Cleveland
0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American

Community Survey, 2014, One-Year
Estimate

14 %

Washington

5%

10%

The percentage of Philadelphians born in

other countries has increased gradually in
recent years. At 13 percent, the figure is
almost in line with the national average. The
largest share of foreign-born Philadelphians,
41 percent, come from Asia, primarily from
China, India, and Vietnam.

15%

20%

25%

30%

Figure 10

Homicides in Philadelphia, 2005-15

500

406
400

391

377

331

326
302

300

Baltimore

33.9
55.2

Detroit

43.6
43.4

Cleveland

26.1

331

306

16.2
Washington 246
24.6

Pittsburgh
200
2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Source: Philadelphia Police Department, Public Affairs Department

2016 The Pew Charitable Trusts

Chicago

15.1
17.2

Houston

11.1
13.2

Phoenix

Figure 11
Boston

Homicide Rate in Comparable Cities, 2014-15

Homicides per 100,000 residents
Baltimore

33.9
55.2

Detroit

43.6
43.4

Cleveland

26.1

Washington

16.2
24.6

Pittsburgh

23.2
19.6

4.7
8.4
3.6

16
17.9

1.9

Chicago

15.1
17.2

2.1

Houston

11.1
13.2

Phoenix
Boston

2014

0.3

8.2
6.1

2.1

2015

3.6
2014

2015

1.9

2.1
2.1
0.3

8.2
6.1

2.1
10

20

30

2015

Source: Homicide statistics are from police

departments in all 10 cities; population
numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau
2016 The Pew Charitable Trusts

2.1

7.7
7.4

8.4

In 2015, the homicide rate rose in a number

of major cities, including Philadelphia.
Baltimore recorded its highest figure in history.
Washington also experienced a big increase.
Philadelphias rate of 17.9 homicides per
100,000 residents was near the median for the
comparison cities.

0.2

Philadelphia

2014

4.7

248

7.7
7.4

21.3

30.8

23.2
19.6

2012
2013
Philadelphia
16
17.9

After historic lows the previous two years, the murder rate in Philadelphia rose by 13 percent in 2015.

280

30.8

10

20

30

40

50

60

40

Figure 12

Violent Crime in Philadelphia, 2015

By police district
Total Crimes
<500
500-999
1,000-1,499
>1,500

8
14

2
35
15

39

25
24

22

26

19
16

18

17
3
12
1
77

Violent crime in Philadelphia in 2015

was concentrated in specific areas of the
city. For the third consecutive year, the
15th police district, which encompasses
Frankford and adjacent neighborhoods,
reported the largest number of violent
crimes. In 2015, it was followed by the 22nd
district (North Philadelphia/West) and the
25th district (Juniata Park/Feltonville).
Source: Philadelphia Police Department
2015 The Pew Charitable Trusts

10

Rank

District

Principal neighborhood

Total

15

Frankford

1,517

22

North Philadelphia/West

1,443

25

Juniata Park/Feltonville

1,335

24

Kensington

1,211

35

Olney

1,137

12

Southwest Philadelphia

1,077

19

West Philadelphia

1,002

14

Germantown

39

Allegheny West

938

10

18

West Philadelphia

888

11

Oxford Circle

760

12

16

West Philadelphia

619

13

26

North Philadelphia/East

589

14

South Philadelphia/East

580

15

Center City/East

412

16

17

Point Breeze

398

17

Center City/West

353

18

Northeast Philadelphia

304

19

South Philadelphia/West

300

20

Bustleton

182

21

Roxborough

101

22

77

Phila. International Airport

955

Figure 13

Fire Deaths in Philadelphia, 2005-15

60

52

52

50

47
39

40

33
30

30

32

32
25

24

20

12
10

0
2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

In 2015, Philadelphia had the lowest number of fire fatalities in the citys history, down 63 percent from the year before. Officials from the
Philadelphia Fire Department cited their efforts to install smoke detectors in low-income households as one reason for the decline.
Source: Philadelphia Fire Department
2016 The Pew Charitable Trusts

Peter Tobia

11

Figure 14

K-12 Enrollment Trends, 2010-16

200,000

175,000

156,361
148,017
150,000

139,228

136,240

131,894

130,075

131,698

125,000
District-run schools

100,000

75,000

60,175

62,358

54,868

63,441
Charter schools

46,904

50,000

40,422
33,995

25,000

28,783

26,625

25,477

23,306

22,832

22,459

22,309
Catholic schools

0
2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

After years of decline, K-12 enrollment has stabilized in the past three years in schools run by the School District of Philadelphia and by the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Enrollment in public charter schools has nearly doubled since the school year that ended in 2010.
Sources: School District of Philadelphia, Archdiocese of Philadelphia
2016 The Pew Charitable Trusts

12

Figure 15

Percent of Residents Who Are College Graduates, 2014

Adults 25 and older

55 %

Washington

46.5 %

Boston

38.4 %

Pittsburgh

36 %

Chicago
Houston

30.4 %

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American

Community Survey, 2014, One Year
Estimate

30 %

Baltimore

27.4 %

Phoenix

2016 The Pew Charitable Trusts

26 %

Philadelphia

The educational attainment of

Philadelphians has been rising gradually
in recent years. But with levels also
increasing nationally, the city continues
to have a smaller share of adults with
four-year college degrees than most of
the comparison cities. In the region as a
whole, 35.3 percent of adults have college
degrees, a relatively strong number.

15.1 %

Cleveland

13.8 %

Detroit
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Katye Martens/The Pew Charitable Trusts

13

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