Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
2.1 times the nonprofits per person than the typical New York town.
Philadelphia’s best subject grade is an A for civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. 33% of residents live below the poverty line in Philadelphia, against 9.5% in New York’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. On incomes, just 91 of New York’s 1,216 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. Philadelphia has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Philadelphia beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Philadelphia is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1856.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Philadelphia, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Philadelphia.
The typical Philadelphia home is worth about $203,000, up 0.6% in a year, 61% below the New York typical home. 48% of households own their home in Philadelphia, below both the New York town median (75%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). Philadelphia’s median rent is $850 a month.
| Philadelphia | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $850 a month | $1,101 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1.8% of Philadelphia working residents work locally. The top destinations are Watertown (18%), Philadelphia (18%) and Le Ray (8%). Half commute less than 16 miles.
| Philadelphia | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Philadelphia has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Philadelphia is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Philadelphia beats the New York average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 20% of adults binge drink in Philadelphia.
| Philadelphia | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 33% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Philadelphia | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 31.8% | 37.7% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9.8% | 11.5% |
| More smokers | 15.4% | 11.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Philadelphia; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Philadelphia residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
1,252 counted in 2010 and 1,098 in 2020; an estimated 1,125 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Town in New York, United States
Philadelphia is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 1,964 at the 2020 census. The town contains a village also called Philadelphia. Both are in the northeastern part of Jefferson County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.1 times the nonprofits per person than the typical New York town.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.