Philadelphia's D covers 1.6 million people, and the city's neighborhoods vary far more than any single grade can show. Within Pennsylvania, that puts it 1011th of 1032. Few places in the country are easier to get around without a car. What weighs on its grade: its crime rate is higher than 98% of U.S. towns, with 12,854 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, and its schools rank behind 87% of the state's. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 100% of U.S. towns, with 624 places on the National Register. 58% of working residents work locally in Philadelphia, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (6.3%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Merchants' Exchange Building and Academy of Music. Only 158 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns score lower on civic life.

StrongestA⁺Walkability A⁺History AOutdoorsWeakestD⁻Safety DSchools

What makes Philadelphia stand out

Where Philadelphia beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.

Academy of Music

HistoryA⁺

Settled in 1682

A history going back 344 years.

Biggest of 18

College	Students
Temple University	27,767
University of Pennsylvania	25,644
Drexel University	19,393

Colleges in town

18 colleges

103,215 students on campus

Students are 8% of residents.

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Philadelphia8.2

Pennsylvania2.3

U.S.3.3

Worth knowing · SafetyD⁻

3.6 times the violent crime than PA

FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.

Academy of Music · National Register of Historic Places

Philadelphia’s story

344 years in pictures

Academy of Music is one of 68 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1682, comes before those of 97% of the Pennsylvania towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 28,522 in 1790, 1,603,797 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1698 and 7 maps from 1891 on.

624 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1682Philadelphia is settled

Explore the history →

How Philadelphia grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Philadelphia is from typical.

How grading works

Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D− for safety (better than 2%), so the D overall blends very different results.

WalkabilityEPA walkability 15 of 20; 27.9% of households have no car; 25.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA⁺Open →SafetyD⁻Open →SchoolsDOpen →Jobs & income$62K median household incomeCOpen →HealthTemple University Hospital 1 miles awayCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 44% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB⁻Open →Cost of livingB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

OutdoorsAOpen →History30 notable people born hereA⁺Open →Civic life1 library visits per resident; 3.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

Climate–Open →Housing market47 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.3–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Lincoln Financial Field and 184 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Philadelphia. Close and well known come first.

All 274 attractions →

Big drawin town Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field

Big drawin town Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile Arena

Big drawin town Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year

Big drawin town MuseumEastern State Penitentiary

Big draw5 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey

in town MuseumAcademy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Lincoln Financial Field: The original uploader was Betp at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Xfinity Mobile Arena: Jen Smith, CC BY 3.0 · Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Eastern State Penitentiary: Davidt8, Public domain · USS New Jersey: Camera Operator: PH3 BRYANT, Public domain · Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University: See below, CC BY-SA 3.0

Getting set up

Moving to Philadelphia: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Philadelphia, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerPECO Energy18.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterPhiladelphia Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpSanitation convenience centersDrop-offTown site

SchoolsPhiladelphia City School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections herePhiladelphia County Board of ElectionsThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025

ZIP codes19124, 19111, 19120, 1914319124 4% · 19111 4% · 19120 4% · 19143 4%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it reports violent crime at 4 times the Pennsylvania rate.

OutdoorsA

Philadelphia has set aside 14% of its land for conservation

234 miles of trail in 332 parks and preserves. Philadelphia’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile. Pennypack Park, at 1,363 acres with 29.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.

#100for trails in PA

	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania towns	U.S. towns
Miles of trail per square mile	1.7 miles per square mile	0.4	0.4
Conserved land	14%	8.2%	4.3%

14%

conserved · 12,651 of 90,657 acres

234 mi

of trails · 1.7 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Pennypack Park	29.9 mi	1,363
2. West Fairmount Park	25.9 mi	1,253
3. East Fairmount Park	7.8 mi	614

Full pagePhiladelphia’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map234 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk29.9 miles of trail · Pennypack Park Conserved land14% conserved · 12,651 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Philadelphia?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

SchoolsD

Philadelphia’s grade for schools is a D

Each of its 6 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its D, Lower Merion Township highest at A+.

Its public schools are run by Philadelphia City SD. Three of its 424 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

13%of PA districts it outscoresDSchool Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Northeast Community Propel AcademyLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8	Grades K–8	1,783	–
Northeast HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	3,463	C⁺
Central HSTop results in townGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	2,329	A⁺

Full pagePhiladelphia’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsPhiladelphia City SD Vs. the neighborsAhead of 1 of its 7 graded neighbors Every school424 schools · Northeast Community Propel Academy Questions“Are Philadelphia’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation

SafetyD⁻

Compared with most of Pennsylvania and the rest of the country, violent crime in Philadelphia is higher

Violent crime runs at 8.2 per 1,000 residents, 4 times the Pennsylvania rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D−. Each of the 4 graded towns on its borders reports less crime per resident, from Tinicum Township (C−) to Lower Merion Township (B−).

The violent crime rate in Philadelphia is 8.2 per 1,000 residents. Only 5 of the 529 Pennsylvania towns we compare have a higher property crime rate than Philadelphia. Philadelphia reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 98% report less.

2%of U.S. towns report more crimeD⁻Safety Grade

	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania towns	U.S. towns
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	8.2 per 1,000 residents	0.7	1.6
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	43.1 per 1,000 residents	5.7	9.9

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Philadelphia8.2

Pennsylvania2.3

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Philadelphia43.1

Pennsylvania13.6

U.S.15.5

2nd

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

1st

percentile among PA towns

12,854

violent crimes reported in 2025

67,298

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pagePhiladelphia’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type8.2 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Vs. the neighborsBehind its 5 graded neighbors Questions“Is Philadelphia, PA safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

HealthC

Health in Philadelphia trails 68% of U.S. towns

Against the 9,395 U.S. towns with household incomes like Philadelphia’s, it is less healthy than 52%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.

Philadelphia beats the Pennsylvania average on 4 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 41% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Philadelphia.

32%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade

	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania towns	U.S. towns
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)	41%	38%	36%
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)	24%	19%	19%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	19%	16%	17%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)	14%	11%	12%

26 measures vs. Pennsylvania

4 better14 too close to call8 worse

What stands out	Philadelphia	PA
Fewer adults who have had cancer	5.6%	8.8%
Fewer adults with arthritis	26.4%	30.4%
More uninsured adults	10.6%	5.8%

Temple University Hospital

1 mi away · emergency room

1 of 3

care shortages: dental

18th

percentile among PA towns

Full pagePhiladelphia’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore adults who get no exercise Hospitals & doctors nearby1 miles to an ER · Temple University Hospital How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than PA on 4 of 26

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Climate

In Philadelphia, expect four seasons and pleasant summers

Philadelphia has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 25° and about 23 inches of snow falls in a winter.

23″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter27–44°

Spring43–63°

Summer65–85°

Fall48–67°

Oct 31

typical first frost

Apr 15

typical last frost

+2.1°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pagePhiladelphia’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 87°, January lows 25°Rain & snow23″ of snow a winter · 47 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+2.1° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HousingCost of living grade B⁻

The typical home in Philadelphia is valued at about $232K

At 2.5 years of the Philadelphia metro’s $91K median household income, the typical home (about $232K) costs less against local pay than in 81% of Pennsylvania towns; that ratio is one input to its B− for cost of living.

The typical Philadelphia home is worth about $232,000, about the same as a year ago, 19% below the Pennsylvania typical home. 52% of Philadelphia households own their home.

$232KZillow home value

	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	52%	78%	73%
Median rent	$1,397 a month	$1,114 a month	$1,185 a month
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent	52%	44%	48%

Typical home value

Philadelphia$232K

Pennsylvania$287K

Market temperature

days on market

98.6%

sale-to-list price

+0%

value change, 1 year

1,211

homes sold in May

Full pagePhiladelphia’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsAbout the same as a year ago Years of income to buyA typical home costs 3.7 years of income Rents$1,397 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsAhead of all 7 graded neighbors

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C

More than half of Philadelphia’s working residents work in town

Jobs based in Philadelphia grew to 678,074 in 2023, 69,991 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Lower Merion Township (2%), Bensalem Township (1%) and Upper Merion Township (1%). Half commute less than 6 miles.

58%work in town

	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania towns	U.S. towns
Below the poverty line	21%	7.6%	9.6%
Average trip to work	32 minutes	26 minutes	25 minutes
Work from home	18%	12%	11%
Median household income	$62,000	$81,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Philadelphia58%

Lower Merion Township2%

Bensalem Township1%

Upper Merion Township1%

Abington Township1%

6 mi

median commute distance

678,074

jobs based in Philadelphia

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

A+

Walkability grade: among the most walkable U.S. towns

Full pagePhiladelphia’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here678,074 jobs based here · Balanced Where people work58% work in Philadelphia Commute times32 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 6 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Who lives here

More young adults than Pennsylvania overall

21.4% of residents live below the poverty line, against 11.7% across Pennsylvania, which weighs on its C for jobs and income.

Adults 18 to 34 are 28% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 15% of residents (20% statewide). 35% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Pennsylvania.

35.3median age · PA 40.9

	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania towns	U.S. towns
Median age	35.3 years	43.2 years	40.5 years
Aged 65 or older	15%	21%	18%
Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+	35%	29%	29%
Under 18	21%	20%	22%

PhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUnited States

PAU.S.

Ages · share of residents

19%

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma12%

High school30%

Some college16%

Associate’s7%

Bachelor’s20%

Graduate16%

Women and men · all residents

52.7% women, 47.3% men

About 90 men for every 100 women. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women. Median age: women 36.4, men 34.2.

Ages and education in Philadelphia
	Philadelphia	PA	U.S.
Under 10	11.6%	10.8%	11.6%
10 to 17	9.6%	9.7%	10.3%
18 to 24	9.9%	9%	9.1%
25 to 34	18.5%	13%	13.7%
35 to 44	13.7%	12.6%	13.2%
45 to 54	10.7%	11.9%	12.2%
55 to 64	11.3%	13.6%	12.7%
65 to 74	8.8%	11.4%	10.2%
75 and older	5.9%	8.1%	7%
No diploma	12.2%	7.9%	10.4%
High school	29.7%	32.9%	26%
Some college	16.1%	15.1%	19.1%
Associate’s	6.6%	8.9%	8.8%
Bachelor’s	19.6%	20.9%	21.6%
Graduate	15.8%	14.3%	14.1%

Full pagePhiladelphia by the numbersOpen the page

Ages35.3 median age · 15% are 65 or older Schooling35% have a four-year degree Homes52% own their home · Homeowners Income$62K a year · Median household income

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B⁻

Moderate risk in Philadelphia, with inland flooding at the top

1,177 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 133 properties have flooded more than once.

Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 1,177 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Philadelphia.

44risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingHeat wavesCold waves

1,177

paid flood claims since 1978

federal disasters paid out here

Full pagePhiladelphia’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesModerate risk Flood claims1,177 paid flood claims · Since 1978 Past disasters11 federal disasters · Paid out in Philadelphia Get ready5.8 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Philadelphia

20pages on Philadelphia

The big questions

SchoolsDBehind 87% of PA districts · 424 schools SafetyD⁻8.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than PA on 4 of 26 CDC measures Cost of livingB⁻$232K typical home · up 0% in a year Work & commuteC$62K median household income · 678,074 jobs here Natural hazardsB⁻FEMA risk higher than 44% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsA234 mi of trails · 14% conserved land PlacesAttractions274 nearby · Lincoln Financial Field under 1 mi LibraryD1 library visits per resident CollegesThomas Jefferson University, in town

The story

HistoryA⁺Settled 1682 · 624 on the National Register Famous people30 born in Philadelphia Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 52 residents Climate87° summer highs · 23″ of snow

Day to day

News8 recent stories about Philadelphia WeatherHandbookZIP code 19019, 19092, 19093 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

43 within 15 miles of the center of Philadelphia

Community College of PhiladelphiaCommunity college · Public · PhiladelphiaIn town$4,632 in-state tuition Temple UniversityUniversity or college · Public · PhiladelphiaIn town$23,011 in-state tuition Thomas Jefferson UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · PhiladelphiaIn town$47,505 tuition

About 8 of every 100 Philadelphia residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

College town

Temple University calls Philadelphia home

18 colleges in town.

Temple University27,767 students on campus

Admission: 80%
Net price: $28,198
Graduate: 75%

University of Pennsylvania25,644 students on campus

Admission: 5%
Net price: $28,699
Graduate: 97%

Drexel University19,393 students on campus

Admission: 79%
Net price: $38,509
Graduate: 78%

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

624 places in Philadelphia on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Academy of MusicBuilt 1857 · National Historic Landmark

American Philosophical Society HallNational Historic Landmark

Charles Willson Peale HouseNational Historic Landmark

Cliveden (Chew House)National Historic Landmark

Famous people from Philadelphia

30 notable people were born in Philadelphia.

See all 30 →

Noam ChomskyAmerican linguist and activist · born 1928

Will SmithAmerican actor, film producer and rapper · born 1968

Grace KellyAmerican actress and Princess consort of Monaco · 1929–1982

Kobe BryantAmerican basketball player · 1978–2020

Margaret MeadAmerican anthropologist · 1901–1978

Billie HolidayAmerican jazz singer · 1915–1959

About Philadelphia

Most populous city in Pennsylvania, US

Official town website ↗

Philadelphia ( FIL-ə-DEL-fee-ə), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous city in the United States. Its population was 1.60 million at the 2020 census and estimated at 1.57 million in 2025. The Philadelphia metropolitan area, also known as the Delaware Valley, is located in both the Mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States; home to 6.33 million residents, it is the nation's ninth-largest metropolitan area. Philadelphia is known for its culture, cuisine, and history, maintaining contemporary influence in technology and business, sports, and music. Philadelphia was founded in 1682 by William Penn, an Englis…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1682
Area: 143 sq mi
Elevation: 39 ft
ZIP code: 19019, 19092, 19093
Area code: 267, 215

Philadelphia’s neighbors

10 towns share a border with Philadelphia.

Explore the map →

All 5 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Tinicum Township (D) is closest. Lower Merion Township next door grades higher for schools (A+ to Philadelphia’s D) and lower for cost of living (D− to B−).

How the neighbors grade

Town	PA rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Philadelphia	#1011	D	B⁻	D⁻	D	C
Bensalem Township	#903	C	C⁻	C	C	B
Upper Darby Township	#953	C⁻	C	C⁻	C	B
Yeadon	#979	C⁻	C⁺	—	C⁻	C⁻
Andalusia	—	—	—	—	—	—
Lower Merion Township	#204	A	D⁻	B⁻	A⁺	A⁺
Colwyn	—	—	C⁺	—	C⁻	D⁻
Tinicum Township	#996	D	C⁺	C⁻	B⁻	C⁻

Colwyn has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Yeadon and Colwyn report no FBI crime data of their own. Andalusia isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Philadelphia with a neighbor →

Questions about Philadelphia

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Philadelphia, PA a good place to live?

Philadelphia grades D overall, better than 8% of U.S. towns and #1011 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades C for health, D− for safety and D for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.

Is Philadelphia, PA expensive?

That is 2.5 years of the area's median household income ($91,289 across the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro 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−.

What is Philadelphia, PA known for?

30 notable people were born here, including Noam Chomsky and Will Smith.

Post to Philadelphia

Check your email

PhiladelphiaPA

What is it like to live in Philadelphia?

What makes Philadelphia stand out

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

344 years in pictures

How Philadelphia grades

Lincoln Financial Field and 184 more within 40 miles

Moving to Philadelphia: who provides what

The data

Philadelphia has set aside 14% of its land for conservation

Philadelphia’s grade for schools is a D

Compared with most of Pennsylvania and the rest of the country, violent crime in Philadelphia is higher

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Health in Philadelphia trails 68% of U.S. towns

In Philadelphia, expect four seasons and pleasant summers

Typical low → high °F

The typical home in Philadelphia is valued at about $232K

Typical home value

More than half of Philadelphia’s working residents work in town

Where working residents work

More young adults than Pennsylvania overall

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

Women and men · all residents

Moderate risk in Philadelphia, with inland flooding at the top

Everything we know about Philadelphia

Colleges nearby

Temple University calls Philadelphia home

Landmarks

Famous people from Philadelphia

About Philadelphia

Philadelphia’s neighbors

Questions about Philadelphia