Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Philadelphia County is located in Pennsylvania with a total population of 1,579,706. It is the 1st most populous county out of 67 in Pennsylvania. The county encompasses 1 Census-designated place.

Age Demographics

The median age in Philadelphia County is 35.3 years. This is 14% lower than the state median of 40.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Philadelphia County is $61,953. This is 21% lower than the state median of $77,971. It is also 23% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 21.4%. This is 82% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.7%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 8.2%. This is 55% higher than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $243,100. Housing costs are 4% lower than the state median of $254,500. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.9x. 51.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 25% lower than the state average of 69.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Philadelphia County is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 33.2%. The White (non-Hispanic) population (33.2%) is well below the state average of 73.0%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (38.3% vs 10.3%). The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (15.6% vs 8.7%). The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (7.9% vs 3.8%).

Education

35.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is about the same as the state rate of 35.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 87.8%. Notably, 15.8% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Philadelphia County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Pennsylvania and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.