Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Population 2024

1,533,916

Philadelphia is a city located in Philadelphia County Pennsylvania. Philadelphia has a 2024 population of 1,533,916. It is also the county seat of Philadelphia County. Philadelphia is currently declining at a rate of -1.08% annually and its population has decreased by -4.17% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 1,600,600 in 2020.

The average household income in Philadelphia is $84,435 with a poverty rate of 22.72%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Philadelphia is 34.8 years, 33.5 years for males, and 36 years for females.

Philadelphia is Pennsylvania's largest city, the second-largest city on the US's East Coast and the 5th most populous city in the US. It also has the designation of the only consolidated city-county in the state with a population that was 1,526,006 according to the last official census in 2010.

Philadelphia's estimated population of 1.556 million represents a substantial increase over the 2010 census. The city's population has been growing for seven years straight, and it's now the second-fastest growing county in the region.

This substantial population is even more significant when you consider the metropolitan area. Philadelphia is the center of the Delaware Valley, which is the 6th largest metro area in the United States with more than 6 million residents. The Philadelphia metro division is made up of 5 counties in the state with a population of 4 million.

Philadelphia Diversity

The largest ancestry groups in Philadelphia, according to the 2010 census, were: Irish (13.6%), Italian (9.2%), German (8.1%), Polish (4.3%) and English (2.9%).

Philadelphia is home to the second largest Italian, Irish and Jamaican-American populations in the country. It also has the 4th largest African-American community in the United States and created the first black denomination, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, before 1800. Philadelphia has the 6th largest population of Jewish people and the 4th largest population of Polish Americans.

As of 2008, the Philadelphia metropolitan area was home to over 500,000 immigrants, 1/5 of whom had arrived since 2000. This increased immigration by about 113,000 between 2000 and 2006, which is the same amount that entered during the entire 1990s. Immigrants now account for 10.9% of Philadelphia's population, and it's believed the area will once again become a popular destination for immigrants, which was common during the mid-20th century.

Philadelphia Population Growth

Philadelphia's population growth was stalled for some time, but this has finally reversed with positive growth for seven consecutive years. The last time Philadelphia posted such gains was from 1930-1950 when its population peaked just over 2 million.

The new growth in the area has even prompted the City Planning Commission to release two new district plans, as the CPC found that 51% of all jobs in the city are in the greater Center City and University Center, which are leading the growth.

The bad news is that Philadelphia still needs to make up the jobs for its growing population. The city's population dropped over the last four decades and those who left found employment outside the city. When Philadelphia lost a fifth of its citizens, it lost 25% of its jobs. It's estimated that population growth will continue to outpace job growth.

Philadelphia has many problems that must be addressed to see more significant growth, including one of the country's highest poverty rates, high crime rates, a declining real estate market and an unemployment rate above the nation's average.

It's still not known how much the city will continue its growth and if it can overcome these issues that hold back growth. Some projections place the Philadelphia population at 2.1 million by 2050, but time will tell.

The Philadelphia area was home to the Lenape (or Delaware) Indians in the Shackamaxon village before the arrival of Europeans. The first European settlements in the area were built by the Dutch, who constructed Fort Nassau in 1623 in what is now Brooklawn, New Jersey. The entire Delaware River Valley area that is now part of Philadelphia was considered part of the Dutch New Netherland colony.

Dutch settlers continued to spread through the valley, and the English eventually conquered the New Netherland colony by 1664. A charter from Charles II of England was given to William Penn in 1681 for what eventually became the Pennsylvania colony. The land was purchased from the Lenape people, and Penn named the new city Philadelphia. The town grew rapidly, in part due to Penn's insistence on allowing anyone to worship freely in the community, which led to better relationships with local Indian tribes than other colonies enjoyed.

Eventually, Benjamin Franklin helped to improve the city services in the area, founding one of the first hospitals in the American colonies. From 1790 to 1800, Philadelphia served as a temporary capital for the country, and Philadelphia was left with the largest population (approximately 50,000 people) by the turn of the 19th century.

Philadelphia Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Philadelphia was:

  • Black or African American: 40.1%
  • White: 37.09%
  • Other race: 8.52%
  • Asian: 7.6%
  • Two or more races: 6.32%
  • Native American: 0.33%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.05%
Land Area (mi²)
134.3 sq mi
Density (mi²)
11,423.40/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
-4.17% (-66,684)
The current population of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is 1,533,916 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 1,600,600.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Population 2024

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
Black or African American638,90740.1%
White590,86037.09%
Other race135,7158.52%
Asian121,0517.6%
Two or more races100,6536.32%
Native American5,2160.33%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander8060.05%

Black or African American

White

Other race

Asian

Two or more races

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Philadelphia Population by Race

Philadelphia Population Pyramid 2024

Philadelphia Median Age

34.8

Total

33.5

Male

36

Female

Philadelphia Adults

There are 1,250,623 adults, (223,219 of whom are seniors) in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Age Dependency

55.1

Age Dependency Ratio

21.7

Old Age Dependency Ratio

33.3

Child Dependency Ratio

Philadelphia Sex Ratio

Female836,12552.48%
Male757,08347.52%

Philadelphia Population by Age

Philadelphia Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All659,1292.3452.247.8
Non Family308,9471.2641.258.8
Married182,1143.2171.828.2
Female131,0093.464951
Male37,0593.1259.240.8

3.18

Average Family Size

2.34

Average Household Size

52.2%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Philadelphia Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Philadelphia Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Philadelphia Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 93.69%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 50.39%.

Philadelphia Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$45,803

Average Earnings

$49,952

Average Male

$42,761

Average Female

Philadelphia Earnings by Educational Attainment

Philadelphia Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Philadelphia Language

75.98% of Philadelphia residents speak only English, while 24.02% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 11.2% of the population.

Philadelphia Language

Philadelphia Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Black625,361168,70526.98%
Hispanic245,56685,49334.81%
White513,74963,63112.39%
Other134,24254,06040.27%
Asian116,11425,81322.23%
Multiple97,94822,11722.58%
Native5,0851,40327.59%
Islander80618923.45%

22.72%

Overall Poverty Rate

21.35%

Male Poverty Rate

23.96%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Philadelphia

The race most likely to be in poverty in Philadelphia is Other, with 40.27% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Philadelphia is White, with 12.39% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.62%. Among those working part-time, it was 24.4%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 38.31%.

Philadelphia Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade36.81%
High School23.94%
Some College17.76%
Bachelors or Greater8.12%

Philadelphia Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed42.36%
Male Unemployed35.4%
Female Employed10.6%
Male Employed7.66%

Philadelphia Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Philadelphia Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Philadelphia Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

31.7%

Overall Marriage Rate

34.7%

Male Marriage Rate

28.9%

Female Marriage Rate

Philadelphia Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Philadelphia Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

Philadelphia Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Philadelphia Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

52,405

Number of Veterans

46,725

Male Veterans

5,680

Female Veterans

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Philadelphia Veterans by War

count

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Philadelphia Veterans by Age

count

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Philadelphia Veterans by Race

Philadelphia Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

11.77%

Veteran Poverty Rate

34.44%

Veteran Disability Rate

Philadelphia Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

62.8%

Labor Force Participation

57.4%

Employment Rate

8.6%

Unemployment Rate

Philadelphia Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Philadelphia Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Philadelphia Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

63.57%

Born in Philadelphia

85.39%

Native Born

14.61%

Foreign Born

7.05%

Non Citizen

7.57%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

85.39% of Philadelphia residents were born in the United States, with 63.57% having been born in Pennsylvania. 7.05% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Philadelphia Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
20291,450,561-16,671-1.14%
20281,467,232-16,671-1.12%
20271,483,903-16,671-1.11%
20261,500,574-16,671-1.1%
20251,517,245-16,671-1.09%
20241,533,916-16,671-1.08%
20231,550,587-16,671-1.06%
20221,567,258-22,222-1.4%
20211,589,480-11,120-0.69%
20201,600,60016,1611.02%
20191,584,439-1,983-0.12%
20181,586,4224,7230.3%
20171,581,6995,0950.32%
20161,576,6044,9250.31%
20151,571,6795,7300.37%
20141,565,9497,2360.46%
20131,558,7136,6260.43%
20121,552,08711,4720.74%
20111,540,61512,3120.81%
20101,528,303
20001,517,550-68,027-4.29%
19901,585,577-102,633-6.08%
19801,688,210-261,786-13.42%
19701,949,996-52,516-2.62%
19602,002,512-69,093-3.34%
19502,071,605140,2717.26%
19401,931,334-19,627-1.01%
19301,950,961127,1826.97%
19201,823,779274,77117.74%
19101,549,008255,31119.73%
19001,293,697246,73323.57%
18901,046,964199,79423.58%
1880847,170173,14825.69%
1870674,022108,49319.18%
1860565,529444,153365.93%
1850121,37627,71129.59%
184093,66513,20316.41%
183080,46216,66026.11%
182063,80210,08018.76%
181053,72212,50230.33%
180041,22012,69844.52%
179028,522-1,422,039-98.03%
showing: 42 rows

Philadelphia Population by Year