Delaware County vs Philadelphia County, PA: growth, jobs and income compared
Philadelphia County is growing while Delaware County is shrinking: +0.1% vs −0.1% between 2024 and 2025. Delaware County lost 479 residents and Philadelphia County gained 1,546 residents (Census Bureau population estimates).
Data as of 2025 · updated
Side by side
| Measure | Delaware County | Philadelphia County |
|---|---|---|
| Population2025 | 580,937 | 1,574,281 Larger |
| Population change2020–25 | +0.8% Higher | −1.7% |
| Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025 | −4.7 Higher | −6.2 |
| Private-sector job growth2018–23 | +8.4% | +8.4% |
| Median household income2020–24 | $89,546 Higher | $61,953 |
| Unemployment rate2025 | 4.2% Lower | 5.3% |
| New homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025 | 0.4 | 2.1 Higher |
The tag marks the stronger figure in each row: the higher one, or the lower one for the unemployment rate ("Larger" is only the head count). Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.
The two counties share a border, and both are part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area.
Each county in full
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Questions
Is Delaware County or Philadelphia County growing faster?
Philadelphia County is growing while Delaware County is shrinking: +0.1% vs −0.1% between 2024 and 2025. Delaware County lost 479 residents and Philadelphia County gained 1,546 residents (Census Bureau population estimates).
Which has the higher median household income, Delaware County or Philadelphia County?
Delaware County: $89,546, against $61,953 in Philadelphia County (American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–24).
Which has the lower unemployment rate, Delaware County or Philadelphia County?
Delaware County: 4.2%, against 5.3% in Philadelphia County (2025 annual average, BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics).
Where they rank in the state
- Pennsylvania counties by population growth
- Pennsylvania counties by net domestic migration per 1,000 residents
- Pennsylvania counties by private-sector job growth
- Pennsylvania counties by median household income
- Pennsylvania counties by lowest unemployment rate
- Pennsylvania counties by new homes permitted per 1,000 residents
More comparisons
- Delaware County vs Chester County
- Delaware County, PA vs Gloucester County, NJ
- Delaware County vs Montgomery County
- Delaware County, PA vs New Castle County, DE
- Philadelphia County vs Bucks County
- Philadelphia County, PA vs Burlington County, NJ
- Philadelphia County, PA vs Camden County, NJ
- Philadelphia County, PA vs Gloucester County, NJ
- Philadelphia County vs Montgomery County
Sources and method
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.