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Philadelphia County, PA: population growth, jobs and income

Philadelphia County gained 1,546 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.1%).

Philadelphia County had an estimated 1,574,281 residents in 2025, down 1.7% (26,456 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than Pennsylvania as a whole (+0.5%), and the 45th fastest growth of 67 counties in Pennsylvania.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Philadelphia County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Philadelphia County, ranked against Pennsylvania and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$1,397/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes9.2%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months4,7732025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration was negative in 2025: 9,726 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 699,212 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +8.4% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 5.3% in 2025, 0.2 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 3,366 new homes in 2025, or 2.1 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $61,953 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +26.1% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 2,379th.

Part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area.

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Philadelphia County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
20251,574,281+1,546
20241,572,735+6,913
20231,565,822−6,519
20221,572,341−17,883
20211,590,224−10,513
20201,600,737–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Philadelphia County

Philadelphia County lost 26,456 people since 2020; the biggest drag was domestic migration (−103,517).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths+3,992+17,644
International migrationfrom and to other countries+7,216+57,812
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−9,726−103,517
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+64+1,605
Total change+1,546−26,456

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn PennsylvaniaAmong U.S. counties
Population growth45th of 672,379th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents63rd of 672,671st of 3,108
Private-sector job growth7th of 67839th of 3,092
Median household income51st of 671,876th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate63rd of 672,688th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents17th of 671,474th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

Get the county report — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for Philadelphia County, PA as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Philadelphia County lost population faster than all 6 of its neighbouring counties (−1.7%, 2020–25).

Its median household income ($61,953, 2020–24) is lower than in all 6 of its neighbouring counties.

Philadelphia County, PA and its 6 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Philadelphia County, PA This county1,574,281−1.7%−6.22.1$61,953
Delaware County, PA580,937+0.8%−4.70.4$89,546
Camden County, NJ535,799+2.4%−0.31.5$88,755
Gloucester County, NJ312,638+3.3%3.12.9$105,115
Montgomery County, PA877,643+2.4%−0.12.5$113,915
Bucks County, PA647,828+0.3%−1.11.2$114,764
Burlington County, NJ481,439+4.3%5.33.4$108,111

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – 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.

All 67 Pennsylvania counties · Every state

Questions

Is Philadelphia County growing?

No. Its population fell 1.7% between 2020 and 2025, about 26,456 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). Pennsylvania as a whole changed +0.5% over the same years. That ranks 45th of 67 counties in Pennsylvania for population growth.

How many people moved to Philadelphia County?

On net, none in 2025: about 9,726 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Philadelphia County?

It averaged 5.3% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Philadelphia County?

About 1,574,281 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Philadelphia County?

Private employers there had 699,212 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +8.4% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Pennsylvania

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Pennsylvania county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Philadelphia County data alerts

Email me when Philadelphia County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Philadelphia County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

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.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.