Philadelphia County · Pennsylvania · Northeast · 1.6M residents
Philadelphia, PA: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Philadelphia: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Pennsylvania median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in Philadelphia is $230,000, 8% above the Pennsylvania median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,900/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 101 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $57,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A history-rich city that treats food, murals, and neighborhood identity as living culture.
Known for: American founding history, public art, cheesesteaks, rowhouse neighborhoods, and museums.
Calendar note: The city is home to the Philadelphia Flower Show and a large calendar of neighborhood festivals.
Story source: Visit Philadelphia
- Scale: A major population center with more than one million residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Philadelphia about 51 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
- Climate signal: The profile records 207 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 75 and an average commute of 33 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Philadelphia side by side
Cost of living index
101
Median home value
$230,000
2-bedroom rent
$1,900/mo
Median household income
$57,000
Housing momentum
How fast Philadelphia's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
51/100
Steady
Ranks Philadelphia's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Philadelphia's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $230,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $190 |
| Property tax rate | 0.95% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,600/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,900/mo |
| State & local income tax | 6.82% |
| Sales tax | 8% |
| Cost of living index | 101 |
| Groceries index | 104 |
| Utilities | $175/mo |
| Transit pass | $96/mo |
| Gas price | $3.50/gal |
| Healthcare index | 100 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,400/mo |
| Median household income | $57,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% |
| Population | 1.6M |
| Crime index | 60/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 |
| Walkability | 75/100 |
| Disaster risk | 100/100 |
| Avg. commute | 33 min |
| Sunny days / year | 207 days |
| July high | 88°F |
| January low | 27°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +0.8% |
| Home price MoM | -0.3% |
| Rent YoY | +3.2% |
| Rent MoM | +0.4% |
| Ocean coast | 51 mi |
| Big lake | 126 mi |
| Mountains | 67 mi |
| Major airport | 21 mi |
| Ski resort | 67 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Horsham, PA · 16k
- Levittown, PA · 51k
- Norristown, PA · 36k
- Lansdale, PA · 19k
- King of Prussia, PA · 26k
Similar size
- Pittsburgh, PA · 305k
- Allentown, PA · 126k
- Reading, PA · 95k
- Erie, PA · 94k
- Bethlehem, PA · 78k
Real listings in Philadelphia
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Philadelphia, PA?
- Philadelphia indexes at 101 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,900/mo and a median home value of $230,000.
- How much does a house cost in Philadelphia?
- The median home value in Philadelphia is $230,000, 8% above the Pennsylvania median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Philadelphia?
- A two-bedroom in Philadelphia rents for about $1,900/mo.