Philadelphia County · Pennsylvania · Northeast · 1.6M residents
Philadelphia, PA: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Philadelphia: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, 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.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,651/wk. Pennsylvania's corporate income tax rate is 7.99%. Commercial electricity averages 11.0¢/kWh.
Compare Philadelphia side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,651/wk
Corporate income tax
7.99%
Bachelor's degree or higher
35.4%
Commercial electricity
11.0¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Philadelphia's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
75/100
Heating
Ranks Philadelphia's residential building-permit and jobs 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. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| 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% |
| Corporate income tax | 7.99% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,651/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.4% |
| Commercial electricity | 11.0¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 21.4/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $133,040 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $101,180 |
| Wage: General manager | $121,630 |
| Wage: Customer service | $47,070 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $36,800 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $59,370 |
| Wage: Electrician | $74,590 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $34,810 |
| 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% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +1.5% |
| Building permits YoY | +13.6% |
| 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
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Philadelphia a good place to run a business?
- Pennsylvania's corporate income tax rate is 7.99%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,651/wk; commercial electricity averages 11.0¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- 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 (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Philadelphia?
- A two-bedroom in Philadelphia rents for about $1,900/mo.