Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Philadelphia, PA

    Is Philadelphia a good place to live?

    Watch Philadelphia

    Philadelphia ranks #24 of 25 Pennsylvania cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (26/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population fell 0.7% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $232,400
    +7.8% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,323
    per month
    Household income
    $60,698
    median
    Unemployment
    8.4%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Philadelphia

    The median home value in Philadelphia is $232,400 and median rent is $1,323 a month, against a median household income of $60,698. Homes cost about 3.8× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Philadelphia crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Pennsylvania the 2025 rate was 229 violent and 1,360 property crimes per 100,000 people — #34 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Philadelphia, PA

    Philadelphia has about 1,582,432 residents, 8.4% unemployment and 19% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Philadelphia with

    Philadelphia vs PittsburghPhiladelphia vs AllentownPhiladelphia vs ReadingPhiladelphia vs EriePhiladelphia vs BethlehemPhiladelphia vs ScrantonPhiladelphia vs LancasterPhiladelphia vs Levittown

    More: Where to move in Pennsylvania · Best counties in Pennsylvania

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report