The Philadelphia poverty rate was 22.8 percent in 2021 under the official measure, and it had continued to decline. Treat that as a dated baseline rather than a current reading, and check the year before quoting it.
This page sets out the dated figures, how they are measured and what drives them. For the wider structure behind the programs that respond to poverty, read how is philadelphia city government organized.
The latest sourced poverty figure
Philadelphia’s official poverty rate stood at 22.8 percent in 2021, according to the City of Philadelphia’s statement on the 2021 Census Bureau data. The city described the share of residents in poverty as continuing to decline. That wording matters. The 2021 reading continued a downward direction rather than reversing it.
The figure comes from the official poverty measure. That is the version most local reports quote, so it is the safest basis for comparing Philadelphia over time. If you cite it, name the year and the measure in the same sentence. A rate with no year attached is easy to misread, because poverty estimates move with each survey release.
The longer trend gives context. The Economy League of Greater Philadelphia found that between 2006 and 2019 the share of Philadelphia residents living in poverty decreased by 0.5 percent annually. Progress was real but slow. A city that improves by that pace each year needs many years to change its standing in a meaningful way.
How poverty is measured
Poverty rates depend on the yardstick used, so the measure decides what a number means. Federal poverty thresholds have been set since 1965 to reflect basic consumption needs in relation to income, and they are updated annually, as the Economy League explains. A household counts as poor when its income falls below the threshold that applies to it.
Official measure and the Supplemental Poverty Measure
Two measures appear in public releases. The official measure produced the city’s 22.8 percent figure for 2021. The Supplemental Poverty Measure, or SPM, is a second federal measure. In 2021 the national child poverty rate under the SPM decreased by 46 percent and fell to the lowest level on record. That is a national result. At the time of the city’s 2022 statement, supplemental data for Philadelphia had not yet been released, so the national SPM drop should not be read as a Philadelphia number.
The American Community Survey
The American Community Survey, or ACS, is the Census Bureau survey behind most local poverty and income tables. The City of Philadelphia publishes ACS 5-Year Estimates for Philadelphia County, with the dataset listing an update on January 29, 2026. Five-year estimates pool several survey years, which makes them steadier for a county or a neighborhood than a single-year release. When you pull a figure, record the table, the estimate year and the margin of error printed beside it. Small differences between two estimates can fall inside that margin.
What drives poverty in Philadelphia
Poverty here follows from how people connect to work, wages and earlier patterns of disadvantage. The evidence in hand points to the job market first. The Economy League notes that job growth after the Great Recession was largely in low- or foundational-skill occupations. Work that is available without advanced skills often does not lift a household far above a poverty threshold, and that shapes how much employment gains reduce poverty.
Stage one: where the jobs are
When most new positions sit in low-skill occupations, getting a job and escaping poverty become separate steps. Residents can enter work and still remain near the line. This is the main reason employment numbers alone give an incomplete picture.
Stage two: who benefits from job growth
Employment gains have not reached every group evenly in outcome. Between 2011 and 2019, Black employment in Philadelphia grew by 2.6 percent annually, against 1.4 percent citywide job growth, according to the same Economy League analysis. Even so, the Black poverty rate in 2019 still surpassed the city’s average by 3.4 percent. Faster hiring narrowed the gap but did not close it.
Stage three: income that stays below the city average
Income gaps persist after employment gaps narrow. In 2019 the per capita income of Black Philadelphians was 2.9 percent below the city average, about $7,875 in 2019 dollars. A group can gain jobs faster than the city overall and still earn less per person, which keeps its poverty rate elevated.
Poverty figures at a glance
The table collects the dated figures used on this page. Read each row with its year and measure, because the values come from different periods and different populations.
| Figure | Value and condition | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| Citywide poverty rate, 2021 | 22.8 percent, official poverty measure, continuing to decline | Use as the headline baseline, always with its year. |
| Citywide trend, 2006 to 2019 | Decreased by 0.5 percent annually | Shows that declines have been gradual, so do not expect fast change. |
| Black poverty rate, 2006 to 2019 | Fell from 32.5 to 26.7 percent, nearly 6 points | Shows meaningful progress for a group with higher poverty. |
| Black poverty versus city average, 2019 | Still 3.4 percent above the city average | Use when explaining why citywide averages hide group differences. |
| Child poverty, national SPM, 2021 | Decreased 46 percent to the lowest level on record | National context only; do not present it as the Philadelphia child poverty rate. |
Figures are drawn from the City of Philadelphia’s 2021 poverty data statement and the Economy League’s analysis of Black poverty.
How Philadelphia compares with other large cities
Philadelphia’s poverty remains high next to its peers. The Economy League states that, relative to other cities, the rates of both overall poverty and Black poverty are still quite high. The comparison is a direction rather than a ranking, so avoid claiming a specific place in a league table.
For an exact comparison, pull the same ACS table for each city, for the same year and under the same measure. Mixing an official-measure figure for one city with an SPM figure for another produces differences that reflect the yardstick, not the cities. The county-level ACS 5-Year Estimates for Philadelphia County give you the Philadelphia side of that comparison in a consistent format.
Median household income, deep poverty and child poverty
Median household income, deep poverty and child poverty each come from ACS tables, and each answers a different question. Median household income shows the middle of the local income distribution. The poverty rate shows how many residents fall below a threshold. Deep poverty and child poverty show where hardship is most concentrated.
Median household income
The current Philadelphia median household income is published in the ACS 5-Year Estimates for Philadelphia County, which the city makes available through the national data catalog. Quote the estimate year with the value. The income evidence on this page is about gaps within the city: Black per capita income was 2.9 percent below the city average in 2019.
Deep poverty
Deep poverty describes residents at the severe end of the poverty distribution. Philadelphia-specific supplemental data was not yet released as of the city’s 2022 statement, so the deep poverty share is best taken from the ACS poverty tables for the county rather than from the national SPM headline.
Child poverty
Child poverty is reported for children under the poverty threshold, and the national SPM figure fell 46 percent in 2021, the lowest on record. For a Philadelphia figure, use the ACS child poverty table for the county and label its year. Children’s outcomes are one reason poverty data gets attention from schools and social service planners.
Using the numbers well
The practical value of these figures lies in how you apply them. Start with the question you need answered, then choose the measure and the year that fit it.
- Quote the measure. A 22.8 percent poverty rate for 2021 is an official poverty measure figure. Supplemental measures can give different values for the same city.
- Look beyond the average. The citywide rate hides group differences. In 2019 the Black poverty rate was still above the city average even after Black poverty fell from 32.5 to 26.7 percent between 2006 and 2019, a drop of about 1 percent annually per the Economy League.
- Pair poverty data with employment context. Job growth concentrated in low-skill occupations explains why more work has not erased poverty. Residents seeking stable work may find more value in workforce services than in raw job counts.
- Connect poverty to housing. Poverty and housing instability are closely related. The page on homeless services philadelphia covers the supports available to residents facing the most severe housing loss, and the guide to what does philadelphia licenses and inspections do explains the department that handles property and business permitting.
Because poverty estimates are revised with each release, return to the City of Philadelphia and ACS tables for the newest year before publishing or planning around any number here.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most recent official poverty rate cited here for Philadelphia?
It is 22.8 percent for 2021 under the official measure, as reported in the City of Philadelphia’s statement. The city said the share of residents in poverty had continued to decline.
Where do I find the current median household income?
Use the ACS 5-Year Estimates for Philadelphia County, available through the data catalog. Record the estimate year and the margin of error with the value you take.
Does a falling poverty rate mean group gaps have closed?
No. The Black poverty rate fell but in 2019 still sat above the citywide average, according to the Economy League.
Can the national child poverty drop be applied to Philadelphia?
No. The national SPM child poverty rate fell to a record low in 2021, but that is a national result. Use the ACS child poverty table for the county when you need a local figure.
