Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, also known as the City of Philadelphia, has the most people of any county in Pennsylvania and the sixth most people of any county in the country. The 2020 census says that about 1.6 million people are living there. No matter what, the county’s economy shows a lot of inequality.
The typical family income in Philadelphia County in 2020 was $46,116, which was a lot less than the average for the state ($63,463) and the average for the country ($67,521). This economic trouble is made worse by the fact that 23.3% of people in the county are poor in 2021, which is much higher than the state rate of 12.4% and the national rate of 12.8%.
But the economic problems aren’t the same in every part of Philadelphia County. A lot of neighborhoods have problems like low income, high poverty, unemployment, few schooling chances, and trouble getting to social and medical services.
Using figures from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 2017–2021, this piece will look at five of the poorest areas in Philadelphia County. Our evaluation is based on important signs of poverty:
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1. Mantua
Mantua is an urban area in west-central Philadelphia County, close to University City and Powelton Village. It has a mixed population of about 15,000 people, including Black, White, Asian, and Hispanic people. It is also one of the most economically troubled places, as shown by ACS data:
- One in three households made less than $27,083, which is 41.3% less than the county median and 59.9% less than the national median.
- A poverty rate of 38% is almost three times the national average and almost twice the rate in the county.
- As high as 11%, which is almost twice the rate in the city and the country as a whole.
- A rate of 72% for educational achievement means that about three-quarters of people have finished high school or college.
2. Tioga-Nicetown
Tioga-Nicetown is an urban area in northwest Philadelphia County that is close to Germantown and Hunting Park. Most of the people who live there are Black or African American. With a population of about 18,000, it is one of the poorest places, as shown by ACS data:
- A typical family income of $23,750, which is 48.5% less than the county median and 64.8% less than the national median.
- 44% of people are living in poverty, which is more than three times the national average and almost twice the rate in the county.
- With a rate of 17%, it’s more than twice the rate at the county and the national level.
- A fairly low rate of educational success of 69%, which means that only about two-thirds of people have finished high school or college.
3. Haddington
Haddington is an urban area in west-central Philadelphia County, close to Cobbs Creek and Overbrook. It has about 21,000 people, most of whom are Black or African American. Based on ACS figures, it is one of the economically poor areas:
- A typical family income of $26,250, which is 43% less than the county median and 61.1% less than the national median.
- 36% of people living in poverty, which is more than 1.5 times the county rate and almost three times the national average.
- 12% unemployment, which is almost twice the rate in the county and the whole country.
- A 70% educational achievement rate means that about two-thirds of people have finished high school or went to college.
4. Fairhill
Fairhill is in north-central Philadelphia County, close to Kensington and Harrowgate. It is another urban neighborhood where most of the people are Hispanic, reflecting the culture and language diversity of the area. It has about 27,000 people living in it, which according to ACS figures makes it one of the poorest areas:
- A typical family income of $24,167, which is 47.6% less than the county median and 64.2% less than the national median.
- 49% of people live in poverty, which is more than twice the county rate and almost four times the national average.
- As high as 16%, which is more than twice the rate in the county and the country as a whole.
- A low rate of educational success of 48% means that fewer than half of people have finished high school or college.
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5. Strawberry Mansion
In the north-central part of Philadelphia County, close to Fairmount Park and Brewerytown, Strawberry Mansion is an urban area with about 15,000 mostly Black or African American people. It is also one of the most economically troubled places, as shown by ACS data:
- A typical family income of $25,417, which is 44.9% less than the county median and 62.4% less than the national median.
- A poverty rate of 46%, which is more than three times the national rate and almost twice the rate in the county.
- More than twice as many people are out of work as in the county and the country (15%).
- A 66% rate of educational achievement means that only about two-thirds of people have finished high school or college.