A new "state of the city" report, from the Pew Charitable Trusts, has found that the city's population has increased over the course of the last two years, while violent crimes -- like shootings and homicides -- have dropped dramatically since the pandemic.
Released Wednesday, the report provides detailed statistics and figures for a wide-array of topics that comprise life in Philadelphia -- everything from housing to jobs and the economy, to public safety and transportation details.
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SIGN UP Here's some highlights from the report.
- Population is on the upswing -- After dropping the last three years from 2020's high population rate of 1.6 million to less than 1.57 last year, the city's population slightly increased to 1.573 million in 2024.
- There are less people in poverty in Philadelphia -- In 2013, there was a near 30% poverty rate in the city, with another 12% of residents in the city facing deep poverty. However, that has steadily decreased and last year was no different. Poverty rates in Philly in 2024 dropped to the lowest they have been since the beginning of the century at 20.3% and deep poverty levels stayed the same as the year before at 9.7%.
- Teen birth rates are dropping -- Less teenagers in Philadelphia have given birth over the last year. In fact, since 2012, when more than 2,500 teens gave birth to children in the city, the rate has dropped significantly with 958 teens having children in the past year.
- Overdose deaths are down -- Unintentional overdose deaths have been steadily declining in Philadelphia since 2022. That year, 1,413 people died of unintentional drug overdoses while, last year, the report estimates that about 1,100 people in Philadelphia died as a result of an unintentional drug overdose.
- Homeownership is steadily increasing -- In 2013, the report notes that about 297,000 city residents owned their homes and that number has been growing over the years. Last year, the report noted, 323,720 Philadelphia residents were living in homes they owned.
- Violent crime continues to drop -- Homicides in Philadelphia, in 2024, dropped to the lowest point they have been in a decade. In 2024, the city saw 269 homicides, a dramatic decrease from just four years ago when the city saw 562 homicides in one year. Shootings were down, as well, with 1,080 people shot in the city in 2024. The drop in shootings was dramatic as, in 2023, 1,657 people were shot and, during the course of the year before that, 2,253 people were shot.
- High school graduation rates are up -- Last year, about 74% of high school students enrolled in the School District of Philadelphia were expected to graduate within four years. This number was up 9% over the 65% of high school students that were expected to graduate in 2013.
And, though the report highlighted plenty of bright spots, there were also some concerning issues, as well.
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There were nine bike riders killed on city streets last year, that number was three times higher than the year prior.
Overtime spending for city employees hit its highest level since 2014, with 12.9% of city spending on salaries going toward overtime costs.
Staffing at the Philadelphia Police Department has decreased, dropping to about 6,313 employees last year, after seeing more than 7, 240 employed by the department in 2019.
Just how this information could inform legislators throughout the coming year remains to be seen but, on the decrease in employees at the police department, Mayor Cherelle Parker has vowed to increase police staffing in her time atop the city's highest office.
For more details and information from the Pew Charitable Trusts' state of the city report, click here.
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