What percentage of people rent in Philadelphia, PA?

Name: Renters and owners in Philadelphia, PA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

48.2% (±0.6 points) of the occupied homes in Philadelphia, PA are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is 327,523 renting households against 351,905 that own their home.

In Philadelphia, the share of households that rent went from 47.0% in 2015–2019 to 48.2% in 2020–2024 (+1.2 percentage points), a measurable increase.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Households that rent: 48.2% (±0.6 points)
Renting households: 327,523 (±4,547)
Median renter income: $48,344 (±$1,293)

Who rents and who owns in Philadelphia

Tenure, estimate (90% margin of error)
	Philadelphia	Philadelphia County	Pennsylvania	United States
Renter-occupied share	48.2% (±0.6 points)	48.2% (±0.6 points)	30.7% (±0.2 points)	34.8%
Renting households	327,523 (±4,547)	327,523 (±4,547)	1,617,882 (±10,181)	45,017,354
Owning households	351,905 (±4,190)	351,905 (±4,190)	3,656,971 (±15,249)	84,210,142
Average renter household size	2.1 (±0.0)	2.1 (±0.0)	2.1 (±0.0)	2.3
Average owner household size	2.5 (±0.0)	2.5 (±0.0)	2.5 (±0.0)	2.6
Median renter household income	$48,344 (±$1,293)	$48,344 (±$1,293)	$47,506 (±$425)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$78,301 (±$1,838)	$78,301 (±$1,838)	$95,990 (±$362)	$100,009

In Philadelphia, the renter share is not measurably different from Philadelphia County (48.2%).

It is also higher than in Pennsylvania (30.7%).

It is higher than the national figure (34.8%).

Statewide, it ranks 168 of 2,557.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How renting in Philadelphia has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Households that rent	47.0% (±0.4 points)	48.2% (±0.6 points)	+1.2 percentage points	Measurable increase
Median gross rent	$1,042 (±$8)	$1,397 (±$14)	+34.1%	Up after inflation
Median household income	$45,927 (±$542)	$61,953 (±$919)	+34.9%	Up after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Households that rent in places near Philadelphia

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Philadelphia
Place	Distance	Households that rent	Compared with this place
Philadelphia	—	48.2% (±0.6 points)	—
Oak Lane	3.4 mi	9.4% (±4.7 points)	Lower
Melrose Park	3.8 mi	17.6% (±9.0 points)	Lower
Cheltenham Village	4.3 mi	35.3% (±16.1 points)	Not measurably different
Elkins Park	4.7 mi	19.8% (±5.7 points)	Lower
Cheltenham Township	4.8 mi	37.4% (±2.7 points)	Lower
Pennsauken Township	4.9 mi	26.1% (±3.5 points)	Lower
Bala Cynwyd	5.0 mi	30.1% (±4.4 points)	Lower
Palmyra Borough	5.2 mi	28.6% (±4.8 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Oak Lane, PA (9.4%), Melrose Park, PA (17.6%), Elkins Park, PA (19.8%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Philadelphia

How many renters are there in Philadelphia?

Philadelphia has an estimated 327,523 (±4,547) renting households, 48.2% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is renting growing in Philadelphia?

In Philadelphia, the share of households that rent went from 47.0% in 2015–2019 to 48.2% in 2020–2024 (+1.2 percentage points), a measurable increase.

How big are renting households in Philadelphia?

A renting household in Philadelphia has 2.1 people on average, against 2.5 in an owned home.

How much do renters earn in Philadelphia?

The median renting household in Philadelphia, PA has an income of $48,344 (±$1,293) a year, against $78,301 for households that own their home.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) for Philadelphia city, Pennsylvania (place:60000, in state:42).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.