Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Philadelphia County. Population: 1,550,542 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Philadelphia County, PA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.7 — 396th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Pennsylvania, it ranks 1st of 67 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Philadelphia County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Housing Cost Burden
Primary DriverIncome & Poverty
Debt & Delinquency
Community Vulnerability
Employment & Wages
How Philadelphia County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia County, PA | 66.7 | Serious Stress | — |
| Camden County, NJ | 61.1 | Elevated | -5.6 |
| Gloucester County, NJ | 45.0 | Normal | -21.7 |
| Delaware County, PA | 44.6 | Normal | -22.1 |
| Burlington County, NJ | 38.9 | Normal | -27.8 |
| Bucks County, PA | 29.8 | Healthy | -36.9 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County, NV | 65.6 | Serious Stress | -1.1 |
| Fresno County, CA | 67.9 | Serious Stress | +1.2 |
| Wayne County, MI | 65.1 | Serious Stress | -1.6 |
| Duval County, FL | 64.9 | Elevated | -1.8 |
| Bexar County, TX | 62.9 | Elevated | -3.8 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Philadelphia County as a CSV file.
Resources
Philadelphia County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania?
Philadelphia County has a County Distress Index score of 66.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 396th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in Pennsylvania out of 67 counties.
What drives financial distress in Philadelphia County?
The primary driver of distress in Philadelphia County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 89.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Philadelphia County compare to neighboring counties?
Philadelphia County (66.7) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Camden County, NJ (61.1); Gloucester County, NJ (45.0); Delaware County, PA (44.6).
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.
What is the population of Philadelphia County?
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania has a population of approximately 1,550,542 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.