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Philadelphia is back to being the poorest big city in America

By
FOX 29 Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Published November 4, 2026 2:17 PM EST
Published November 4, 2026 2:17 PM EST
article

The Brief

    • Philadelphia is once again America's poorest big city, reversing the progress that briefly knocked it out of the top spot last year.
    • The city's poverty rate has climbed to 20.4%, up from 19.7%. This marks Philadelphia's first increase in poverty since 2011.
    • At 20.4%, Philadelphia sits noticeably higher than the rest of the nation's ten largest cities, outpacing Houston and New York City (both tied for second at 17.7%).

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia’s brief celebration has come to an abrupt end. Just one year after shedding the title of America’s poorest big city, the latest U.S. Census data confirms a troubling reversal.

By the numbers:

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data, 20.4% of Philadelphians are now living below the federal poverty line, which sat at $32,649 for a family of four in 2025.

This distressing uptick from last year’s 19.7% poverty rate, which had briefly knocked the city out of the top spot after more than a decade, marks Philadelphia’s first increase since 2011.

Big picture view:

A comparison of Census data across the nation's ten largest cities places Philadelphia at the top of the list:

  • Philadelphia, PA: 20.4%
  • Houston, TX: 17.7%
  • New York City, NY: 17.7%
  • San Antonio, TX: 16.8%
  • Chicago, IL: 16.5%
  • Dallas, TX: 16.1%
  • Phoenix, AZ: 13.9%
  • Los Angeles, CA: 13.5%
  • Jacksonville, FL: 12.8%
  • San Diego, CA: 11.2%

Houston, which briefly eclipsed Philadelphia in poverty metrics last year, now sits notably lower at 17.7%, tied with New York City. At the other end of the spectrum, cities like Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Diego boast significantly lower concentrations of poverty, all resting below the 14% threshold.

The Source: Information from this article was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's poverty status data over the past 12 months and Congress.gov.

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