Population

Philadelphia

1,582,432

Houston

2,300,419

Median Income

Philadelphia

$60,698

Houston

$62,894

Home Value

Philadelphia

$232,400

Houston

$253,400

Rent

Philadelphia

$1,323

Houston

$1,313

Crime Rate

Philadelphia

9.10

Houston

11.48

Cost of Living

Philadelphia

111.1

Houston

116.4

Avg Temp

Philadelphia

55°F

Houston

70°F

Unemployment

Philadelphia

8.4%

Houston

6.7%

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How Similar Are Philadelphia & Houston?

Houston is Philadelphia's #1 most similar city

6/10

6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Philadelphia

1,582,432

vs

Houston

2,300,419

Different · 31% difference

Houston has a 31% larger population than Philadelphia.

Violent Crime

Philadelphia

9.10

vs

Houston

11.48

Different · 21% difference
🚨

Houston has a 21% higher violent crime than Philadelphia.

Property Crime

🔒

Philadelphia

45.48

vs

Houston

42.93

Match · 6% difference

Both cities have similar property crime — just a 6% difference.

Political Leaning

Philadelphia

20.0%

vs

Houston

46.4%

Different · 57% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic, but Houston has a stronger Democratic lean (57% difference).

Unemployment

💼

Philadelphia

8.4%

vs

Houston

6.7%

Different · 20% difference

Philadelphia has a 20% higher unemployment than Houston.

Median Income

Philadelphia

$60,698

vs

Houston

$62,894

Match · 3% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 3% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Philadelphia

$232,400

vs

Houston

$253,400

Match · 8% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 8% difference.

Education

Philadelphia

23.8%

vs

Houston

23.9%

Match · 0% difference
🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 0% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Philadelphia

36.1%

vs

Houston

35.5%

Match · 2% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 2% difference.

Cost of Living

Philadelphia

111.1

vs

Houston

116.4

Match · 5% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 5% difference.

6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Philadelphia and Houston share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Philadelphia

vsof 8

0

Houston

Philadelphia leads in 6 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Philadelphia leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Houston has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,573 vs $1,810 in Philadelphia (15% lower). Houston has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,323 vs $1,520 in Philadelphia (15% lower). Philadelphia scores 132.0 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 145.9 in Houston.

Overall Cost Index

Philadelphia111.1
Houston116.4

Housing Index

Philadelphia132.0
Houston145.9

Food Index

Philadelphia96.4
Houston98.1

Transportation Index

Philadelphia109.5
Houston103.6

Healthcare Index

Philadelphia97.1
Houston98.5

Utilities Index

Philadelphia104.2
Houston108.0

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Philadelphia$48,904
Houston$51,208

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Philadelphia$115,592
Houston$121,037

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Philadelphia$1,520
Houston$1,323

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Philadelphia$1,810
Houston$1,573

Housing Market — Philadelphia leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Philadelphia has a median property tax of $1,952 vs $4,003 in Houston (51% lower). Philadelphia has a single-family homes of 64.8% compared to 47.9% in Houston. Philadelphia has a owner-occupied of 52.3% compared to 42.0% in Houston.

Median Home Value

Philadelphia$232,400
Houston$253,400

Median Rent

Philadelphia$1,323
Houston$1,313

Median Property Tax

Philadelphia$1,952
Houston$4,003

Owner-Occupied

Philadelphia52.3%
Houston42.0%

Vacancy Rate

Philadelphia9.5%
Houston10.4%

Single-Family Homes

Philadelphia64.8%
Houston47.9%

Jobs & Economy — Houston leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Philadelphia has a work from home of 16.4% compared to 11.7% in Houston. Houston: 1,219,957 vs Philadelphia: 810,038 for labor force. Houston has a unemployment rate of 6.7% compared to 8.4% in Philadelphia.

Median Household Income

Philadelphia$60,698
Houston$62,894

Per Capita Income

Philadelphia$37,669
Houston$41,142

Poverty Rate

Philadelphia22.0%
Houston19.7%

Unemployment Rate

Philadelphia8.4%
Houston6.7%

Labor Force

Philadelphia810,038
Houston1,219,957

Mean Commute

Philadelphia27 min
Houston24 min

Work from Home

Philadelphia16.4%
Houston11.7%

Private Sector

Philadelphia81.7%
Houston98.8%

Government Sector

Philadelphia39.6%
Houston46.6%

Crime & Safety — Philadelphia leads

Source: FBI UCR

Philadelphia has a property crime clearance of 9.0% compared to 4.8% in Houston. Philadelphia has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 3.19 compared to 6.45 in Houston. Philadelphia has a assault rate (per 1k) of 5.72 compared to 7.87 in Houston.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Philadelphia9.10
Houston11.48

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Philadelphia45.48
Houston42.93

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Philadelphia0.17
Houston0.14

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Philadelphia2.73
Houston2.74

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Philadelphia5.72
Houston7.87

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Philadelphia3.19
Houston6.45

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Philadelphia32.24
Houston29.46

Violent Crime Clearance

Philadelphia40.1%
Houston31.9%

Property Crime Clearance

Philadelphia9.0%
Houston4.8%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Houston averages 62°F, about 15°F cooler than Philadelphia. Houston averages 70°F, about 14°F cooler than Philadelphia. Houston averages 78°F, about 15°F cooler than Philadelphia.

Avg Annual Temperature

Philadelphia55°F
Houston70°F

Avg Annual High

Philadelphia64°F
Houston78°F

Avg Annual Low

Philadelphia47°F
Houston62°F

Sunny Days per Year

Philadelphia202
Houston182

Annual Rainfall

Philadelphia41.1"
Houston50.4"

Annual Snowfall

Philadelphia8.4"
HoustonN/A

Avg Humidity

Philadelphia68.0%
Houston74.8%

Schools & Education — Philadelphia leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Philadelphia has a high school diploma or higher of 44.4% compared to 38.3% in Houston.

Public Schools

Philadelphia0
Houston0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

PhiladelphiaN/A
HoustonN/A

Colleges & Universities

Philadelphia0
Houston0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Philadelphia23.8%
Houston23.9%

High School Diploma or Higher

Philadelphia44.4%
Houston38.3%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Houston has a population of 2,300,419, about 1.5x the size of Philadelphia (1,582,432).

Population

Philadelphia1,582,432
Houston2,300,419

Median Age

Philadelphia35
Houston34

Avg Household Size

Philadelphia2.3
Houston2.5

Married Population

Philadelphia28.4%
Houston34.8%

Foreign Born

Philadelphia14.6%
Houston28.8%

White

Philadelphia36.1%
Houston35.5%

Black

Philadelphia39.9%
Houston22.9%

Hispanic

Philadelphia15.2%
Houston44.1%

Asian

Philadelphia7.8%
Houston6.9%

Philadelphia

Houston

Healthcare — Philadelphia leads

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Philadelphia: 4.3 vs Houston: 3.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5).

Nearby Hospitals

Philadelphia5
Houston5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Philadelphia4.3
Houston3.0

With Emergency Services

Philadelphia4
Houston4

Transportation & Commute — Philadelphia leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Philadelphia has a public transit of 17.9% compared to 3.3% in Houston. Philadelphia has a bicycle of 1.9% compared to 0.4% in Houston. Philadelphia has a work from home of 16.4% compared to 11.7% in Houston.

Mean Commute Time

Philadelphia27 min
Houston24 min

Drive Alone

Philadelphia46.6%
Houston69.7%

Public Transit

Philadelphia17.9%
Houston3.3%

Bicycle

Philadelphia1.9%
Houston0.4%

Work from Home

Philadelphia16.4%
Houston11.7%

Airports

Philadelphia0
Houston0

Cities Similar to Philadelphia, PA

Compare Philadelphia against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

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