GO PHILLIES –
April 21, 2026 – Homicides, poverty and overdoses fell in Philadelphia last year, while population growth and college attainment stalled. Last year, Philadelphia recorded its fewest homicides (222) since 1966 — a turnaround from the more than 500 homicides at the height of the pandemic. And fewer than 1,000 people were shot for the first time in two decades.
The city also shed its title as America’s poorest big city, replaced by Houston, with the poverty rate falling below 20% for the first time since 1979.
Several groups saw gains, including Hispanic residents, whose poverty rate dropped 15 percentage points since 2014.
For the first time since 2016, Philly is expected to have fewer than 1,000 overdose deaths. (The city’s 2025 tally is being finalized this fall.)
Yes, but: Philly still had the sixth highest homicide rate (14.1 per 100,000 residents) in 2025 among cities of similar size.
Plus, more than 300,000 residents have incomes of $33,000 or less for a family of four.
And the city’s unemployment rate (5.1%) last year was the highest it’s been since 2021.
