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Hang the Banner: Philly is No Longer America’s Poorest Big City
By Kyle Pagan
Published:
PHIL-A-DELPHIA FREEDOM! Free from the shackles of being America’s poorest big city, according to Nate File and John Duchneskie at the Inky:
Philadelphia is no longer the poorest big city in the United States. But there’s not much to celebrate in handing off that crown.
The city now has the second-greatest poverty rate among the 10 most populous U.S. cities, according to new data released Thursday by the Census Bureau.
Philly’s poverty rate dropped to 19.7% in 2024, the first time it fell below 20% since at least 1979, according to census figures. Roughly 300,000 Philadelphians are currently living in poverty.
Houston is now the nation’s poorest big city, with a poverty rate of 21.2%. In last year’s census data, Texas’ most populous city was less than 1% behind Philly in poverty rate, which fell within the data’s margin of error. In this year’s data release, Houston’s edge over Philly was within the margin of error.
Philadelphia now that it’s the second poorest big city in America:
Eagles are Super Bowl Champs, a plethora of mainstream events coming to the city for the 250th celebration, and now we aren’t poor as we once were. (Bill Simmons voice) “Is Philadelphia having a moment right now?” Suck it Houston! Finally revenge for the 2022 World Series:
Kyle writes blog posts and does Man on the Street-style videos all around Philadelphia. He graduated from Temple University (a basketball school) in 2015. contact: k.pagan@sportradar.com