Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Philadelphia County
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Consolidated city-county
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| City and County of Philadelphia | |||
Old City Hall in Philadelphia in June 2011
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Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Pennsylvania |
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| Founded | March 10, 1682 | ||
| Named for | City of Philadelphia | ||
| Seat | Philadelphia | ||
| Largest city | Philadelphia | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 143 sq mi (370 km2) | ||
| • Land | 134 sq mi (350 km2) | ||
| • Water | 8.6 sq mi (22 km2) 6.0%% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,603,797 | ||
| • Density | 11,969/sq mi (4,621/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| Congressional districts | 2nd, 3rd, 5th | ||
Philadelphia County is the most populous of the 67 counties of Pennsylvania and the 24th-most populous county in the nation. As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 1,603,797. Its county seat is Philadelphia, the nation's sixth-largest city. The county is part of the Southeast Pennsylvania region of the state.
Philadelphia County is one of the three original counties, along with Chester and Bucks counties, founded by William Penn in November 1682. Since 1854, the county has been coextensive with the City of Philadelphia, which is also its county seat. Philadelphia County is the core county in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Combined Statistical Area (PA-NJ-DE-MD, located along the lower Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, within the Northeast megalopolis.
Philadelphia County is the Delaware Valley's economic and cultural anchor and the ninth-largest combined statistical area in the nation with an estimated population of 7,381,18 as of 2022.
Contents
History
Native American tribes of Lenape were the first known occupants in the area that became Philadelphia County. The first European settlers were Swedes and Finns who arrived in 1638. The Netherlands seized the area in 1655, but lost control to England in 1674. William Penn received his charter for Pennsylvania from Charles II of England in 1681, and in November 1682 he divided Pennsylvania into three counties. During the same year, Philadelphia was planned and was made the county seat and the capital of the Province of Pennsylvania.
Penn wanted Philadelphia, meaning "love brotherly", to be a place where religious tolerance and the freedom to worship were ensured. Philadelphia's name is shared with an ancient city in Asia Minor mentioned by the Bible's Book of Revelation. It was William Penn's desire, as a Quaker, that his "Holy Experiment" would be found blameless at the Last Judgment.
When established, Philadelphia County consisted mainly of the area from the Delaware River west between the Schuylkill River to the south and the border with Bucks County to the north; the western boundary was undefined. Two counties would be formed out of Philadelphia County, Berks County which was formed in 1752 (from parts of Chester, Lancaster, and Philadelphia counties), and Montgomery County established in 1784. From these separations, as well as other border changes, was created the present-day boundaries of the county.
Philadelphia, as planned by Penn, comprised only that portion of the present-day city situated between South and Vine Streets and the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. Other settlements were made beyond the boundaries of the city, and in the course of time they became incorporated separately and had separate governments.
Several of these settlements were situated immediately contiguous to the City of Philadelphia, such as Southwark and Moyamensing in the south, the Northern Liberties District, Kensington, Spring Garden and Penn District to the north, and West Philadelphia and Blockley to the west — which combined with the City of Philadelphia formed practically one continuously urban area, the whole group being known abroad simply as Philadelphia.
Besides these, there were a number of other outlying townships, villages and settlements throughout the county. Over time, as the population expanded out from the City of Philadelphia, those closer to the City of Philadelphia became absorbed into Philadelphia.
During this period, the city government of Philadelphia and the county government of Philadelphia acted separately. By the mid-19th century, a more structured government bureaucracy was needed. A reform charter, on February 2, 1854, defined all the boroughs, townships and districts of the County of Philadelphia as being within the City of Philadelphia, thus abolishing the patchwork of cities, boroughs, and townships that had comprised Philadelphia County since its founding.
The city-county consolidation was a result of the inability of a colonial-type government by committees to adapt to the needs of a growing city for new public services, for example, better streets, police, transportation, sanitation, and schools.
The newly integrated districts had marked characteristics between them, but over time, after the consolidation, these characteristics were generally integrated into the City of Philadelphia. Presently, the names of some of these old districts survive as the names of neighborhoods in the city, with their boundaries roughly matching their historic boundaries.
In 1951, a new law known as the Home Rule Charter merged city and county offices completely. This new charter provided the city with a common structure and outlined the "strong mayor" form of government that is still used.
The county offices were merged with the city government in 1952, effectively eliminating the county as a government. Even though the county no longer has a government structure by law, in both the Unconsolidated Pennsylvania Statutes and The Philadelphia Code and Charter, the County of Philadelphia is still an entity within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is thus subject to the provisions and laws of the Commonwealth concerning counties. Exceptions include restrictions stated in the Home Rule Charter of Philadelphia, Act of Consolidation, 1854, and subsequent legislation. The county also is the only First Class County, meaning it had a population of 1.5 million or more at the last census, in the Commonwealth.
Philadelphia has become racially and ethnically diverse over the years, and this process continues. Since 1990, (the year that immigration began increasing), thousands of immigrants from Latin America, Asia and Europe have arrived in the county. Presently, the city has some of the largest Irish, Italian, German, Polish, Puerto Rican, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Ukrainian, Jamaican, Chinese, Arab, Thai, and Cambodian populations in America. The county has the fourth largest concentration of African Americans in North America, including large numbers of Liberians, Nigerians, and Sudanese. The Northeast section of the city, and more significantly the suburbs of Philadelphia, contain large numbers of Indian Americans and Mexicans.
At the 2010 census, the city was 41.0% White, 43.4% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian or Alaskan Native, 6.3% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.8% two or more race, and 5.9% were some other race. 12.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Philadelphia County has a total area of 143 square miles (370 km2), of which 134 square miles (350 km2) is land and 8.6 square miles (22 km2) (6.0%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in Pennsylvania by area. Bodies of water include the Delaware River, Schuylkill River, Cobbs Creek, Wissahickon Creek, and Pennypack Creek.
The lowest point in the county is 10 feet above sea level near Fort Mifflin in Southwest Philadelphia, at the convergence of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. The highest point is in Chestnut Hill, at 432 feet above sea level, near Evergreen Place, just north and west of Evergreen Avenue. Philadelphia County is Pennsylvania's second smallest county by land area, after Montour County.
Counties adjacent
- Bucks County (northeast)
- Burlington County, New Jersey (east)
- Camden County, New Jersey (southeast)
- Gloucester County, New Jersey (south)
- Delaware County (southwest)
- Montgomery County (northwest)
Major roads and highways
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 54,391 | — | |
| 1800 | 81,009 | 48.9% | |
| 1810 | 111,210 | 37.3% | |
| 1820 | 137,097 | 23.3% | |
| 1830 | 188,797 | 37.7% | |
| 1840 | 258,037 | 36.7% | |
| 1850 | 408,762 | 58.4% | |
| 1860 | 565,529 | 38.4% | |
| 1870 | 674,022 | 19.2% | |
| 1880 | 847,170 | 25.7% | |
| 1890 | 1,046,964 | 23.6% | |
| 1900 | 1,293,697 | 23.6% | |
| 1910 | 1,549,008 | 19.7% | |
| 1920 | 1,823,779 | 17.7% | |
| 1930 | 1,950,961 | 7.0% | |
| 1940 | 1,931,334 | −1.0% | |
| 1950 | 2,071,605 | 7.3% | |
| 1960 | 2,002,512 | −3.3% | |
| 1970 | 1,948,609 | −2.7% | |
| 1980 | 1,688,609 | −13.3% | |
| 1990 | 1,585,577 | −6.1% | |
| 2000 | 1,517,550 | −4.3% | |
| 2010 | 1,526,006 | 0.6% | |
| 2020 | 1,603,797 | 5.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2019 2020 census |
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At the 2000 census, there were 1,517,550 people, 590,071 households and 352,272 families residing in the county. The population density was 11,233.6 per square mile (4,337.3/km2). There were 661,958 housing units, with an average density of 4,900.1 per square mile (1,891.9/km2). and the racial composition of the county was 45.0% White, 43.2% African American, 5.5% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.8% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.5% of the population. The five largest ancestries include Irish (13.6%), Italian (9.2%), German (8.1%), Polish (4.3%), and English (2.9%).
Of the 590,071 households, 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.1% were married couples living together, 22.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.22.
25.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 25, 29.3% from 25 to 45, 20.3% from 45 to 65, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males. The median household income was $30,746 and the median family income was $37,036. Males had a median income of $34,199 compared with $28,477 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,509. About 18.4% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.3% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.
2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 644,395 | 562,585 | 550,828 | 42.46% | 36.87% | 34.35% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 646,123 | 644,287 | 613,835 | 42.58% | 42.22% | 38.27% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 2,908 | 3,498 | 2,596 | 0.19% | 0.23% | 0.16% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 67,119 | 95,521 | 132,408 | 4.42% | 6.26% | 8.26% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 495 | 457 | 579 | 0.03% | 0.03% | 0.04% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 2,856 | 4,105 | 11,419 | 0.19% | 0.27% | 0.71% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 24,726 | 27,942 | 53,855 | 1.63% | 1.83% | 3.36% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 128,928 | 187,611 | 238,277 | 8.50% | 12.29% | 14.86% |
| Total | 1,517,550 | 1,526,006 | 1,603,797 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Communities
The following districts, townships, and boroughs existed in Philadelphia County before the Act of Consolidation of 1854:
City
Neighborhoods
Former townships, boroughs, and districts
- Aramingo Borough
- Belmont District
- Blockley Township
- Bristol Township
- Delaware Township
- Germantown Township
- Kensington District
- Lower Dublin Township
- Moreland Township
- Northern Liberties Township
- Oxford Township
- Passyunk Township
- Penn District
- Penn Township
- Richmond District
- Whitehall Borough
Climate
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According to the Köppen climate classification system, Philadelphia County has a humid subtropical climate. The average January temperature in Center City is 34.3 °F.
Education
Notable people
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Filadelfia para niños
