Population 7,684 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Chinatown
Household size in Chinatown
| Period | Chinatown | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.67 | 2.64 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.86 | 2.68 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.93 | 2.65 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.49 | 2.57 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | −0.07 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Chinatown are small: just 1.49 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 1.67 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other Philadelphia neighborhood has smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Chinatown
| Period | Chinatown | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.6 | 38.5 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.3 | 39.3 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.6 | 40.3 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.6 | 40.4 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.0 | +1.9 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
At 38.6, the median age in Chinatown is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is younger than in the wider Philadelphia area, where the median age is 40.4. The median age has climbed from 36.6 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Chinatown
| Period | Chinatown | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.8% | 12.2% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 2.5% | 11.8% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 2.5% | 11.7% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 12.1% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −0.1 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Chinatown: 6.3% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 0.5 points, even as the national share fell. Chinatown has a lower share of single-parent households than at least four in five Philadelphia neighborhoods.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Chinatown
Renters in Chinatown
| Period | Chinatown | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.9% | 30.2% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 76.8% | 32.1% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 71.9% | 32.7% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 73.7% | 33.2% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +3.0 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Chinatown rent: 73.7% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Nearly four in ten owners (37.3%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 1.7 points, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Chinatown
| Period | Chinatown | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.5% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 9.2% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.9% | 9.0% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.7% | 6.9% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Chinatown as nationally: 10.7%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Philadelphia area overall (6.9%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 4.8 points, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Chinatown
| Period | Chinatown | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1948 | 1964 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1954 | 1965 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1949 | 1965 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1968 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +32 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Chinatown are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are newer than in the wider Philadelphia area, where the median home dates to 1968. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the east. Only one other Philadelphia neighborhood has newer homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Chinatown
| Period | Chinatown | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,038 | $1,049 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,305 | $1,147 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,478 | $1,281 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,952 | $1,631 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$914 | +$582 | +$494 | +$606 |
The median renter in Chinatown pays $1,952 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $914 a month since 2006–10, up 88%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 28.6% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest in the south.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Chinatown
Bachelor's degrees in Chinatown
| Period | Chinatown | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.3% | 32.7% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 55.8% | 34.4% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 55.8% | 37.9% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 64.9% | 42.3% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +19.5 pts | +9.6 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Chinatown is highly educated: about two-thirds of adults 25 and older (64.9%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 19.5 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the southwest.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Chinatown
| Period | Chinatown | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.9% | 87.5% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.0% | 88.9% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.4% | 90.5% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.8% | 91.9% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +15.9 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Chinatown is close to the national rate: 88.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the Philadelphia area as a whole (91.9%). The share with a diploma is up 15.9 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Chinatown
| Period | Chinatown | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 8.4% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 10.2% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 6.3% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 6.1% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Chinatown: 8.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is up 2.7 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Chinatown compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinatown | 1.49 | 38.6 | 6.3% | 73.7% | 10.7% | 1980 | $1,952 | 64.9% | 88.8% | 8.8% |
| City Center East | 1.50 | 38.9 | 7.4% | 67.6% | 11.7% | 1961 | $1,935 | 80.7% | 95.8% | 3.3% |
| City Center West | 1.48 | 38.0 | 2.1% | 67.3% | 11.6% | 1960 | $2,048 | 85.0% | 97.2% | 1.9% |
| Spring Garden | 1.64 | 36.0 | 3.3% | 76.9% | 12.2% | 1974 | $2,083 | 81.3% | 98.1% | 3.4% |
| Bella Vista | 1.94 | 34.3 | 8.1% | 56.2% | 8.2% | 1960 | $1,745 | 78.3% | 96.9% | 5.5% |
| Rittenhouse Square | 1.50 | 41.5 | 1.7% | 68.4% | 15.7% | 1955 | $2,063 | 85.0% | 98.6% | 3.3% |
| Poplar-Ludlow-Yorktowne | 2.08 | 27.9 | 13.6% | 76.7% | 9.3% | 1976 | $1,152 | 35.0% | 87.7% | 12.1% |
| Fairmount | 1.86 | 37.2 | 3.8% | 48.8% | 6.8% | 1961 | $2,028 | 84.7% | 97.7% | 2.9% |
| Schuylkill Southwest | 2.02 | 32.1 | 5.4% | 50.2% | 13.6% | 1966 | $2,164 | 77.3% | 96.3% | 4.7% |
| Fishtown | 1.91 | 33.8 | 2.9% | 51.9% | 7.1% | 1976 | $2,022 | 75.8% | 96.4% | 2.7% |
| Wharton-Hawthorne-Bella Vista | 2.12 | 36.7 | 8.7% | 44.4% | 7.2% | 1942 | $1,757 | 59.8% | 89.9% | 5.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Rancho Sahuarita, Sahuarita, AZ · West Bethlehem, Bethlehem, PA · Scenic Foothills, Anchorage, AK · Downtown St Petersburg, St. Petersburg, FL · Union-Miles Park, Cleveland, OH · Union Square, San Francisco, CA · Walnut Village, Irvine, CA · Fairview, Camden, NJ · Collister, Boise, ID · Chinatown, Manhattan, NY
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Chinatown. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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