Population 27,926 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in North Central
Household size in North Central
| Period | North Central | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.68 | 2.64 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.75 | 2.68 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.53 | 2.65 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.44 | 2.57 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.24 | −0.07 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in North Central run small, averaging 2.44 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has dropped from 2.68 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the west and smallest in the southeast.
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 North Central
| Period | North Central | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.0 | 38.5 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 27.1 | 39.3 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 30.4 | 40.3 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 25.0 | 40.4 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −5.0 | +1.9 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 25.0, North Central is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults in their twenties. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 30.0, even as the national median rose. Only one other Philadelphia neighborhood is younger.
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 North Central
| Period | North Central | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.6% | 12.2% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.5% | 11.8% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 19.6% | 11.7% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 31.4% | 12.1% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | −0.1 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over three in ten households in North Central (31.4%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 7.8 points, even as the national share fell. Of Philadelphia's 64 neighborhoods, only three have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 North Central
Renters in North Central
| Period | North Central | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 65.7% | 30.2% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 67.5% | 32.1% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 67.9% | 32.7% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 70.3% | 33.2% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +3.0 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in North Central: 70.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 53.8% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 4.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of Philadelphia's 64 neighborhoods, only four have a higher share of renters.
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 North Central
| Period | North Central | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.7% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 30.0% | 9.2% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 25.2% | 9.0% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.5% | 6.9% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −10.2 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 16.5% of the housing in North Central, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 10.2 points, a much bigger shift than 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 North Central
| Period | North Central | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1951 | 1964 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1954 | 1965 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1951 | 1965 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1968 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +26 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in North Central are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1977, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in the wider Philadelphia area, where the median home dates to 1968. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the north has the oldest housing. Only two of Philadelphia's 64 neighborhoods have 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 North Central
| Period | North Central | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $659 | $1,049 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $749 | $1,147 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $967 | $1,281 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,149 | $1,631 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$489 | +$582 | +$494 | +$606 |
Rent in North Central runs $1,149 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $489 a month since 2006–10, up 74%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 39.8% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the northwest and lowest in the east.
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 North Central
Bachelor's degrees in North Central
| Period | North Central | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 32.7% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.4% | 34.4% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.0% | 37.9% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.6% | 42.3% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.7 pts | +9.6 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in North Central have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.6%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 10.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the northeast.
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 North Central
| Period | North Central | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.4% | 87.5% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.1% | 88.9% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.8% | 90.5% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 81.5% | 91.9% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.1 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in North Central never finished high school, well above the national share: only 81.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 10.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. North Central has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Philadelphia neighborhoods.
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 North Central
| Period | North Central | Philadelphia area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.0% | 8.4% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 19.0% | 10.2% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 6.3% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 6.1% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in North Central runs well above the national rate: 12.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 2.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
North Central 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Central | 2.44 | 25.0 | 31.4% | 70.3% | 16.5% | 1977 | $1,149 | 23.6% | 81.5% | 12.3% |
| Poplar-Ludlow-Yorktowne | 2.08 | 27.9 | 13.6% | 76.7% | 9.3% | 1976 | $1,152 | 35.0% | 87.7% | 12.1% |
| Hartranft | 2.44 | 33.7 | 25.5% | 69.5% | 15.2% | 1965 | $1,118 | 16.5% | 78.7% | 16.1% |
| Strawberry Mansion | 2.39 | 40.0 | 25.6% | 49.7% | 17.5% | 1941 | $1,089 | 14.2% | 84.7% | 18.4% |
| Brewerytown | 1.97 | 29.8 | 33.0% | 58.3% | 13.5% | 1968 | $1,455 | 46.2% | 90.7% | 10.1% |
| Fairmount | 1.86 | 37.2 | 3.8% | 48.8% | 6.8% | 1961 | $2,028 | 84.7% | 97.7% | 2.9% |
| Spring Garden | 1.64 | 36.0 | 3.3% | 76.9% | 12.2% | 1974 | $2,083 | 81.3% | 98.1% | 3.4% |
| Alleghany West | 2.26 | 38.2 | 25.3% | 59.0% | 15.3% | 1944 | $1,147 | 14.9% | 83.1% | 10.3% |
| Fishtown | 1.91 | 33.8 | 2.9% | 51.9% | 7.1% | 1976 | $2,022 | 75.8% | 96.4% | 2.7% |
| Fairhill | 3.46 | 36.2 | 26.9% | 56.2% | 11.6% | 1946 | $1,002 | 7.3% | 61.7% | 18.9% |
| Kensington | 2.24 | 34.8 | 11.2% | 48.4% | 11.2% | 1954 | $1,549 | 48.6% | 85.3% | 6.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Westgate, Henderson, NV · Northeast, Reno, NV · Pelican, Cape Coral, FL · Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA · Greenbrier East, Chesapeake, VA · Great Bridge, Chesapeake, VA · Glassell Park, Los Angeles, CA · Garfield Ridge, Chicago, IL · Gage Park, Chicago, IL · Forest Park, Springfield, MA
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 North Central. 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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