We’re pleased to share this guide with anyone thinking about moving to Northwest Philly! We start with a general overview of what Philadelphia has to offer, and then take a deep dive into the beautiful community of Northwest Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Population
The population of the City of Philadelphia is 1,580,863 people! Almost 3x the size of Boston! The population of Philadelphia has grown over 3.5% since the 2010 census. About 81,000 of these people live in Northwest Philadelphia!
Philadelphia Demographics
There are almost 600,000 households in Philadelphia, and the average age of its residents is 34. The median income for a household within city limits is around $30,000.
Philadelphia Weather
The climate in Philadelphia is thoroughly enjoyable! All four seasons exist here! The average temperature is 55 degrees, with an average of 41 inches of rain and 23 inches of snow annually. During the summer, the average daily high is 77 degrees, and during the winter, the average daily high temperature below 49 degrees.
Companies Headquartered in the Philadelphia area
Philadelphia and its neighbors have LOADS of major companies! One of the most well-known companies headquartered in Philadelphia is Comcast!
Campbells Soup, Campbell Soup, Five Below, NutriSystem, Pep Boys, Rita’s Italian Ice, Sunoco, Toll Brothers, Urban Outfitters (which also owns Anthropologie and Free People!), and Wawa also have their headquarters in Philadelphia or the surrounding area!
The Philadelphia area is also home to the U.S. headquarters of Subaru, GlaxoSmithKline, IKEA, TD Bank, and HSBC!
Jobs in Philadelphia
Though the unemployment rate in Philadelphia County sits a little higher than the national average, the unemployment rate in Philadelphia has steadily declined since 2012.
Average Home Price in Philadelphia
Though it varies greatly by neighborhood, the average home price in the City of Philadelphia was $235,000 in 2018. The average home price in NW Philly is a little higher at $294,000. The average rent in Philadelphia is about $1,500/month.
Philadelphia Average Commute Times
Commuters in Philadelphia spend an average of 32 minutes traveling to work. Of those commuters, only 26% of people use public transportation, whereas 64% drove.
Northwest Philadelphia is mostly well-served by public transportation. SEPTA buses and regional rail area accessible throughout NW Philly.
Family Friendly Activities in Philadelphia
Philadelphia is full of fun activities for the whole family! You definitely don’t want to miss the Philadelphia Zoo (check out the video of their Zoo360 mesh trails!), the Please Touch Museum (you can literally touch everything!), the Magic Gardens (gorgeous mosaicked outdoor urban labyrinth), or Morris Arboretum (where you can hang out in the tree canopy)!
The Best Restaurants in Northwest Philadelphia
NW Philly has some of the best restaurants in all of Philadelphia! Here are some of our favorites, depending on mood:
- El Poquito – Chestnut Hill – Mexican – Tacos, anyone?!
- Jansen – Mt. Airy – New American – Perfect for date night!
- Golden Crust Pizza – Mt. Airy – Pizza – Best pizza in the neighborhood!
- Rib Crib – Germantown – Ribs/BBQ – This place temporarily closed following the death of the owners. Their daughter is considering re-opening!
- Malelani Cafe – Mt. Airy – Mediterranean – Don’t miss the Greek salad!
- Paris Bistro & Jazz Cafe – Chestnut Hill – French/Jazz Club – French food to die for. Reserve a table downstairs to take in some live jazz!
Outdoor Activities in Northwest Philadelphia
Northwest Philly offers the most outdoor activities in all of Philadelphia! NW Philly is home to the Wissahickon Valley Park, which is over 1,800 acres! Wissahickon Valley Park has plenty of space for hiking, biking, fishing, bird watching, running, horseback riding, and picnicking! They have an astounding 50+ miles of trails! Check out this GoPro video of someone mountain biking through the park:
Northwest Philadelphia School Districts
The Philadelphia School District is made up of a bunch of smaller districts called “catchments”. There are 8 catchments that serve Northwest Philadelphia. They are organized geographically below. If you want to check what school district a specific address is in, click here!
- Lower West Germantown: J.B. Kelly Catchment
- Lower East Germantown: C.S. Mastery Catchment
- Upper West Germantown: Lingelbach Catchment
- Upper East Germantown: E.S. Roosevelt Catchment
- West Mt. Airy: Henry Catchment
- East Mt. Airy: Emlen Catchment
- Upper Mt. Airy: Houston Catchment
- Chestnut Hill: John Jenks Catchment
Highest Rated Schools in Northwest Philadelphia
Unfortunately, as a whole, the Philadelphia school system does not have the strongest track record. However, there are a few districts that have highly-rated public school options. The website niche.com awarded the grade of C- to the Philadelphia City School District. However, there is a strong grass-roots effort underway to change that! Locals are demanding better public education, and are hoping to see some changes in the years ahead.
That being said, if it’s in the budget, Northwest Philly is home to some of the highest-ranked private schools in the country! Most notably, Germantown Friends School is consistently ranked the #1 private school in Pennsylvania. On a national level, they come in at #19! GFS is a Quaker school that was founded in 1845. It still retains its Quaker values.
Another highly-ranked private school in NW Philly is William Penn Charter School. Penn Charter is ranked #14 on the list of best private high schools in Pennsylvania. WPC is recognized as the fifth-oldest school in America!
Northwest Philadelphia Neighborhoods
Everyone has a different opinion about which neighborhoods fall under the Northwest Philly umbrella. This website includes Germantown (19144), Mt. Airy (19119), and Chestnut Hill (19118) in its definition of NW Philly.
Northwest Philadelphia Homes For Sale
Germantown, Mt. Airy, and Chestnut Hill homes for sale.
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