State of Young Philadelphia Report
About This Report
Young Involved Philadelphia (YIP), founded in 2000, has spent a quarter of a century creating pathways for young adults to be active participants in Philadelphia’s civic and social future. This inaugural State of Young Philadelphia report examines how Philadelphia residents ages 18-34(young adults) are faring across three focus areas: demographics, health, and public safety. Itis important to note that some figures in the report fall slightly out of the scope of the age group identified. This is due to data availability for the young adult group measured in this report.
From 2014 to 2023, Philadelphia’s young adult population declined by 6%, with most of the decrease occurring during and after the COVID pandemic. A similar decline occurred in other cities, leaving Philadelphia still ranked third among comparison cities in its young adult portion of the total population. With most young adults living in the Center City-University City area.
Young Democrats in Philadelphia as of 2025 identify as a registered democrat at a five times higher rate than their young Republican counterparts. Businesses and organizations in the health care and social assistance sector employ the highest number of Philadelphians aged 25-34. Poverty remains a challenge in Philadelphia, with 1-5 young adults living below the poverty line.
Out of the cities compared, Philadelphia narrowly is the city that is home to the most young people living below the poverty line. As of 2023, 20% of young Philadelphians lacked health insurance, below the national average and many of its peer cities. Young Philadelphians disability rate was just under 12%, which was three percentage points higher than the national average and only second to Detroit among comparison cities.
In Philadelphia and nationally, public safety has improved recently after increasing during the pandemic period. While homicides in the city decreased by 52% since 2021, homicides committed by someone aged 18-34 have increased by 80% since 2021, although this group accounted for a rising share of all homicides, the population of young adults in the city’s prison system has decreased by nearly 20% from 2019 to 2024, representing over half those incarcerated.
Philadelphia’s young adult population remains a central driver in the city’s future. This report aims to underscore the need for continued investment in this age group while thinking of innovative efforts to stimulate growth and civic vitality.
The ‘State of Young Philadelphia’ report is the first report published by Young Involved Philadelphia. Anna Breece, Rishaun Hall, and Wei Liu gathered and assembled the data for this report. Sandra Shea and Thomas Ginsberg provided editorial input. This report has been externally reviewed by Dr. Michelle Wade, Professor of Public Administration and Policy at West Chester University.