Last year brought many serious challenges, chief among them the pandemic and its impacts on cities around the world, including our hometown of Philadelphia. COVID-19 affected nearly all aspects of Philadelphians’ lives, magnifying existing inequities and exposing new fault lines at a time when calls for racial justice were mounting in the city and throughout the country.
Data from our Philadelphia research and policy initiative's annual “State of the City” report documents the pandemic’s consequences, both direct and indirect.
As it grappled with the coronavirus, Philadelphia also faced spikes in gun violence and drug overdose deaths as well as questions about what lasting effects the pandemic might have on its economy and its people.
Here, we tell the city’s story, providing a snapshot of what life looks like now and how it has evolved in recent years.
Philadelphia 2024
COVID-19
A deadly pandemic stuns a city
Nearly 2,500 Philadelphians lost their lives to the coronavirus in 2020, with more than 96,000 confirmed cases.
The world wasn’t prepared for the novel coronavirus, and many Americans weren’t prepared for how rapidly it spread. But as Philadelphians learned more about how to protect themselves, the number of deaths per month in the city fell gradually from spring to summer before rising sharply in late fall.
COVID-19 Cases in Philadelphia, 2020
From March 2020 through late December 2020, Philadelphia recorded more than 96,000 cases of COVID-19. Like many other U.S. cities, Philadelphia experienced two major spikes in cases: shortly after the start of the pandemic and once more during the winter holidays.
Source: City of Philadelphia, “COVID-19 Overview,” https://www.phila.gov/programs/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/data/testing/
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
As the pandemic stretched on, the city steadily increased the availability of COVID-19 testing for residents. Although tests were relatively limited in the early months, more than 200,000 tests per month were administered in November and December.
From March through December 2020, Philadelphia recorded more than 96,000 cases of COVID-19. Like many other U.S. cities, Philadelphia experienced two major spikes in cases: in April, shortly after the start of the pandemic, and once more toward the end of the year.
COVID-19 Deaths in Philadelphia, 2020
In 2020, Philadelphia recorded nearly 2,500 deaths from COVID-19. As the public learned more about how the virus is spread, the number of deaths per month fell gradually from spring to summer before rising sharply in December.
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Cases and Deaths in Philadelphia: Daily Totals,” https://www.inquirer.com/health/coronavirus/inq/coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-numbers-pennsylvania-new-jersey-20200319.html
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
Hispanic and Black Philadelphia residents were far more likely to know someone who died from the virus than were non-Hispanic White residents, our August 2020 poll revealed.
The pandemic affected not only physical health but also mental health. In our survey, 49% of Philadelphians said that they or someone in their household felt seriously depressed or anxious.
Poll Results: Percentage of Philadelphians Who Know Someone Who Has Died From Coronavirus
As of August 2020, 58% of Philadelphians said they knew someone who had contracted the coronavirus, and nearly a quarter said they knew someone who had died from it. Hispanic and Black residents were far more likely to know someone who had died from the illness than were non-Hispanic White residents.
Source: The Pew Philadelphia Poll, 2020
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
Mask Compliance
Face coverings become the new normal
Did most people in Philadelphia wear masks?
Despite controversy around mask mandates throughout the country, a large majority of people in Philadelphia abided by the rule.
To help stem the spread of COVID-19, Mayor Jim Kenney signed an executive order on June 28, mandating that masks be worn in a number of social or public settings. The city’s Department of Public Health then began tracking the rate of mask compliance by counting the number of people seen wearing masks on security cameras throughout the city.
Compliance both outside and at retail locations was generally high and rose over time.
Mask Compliance in Philadelphia
To help stem the spread of COVID-19, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health began tracking the rates of compliance with wearing masks after Mayor Jim Kenney signed an executive order in June 2020 mandating their use in a number of situations. The department calculated compliance by counting the number of people seen wearing masks on security cameras throughout the city. Compliance both outside and at retail locations was generally high and rose over time.
Note: No outside observances were logged for June 2020.
Source: City of Philadelphia, “COVID-19 Overview,” https://www.phila.gov/programs/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/testing-and-data
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
Employment
Job growth halts, unemployment spikes
The city’s unemployment rate more than triples within five months.
Before 2020, the number of jobs in Philadelphia had been rising steadily, with the city recording a historically low unemployment rate in 2019, at 5.5%.
But that progress came to an abrupt halt. The pandemic was declared a national emergency on March 13; businesses and institutions in Philadelphia and across the country had to shutter their doors, and, except for essential workers, residents were asked to remain at home.
Shortly afterward, the city’s unemployment rate jumped to levels not seen even in the worst days of the Great Recession, reaching 18.2% in June. The leisure and hospitality sector was hit the hardest: A third of its jobs disappeared in 2020.
Unemployment gradually fell as businesses started to reopen, ending the year at 9.3%. It was 6.7% nationally in December 2020.
Philadelphia’s Unemployment Rate, 2020
Philadelphia started the year with relatively low unemployment. But after the stay-at-home orders were implemented in the spring, the rate jumped to levels not seen even in the worst days of the Great Recession, reaching a high of 18.2% in June. It gradually fell as businesses started to reopen, ending 2020 at 9.3% in December.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/lau/
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
Although the unemployment rate began to decrease in the latter half of the year, the city’s average, 12.2%, was still the highest in decades and above the national average of 8.1%.
Unemployment Rate in Philadelphia, 2010-20
As happened in the country as a whole, Philadelphia’s unemployment rate rose sharply from 2019 to 2020, averaging 12.2% for the year. Although the rate began to decrease in the latter half of the year, the city’s average was still the highest in decades and higher than the national average of 8.1%.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/lau (local data); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, https://www.bls.gov/cps (national data)
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
The number of jobs in the city declined by more than 40,000 from 2019 to 2020, though at times that number dipped by almost 100,000.
Philadelphia underwent a 5.6% contraction in the number of jobs from 2019 to 2020, similar to the country’s 5.8% decrease. This came after years of job growth in the city, which outperformed the country as a whole in 2016, 2018, and 2019.
Job Growth and Decline, 2010-20
Philadelphia underwent a 5.6% contraction in the number of jobs from 2019 to 2020, similar to the country’s 5.8% decrease. This came after years of job growth in the city, which outperformed the country as a whole in 2016, 2018, and 2019.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ces (national); Bureau of Labor Statistics, State and Metro Area Employment, Hours, and Earnings, https://www.bls.gov/sae (local)
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
Public Safety
Increase in violence raises concerns
Homicides are up by 40% in one year.
In 2020, homicides in Philadelphia increased to levels not seen since the early 1990s. The number of homicides was more than 40% higher than in 2019—and more than twice as high as in 2013, when the total was the lowest since the 1960s.
Homicides in Philadelphia, 2020
By month
In 2020, Philadelphia recorded 499 homicides, with nearly 300 of them occurring in the second half of the year. And in the early months of 2021, the homicide rate was running ahead of the 2020 pace.
Source: Philadelphia Police Department
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
As homicides spiked, residents grew more concerned. Philadelphians polled in the summer said that they were more worried about public safety and crime than about COVID-19’s impact.
Philadelphia's Most Important Issues
Percentage of respondents mentioning each topic
For all that has changed in 2020, one thing has remained the same: Philadelphians see public safety as the city’s top challenge. In the survey, 41% of residents mention public safety in response to an open-ended question allowing them to cite more than one issue; the same percentage did so in 2019. Other concerns listed by at least 5% of respondents in 2020 include poverty/homelessness, education, jobs and the economy, and COVID-19’s impact. Three other issues—race relations and racism, sanitation and trash, and affordable housing/cost of living—are relatively prominent on the 2020 list but not in the 2019 version.
Notes: Issues are listed in order of the percentage of respondents who cited them in 2020; only concerns mentioned by at least 5% in 2020 are shown. Respondents could—and often did—name more than one issue in answer to the open-ended question. Researchers then placed the answers into categories. In 2019, the question asked about the most important issue facing “the city and the next mayor.”
Source: The Pew Philadelphia Poll, 2019 and 2020
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
Public Transportation
As travel plummets, so does ridership
City Transit use fell by almost 24%.
Mass transit ridership, which had already been declining in previous years, dropped sharply in 2020, largely because of the pandemic. Many companies shifted to remote work, and all large events and gatherings were canceled amid government stay-at-home and social distancing orders. For instance, our August 2020 poll found that 52% of Philadelphia residents said they had been working mostly or entirely at home. As a result of these changes, use of public transit dropped considerably.
Ridership through the 12 months ending June 30—which included only the first few months of the pandemic restrictions—was down almost 24% from the prior year for SEPTA’s City Transit Division and down 23% for Regional Rail. Use of PATCO’s high-speed line declined 64% for the entire year.
Local Mass Transit Ridership in Philadelphia, 2010-20
One-way rides per year
Mass transit ridership, which had been declining in previous years, dropped sharply in 2020, largely because of the pandemic. Through midyear, ridership was down almost 24% from 2019 on SEPTA’s City Transit Division and down 23% on Regional Rail. PATCO’s high-speed line was off 64% for the entire year. In response to stay-at-home orders and office closings, transit agencies adjusted their schedules to accommodate decreased demand.
Note: SEPTA statistics are for the period ending June 30 of each year. PATCO statistics are for the calendar year.
Sources: SEPTA (City Transit and Regional Rail data); Delaware River Port Authority (PATCO high-speed line data)
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
City Revenue
An uncertain fiscal future
Revenue from sales, business, and wage taxes is down by more than half.
Like most U.S. cities, Philadelphia’s city government took a revenue hit from COVID-19—with fewer people spending money at local shops and restaurants, fewer businesses operating, and fewer workers in the city.
Many other city governments get much of their local revenue from property taxes. But Philadelphia relies heavily on a wage tax and is one of only six of the 20 most populous U.S. cities that has a city- or county-level tax on compensation, according to the Tax Foundation.
Commuters who are now working remotely no longer have to pay the wage tax, which is normally paid by anyone working within the city. The wage tax was projected to account for 47% of locally generated tax revenue in fiscal year 2021.
Projected City Tax Revenue by Type, FY 2021
Many city governments get much of their local revenue from property taxes. However, Philadelphia relies heavily on a wage tax, which was projected to account for 47% of locally generated tax revenue in fiscal 2021. The uncertainties concerning the impact of pandemic-related economic restrictions, including the expansion of remote work, made these projections less reliable than in a more normal year.
Source: Philadelphia Department of Finance, “The Mayor’s Operating Budget in Brief for Fiscal Year 2021, as Approved by the Council June 2020,” https://www.phila.gov/finance/pdfs/Operating%20Budget/FY21_Budget_in_Brief_Adopted_FINAL.pdf
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
The fiscal 2021 budget, adopted in June, was based on an anticipated decrease in general fund revenue of more than $190 million. The biggest projected declines were in business and sales taxes, both of which were expected to drop approximately 10% from fiscal 2020.
The city’s fiscal 2022 budget will be somewhat easier to balance, thanks to federal funds coming to the city via the American Rescue Plan, enacted by Congress in March 2020.
Projected Changes in City Tax Revenue by Type, FY 2020-21
The fiscal 2021 budget, adopted in the midst of the pandemic, was based on an anticipated 5.5% decrease in general fund revenues from the previous year—a more than $190 million reduction. The biggest projected declines were in business and sales taxes, both of which were expected to drop approximately 10% from FY 2020.
Source: Philadelphia Department of Finance, “The Mayor’s Operating Budget in Brief for Fiscal Year 2021, as Approved by the Council June 2020,” https://www.phila.gov/finance/pdfs/Operating%20Budget/FY21_Budget_in_Brief_Adopted_FINAL.pdf
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
Evictions
Evictions are paused as pandemic keeps people home
Eviction filings dropped from 20,350 in 2019 to 7,620 in 2020.
In March, in response to the pandemic and shelter-at-home mandates, the city’s court system placed a moratorium on evictions and stopped accepting new filings that could lead to eviction. The first coronavirus relief bill also outlawed evictions from March to July in most federally subsidized housing.
In July, the courts started allowing new cases to be filed but permitted evictions only in cases of breach of lease related to criminal conduct or damage to the property.
Eviction Filings in Philadelphia, 2020
By month
In March, in response to the pandemic, the city’s court system placed a moratorium on evictions and stopped accepting new filings that could lead to eviction. In July, the courts started allowing new cases to be filed but permitted evictions only in cases of breach of lease related to criminal conduct or damage to the property.
Source: Philadelphia Municipal Court
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
Residential eviction filings in Philadelphia, which had gradually declined in recent years, plummeted in 2020 as a result of the evictions moratorium, which was extended through June 2021.
Eviction Filings in Philadelphia Municipal Court, 2010-20
Residential eviction filings in Philadelphia, which had gradually declined in recent years, plummeted in 2020 as a result of the temporary evictions moratorium established in March. The municipal court has extended the moratorium through March 2021.
Source: Philadelphia Municipal Court
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
Drug Overdoses
Crisis intensifies amid social isolation
Drug overdose deaths remain at historic highs.
Philadelphia’s opioid crisis and drug overdose death rate have been major concerns for several years. In fact, in 2019, Philadelphia had the highest rate of overdose deaths among counties with more than 1 million people.
Fatal drug overdoses continued to be a major concern in 2020. People with substance use disorders faced intensified challenges during COVID-19 because of social isolation, job loss, and reduced access to in-person treatment.
City officials estimate Philadelphia’s 2020 death toll from drug overdoses to be around 1,200, roughly matching the peak recorded in 2017. Should that estimate hold, the total would be slightly higher than in 2019.
Unintentional Drug Overdose Deaths in Philadelphia, 2010-20
City officials estimate Philadelphia’s 2020 death toll from drug overdoses to be 1,200, roughly matching the peak recorded in 2017. Should that estimate hold, the total would be slightly higher than in 2019.
Note: The 2020 number is an estimate. These figures apply to all unintentional drug overdose deaths that occurred in Philadelphia.
Source: Philadelphia Department of Public Health
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
Philadelphia reported 62.2 drug overdose deaths for every 100,000 residents in 2019, the latest year for which comparison data was available. Generally, overdose data is collected at the county level. Among the comparison cities and the counties that include them, Philadelphia had the second-highest rate, behind only Baltimore.
Drug Overdose Deaths per 100,000 Residents, 2019
Philadelphia reported 62.2 drug overdose deaths for every 100,000 residents in 2019, the latest year for which comparison data was available. Generally, overdose data is collected at the county level. Among the comparison cities and the counties that include them, Philadelphia had the second-highest rate, behind only Baltimore. Among counties nationwide with at least 1 million residents, Philadelphia had the highest rate of overdose deaths in 2019.
Note: Data includes deaths considered unintentional or undetermined, and rates are age-adjusted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, allowing for fairer comparisons among populations in different jurisdictions.
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC WONDER Database, “Multiple Cause of Death Data,” https://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd.html
© 2021 The Pew Charitable Trusts
To examine these takeaways in greater detail and access comprehensive data, charts, maps, and other findings, download the full “State of the City” report.
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