We regularly release reports that often offer comparisons with other major U.S. cities, and we conduct polling to determine Philadelphians’ views on policy issues, elected officials, and various aspects of life in the city.
We also combine our local capacity with our state- and national-level expertise to convene city and regional stakeholders with experts and officials from around the country to discuss effective, evidence-based solutions being implemented in other jurisdictions and the impacts of those reforms.
Philadelphia Works to Improve Its Outside Vendor Process
Like many major U.S. cities, Philadelphia relies heavily on nonprofit and for-profit partners to provide a wide variety of services to its residents. In fiscal year 2024, the city spent $1.3 billion on approximately 2,400 professional services contracts. Those outside vendors provide critical services, including after-school programs, homeless shelters, and health care, to name just a few.
Philadelphia 2025: The State of The City
As 2025 began, Philadelphia appeared to be entering a new and different phase after years of pandemic-related reverberations. The question is which effects from the past few years will turn out to have been temporary and which will prove more enduring. The answers are beginning to come into sharper focus.
Business Ownership in Philadelphia and Other Major U.S. Cities
Business ownership, like homeownership, is a major driver of economic mobility and wealth for many individuals and families, but it varies considerably by race, ethnicity, and sex. Federal data sheds new light on how, in recent years, business ownership has risen sharply throughout the country but at uneven rates for Black, Hispanic, Asian, White, female, and male entrepreneurs in different cities and counties, reflecting varying local economic environments.
Philadelphia’s Guiding Document at 75
As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday this year, Philadelphia—the nation’s first capital and founding city—is marking a milestone of its own: the 75th anniversary of its Home Rule Charter. The charter, adopted on April 17, 1951, is often referred to as the city’s constitution, framing its governance structure and laying the foundation for relationships between Philadelphians and their local government.
35% of Older Philadelphians Live Below or Near Poverty Line
Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate among the nation’s 10 largest cities and one of the highest rates among big cities in general, with about 1 in 5 residents living in poverty—a pattern that applies to older Philadelphians as well. Over the past decade, as residents ages 65 and older have felt the pressures of poverty, their labor force participation rate has increased noticeably in Philadelphia and throughout the nation.
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