Paoli is part of the Philadelphia area. This page covers the whole metro.
Outdoorsy, Big-city feel, Historic
Scored the same way as the quiz, against 382 U.S. metro areas. A feel is listed when Philadelphia scores 70 or higher out of 100.
Less so: cozy.
How locals describe Philadelphia
The words residents use most, from 50 comments on Reddit, City-Data and Quora. Bigger means more people said it. Tap a word to read what they said.
"There is endless cheap or free entertainment when the weather is nice. Lots of cool little bars."
"It took me 1.5 hours to get to work near Paoli (from South Philly) this morning, and 1:20 to get back."
"Water ice on a hot day. The quiet of walking around in freshly fallen snow without the normal city noises."
A walk through Philadelphia
Places residents talk about, in their words. Each photo is of the place named.
Look around Philadelphia
Google Street View near the center of town, taken 2020-07. Drag to turn, click the street to move.
Open in Google MapsEveryday life in Philadelphia
Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.
Around Philadelphia
What Philadelphia is known for
Every year
JunPhiladelphia Pride March and Festival: Parade and festival in the Gayborhood with food and performancesdiscoverphl.com
JunRoots Picnic: Weekend of music performances handpicked by The Rootsdiscoverphl.com
OctPhiladelphia Film Festival: Festival premiering Oscar contenders and local filmsdiscoverphl.com
On a normal week
Visiting Fairmount Parken.wikipedia.org
Walking Independence Hall historic areaen.wikipedia.org
Take a tour of Philadelphia
"Philadelphia Walking Tour in 8K 🇺🇸 (part one) | From the Rocky Steps to City Hall" by Polish Richard, on YouTube. Not made by Varro.
One resident finds Philadelphia cheesesteaks underwhelming because the flavors seem too basic to be interesting after having more complex cuisines.
“I've been underwhelmed by cheesesteaks in general. The flavors are just too basic to be interesting to me”
“Riddly Creek State Park and French Creek State Park have nice trails less than an hour outside the city, Yellow & Orange trails…”
A middle class family stretches its budget below their means to afford private Montessori schooling.
“It's so bad families who would be considered “middle class” live way below their means to send their kids to $20-30K per year Montessori schools”
From 7 resident comments about meeting people and the social scene.
One resident says Ardmore Music Hall is the best venue in the Philly area, with The Fillmore, Foundry, and Brooklyn Bowl in Fishtown also being great.
“Ardmore Music Hall is the best venue around the Philly area (imo). The Fillmore, Foundry, & Brooklyn Bowl in fish town are great too. The Met is...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoOne resident lists local venues like The Fillmore, Johnny Brenda's, Kung Fu Necktie, and Underground Arts, and mentions the Philly Discord community.
“Local venues like The Fillmore, Johnny Brenda's, Kung Fu Necktie, Underground Arts, etc. Special shout-out to philaDiscordia (Philly Discord).”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident recommends Meetup Philly for finding groups, even something as simple as a walking group, as a starting point.
“Try Meetup Philly, there's always different groups there, even if it's just a walking group to join, it's a start. Maybe there's a more social...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident suggests finding a hobby with meetups in the city or attending events at a social club like Saika Cafe in Callowhill.
“I suggest finding a hobby that has meetups in the city, or potentially attending events at a social club. Saika Cafe in Callowhill is a good...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoOne resident says that after living in Philly for almost a year, they have not made a single friend and feel their options are limited.
“I’ve lived here for almost a year now and unfortunately I haven’t made a single friend, no hyperbole. I feel like my options are kind of limited.”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoOne resident says Philly is super friendly and advises getting involved in a local community group since most neighborhoods have associations.
“Yes. Philly is super friendly. Just get involved in a local community group. Most neighborhoods have neighborhood associations that you can...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident describes dating in Philly as surprisingly bleak, noting the median age of singles in the city.
“Dating in Philly is actually very bleak surprisingly. somewhat of a large social following. The median age of singles in the actual city...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident says Philadelphia is a great place to be single with a nice variety in the dating scene.
“I consider Philadelphia to be a fairly prime place to be in the single's scene. Philly has a nice bit of everything. meaning the singles will...”
Read the full commentAbout 11 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident suggested finding dating prospects through meetup groups and social sports like running clubs or pickleball.
“Philadelphia 20s and 30s Social on Meetup.com, running clubs, pickleball or other social sports. What are you into? Find a group that does it.”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident noted the city is affordable overall except for car insurance and certain real estate, and is walkable and bikeable, though drivers can be a hazard to cyclists.
“Really good food, not an expensive city (except for car insurance and some real estate), very walkable, rideable (but people will hit you and...”
Read the full commentAbout 5 years ago. Things may have changed since.Recent stories from local outlets. Tap a headline to read it.
About 19,759 business locations in the Philadelphia area, employing about 589,442 people. That's about the usual U.S. share.
U.S. Census County Business Patterns, 2023. Counts business locations with paid employees, not job openings.
The job market feels terrible right now, with even service industry jobs being competitive for newcomers.
“The job market is terrible right now. Even service industry jobs up here are competitive if you are lacking experience. find six jobs worth...”
Read the full commentAbout 9 months agoOne resident worked remotely at a local cafe when their internet went down
“When my internet went down for a few days, I worked remotely at the New Wave Cafe. Then a colleague pointed out he used to live in Philly and...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoPick a month. A dot means residents talked about that time of year.
Fall brings changing foliage along with heavier rain and more intense storms linked to climate change.
The job market feels terrible right now, with even service industry jobs being competitive for newcomers.
“The job market is terrible right now. Even service industry jobs up here are competitive if you are lacking experience. find six jobs worth...”
Read the full commentAbout 9 months agoOne resident mentioned a job fair and suggested looking into sales support jobs with a lot of work from home options.
“The PA and Philadelphia gov are ・ there's a job fair coming up. You could also look into sales support jobs, also alot of wfh and you just...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoA healthcare worker with 15 years experience found job offers in Philly paid insultingly low wages.
“I have 15 years experience in a fairly specialized healthcare field. I was offered a few jobs in Philly and the pay was insulting so I ended up...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoA middle class family stretches its budget below their means to afford private Montessori schooling.
“It's so bad families who would be considered “middle class” live way below their means to send their kids to $20-30K per year Montessori schools...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.“The job market is terrible right now”
What's nearby
Within 5 miles of the center of the Philadelphia area.
Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Biking and trails
Within 5 miles of the center of the Philadelphia area.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.
What rent costs
Of about 779,525 rented homes in the Philadelphia area, 81% rent for under $2,000 a month and 96% for under $3,000.
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
The middle rented home in the Philadelphia area rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $2,000 to $2,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $3,000 to $4,497 where landlords also ask for last month.
Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,000 to $1,499, that's a yearly income of about $36,000 to $53,964.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Moving to Pennsylvania: before and after
- Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
- Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Pennsylvania DMV.
- Register to vote at your new address: Pennsylvania voter registration.
- Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
- Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
- Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Public schools
One public school district serves this county, with about 118,335 students. Which one serves a home depends on its address.
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Pennsylvania keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
Search licensed childcare in Pennsylvania →52 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Philadelphia. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.