Bucks County vs Philadelphia County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania versus Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Bucks County edges out Philadelphia County on overall objective livability (53 vs 38 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bucks County | Philadelphia County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $108k | $58k |
| Cost of Living | $58k | $49k |
| Home Value | $396k | $216k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.45% | 0.86% |
| Income Tax | 3.48% | 7.05% |
| Sales Tax | 6.34% | 6.34% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.90% | 12.38% |
| Unemployment | 4.6% | 8.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 32°F | 33°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 76°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.3 in | 49.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 19.1 in | 17.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 239 days | 219 days |
| Summer Humidity | 64°F | 64°F |
| Comfortable Days | 82 days | 78 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 94.8 | 99.6 |
| Air Quality | 39 AQI | 58 AQI |
| School Quality | 95.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 151/100k | 2640/100k |
| Property Crime | 531/100k | 4373/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 645,163 | 1,593,208 |
| Median Age | 44.0 | 34.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.29 | 0.68 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.91 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+64 |
| White (%) | 81.7% | 33.5% |
| Black (%) | 3.7% | 39.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 5.9% | 15.7% |
| Asian (%) | 4.9% | 7.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.8% | 4.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 33 min |
| Walkability | 9.6/20 | 14.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 32 mi | 11 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.0% | 85.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 2.82 | 8.99 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bucks County or Philadelphia County more affordable?
- Philadelphia County has the lower cost of living: its index is $49k, compared with Bucks County's $58k and Philadelphia County's $49k. Median rent is $1k in Bucks County versus $1k in Philadelphia County.
- Is Bucks County or Philadelphia County safer?
- Bucks County has the lower violent crime rate. Bucks County reports 151/100k and Philadelphia County reports 2640/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bucks County or Philadelphia County?
- The median home value is $396k in Bucks County and $216k in Philadelphia County, so homes are more affordable in Philadelphia County.