The Town Files

Philadelphia, New York

Town in Jefferson County · population 1,975 (2020 Census)

Map: where Philadelphia is in New YorkPhiladelphia
Median home
$182,000
Household income
$76,364
Jan low / Jul high
11° / 80°
Snow a year
135 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
1
Median age
32.3

Philadelphia is a town of 1,975 people in Jefferson County, New York. The median home is worth $182,000, below the typical New York town ($217,700).

How Philadelphia ranks

Percentile among New York towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New York towns.

Philadelphia lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement12th pctFamilies26th pctQuiet29th pctWalkability32nd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals40th pctVibrancy37th pctHip & trendy12th pctCollege town27th pctUpscale35th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving58th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Philadelphia is worth $182,000, below the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $76,364, which is more affordable than 67% of New York towns. Median rent is $1,052 a month. 64.0% of households own their home.

Philadelphia vs Jefferson County vs typical New York townPhiladelphiaJefferson CountyTypical New York townHome value$182,000$188,200$217,700Household income$76,364$66,301$80,740Monthly rent$1,052$1,213$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingPhiladelphiaTypical New York town
Median home value$182,000$217,700
Median rent$1,052$1,080
Median household income$76,364$80,740
Home value ÷ income2.4×2.8×
Homeownership64.0%79.5%
Median year built19811965
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Philadelphia

PeoplePhiladelphiaTypical New York town
Median age32.343.5
Age 65 and over12.8%20.4%
Under 1831.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher24.2%30.4%
Below the poverty line18.9%9.3%
Veterans16.9%—
Born outside the U.S.2.2%—
Work from home7.1%11.1%
Average commute23.0 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband89.0%91.1%

Weather in Philadelphia

July highs average 79.8°F and January lows 10.7°F. About 44.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 134.9 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 144 nights at or below freezing.

Philadelphia monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing29°11°Jan31°12°Feb40°22°Mar54°35°Apr67°47°May75°57°Jun80°62°Jul79°61°Aug72°52°Sep59°41°Oct46°31°Nov35°20°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.637.02.933.42.817.53.54.83.60.23.73.53.83.95.01.14.211.23.929.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Watertown station (14.3 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Philadelphia since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. The strongest, an F0, struck on August 5, 2003 about 6.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 5, 2003.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Philadelphia by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s01990s12000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on March 29, 2020.

Severe weather in Jefferson County since 1996

Storm events in Jefferson County since 1996 by typeHail24Flood19Blizzard6High Wind64Heavy Snow63Flash Flood10Frost/Freeze21Winter Storm55
NOAA Storm Events Database, Jefferson County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Jefferson County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 24, 2024Tropical StormDR-4825: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby
November 20, 2022Winter StormEM-3589: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
March 20, 2020BiologicalDR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3434: Covid-19
December 19, 2019Severe StormDR-4472: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Jefferson County

Jefferson County had 40,308 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,545 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Philadelphia itself the ACS puts it at 2.8%.

Largest industries in Jefferson CountyHealth care & social assistan…6,712 jobs · $62,819Retail5,675 jobs · $37,065Hotels & restaurants4,049 jobs · $25,397Manufacturing1,758 jobs · $66,346Construction1,708 jobs · $68,764Transportation & warehousing1,483 jobs · $51,968
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Jefferson County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Jefferson 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Philadelphia

3 public schools with 2,059 students, about 11.0 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
INDIAN RIVER HIGH SCHOOL9-1279510.6
INDIAN RIVER MIDDLE SCHOOL6-872510.5
INDIAN RIVER INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL4-553912.3

Towns near Philadelphia

Philadelphia questions

Is Philadelphia, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Philadelphia scores better for retirees than 12% of New York towns and quieter than 29%. 12.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.3).

How much does a house cost in Philadelphia?

The median owner-occupied home in Philadelphia is valued at $182,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $76,364, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $1,052 a month.

What is the weather like in Philadelphia?

July highs average 79.8°F and January lows 10.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.4 inches of precipitation a year and 134.9 inches of snow.

Does Philadelphia get tornadoes?

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Philadelphia since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on August 5, 2003. The typical New York town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Philadelphia's Census boundary (GEOID 3604557562). Comparisons use the median of New York towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.