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As you can see from the charts below, the 1920s was a decade of explosive growth
Now, considering out of the top 10 cities, Cleveland, St Louis, Boston, Baltimore, Pittsburgh all saw smaller increases than Philly, but were also much smaller cities, I'm only speaking in relation to the rest of the top 5 cities, all of which saw massive increases of over 600,000 while Philly had an increase of only 125,000.
This video shows that all of these cities, including Philly were growing rapidly until about 1920, when Philly's population growth slows dramatically.
Now obviously the creator of the video made some mistakes. He left out a few cities which were in the top 15. The growth in the cities it does show does seem to be in order though.
Phila. actually lost people during the 1930s depression years. The 1940 census shows growth again.
To answer your question, Phila. may not have gotten as many black people from the south during the Great Migration period as other cities. That could help explain it. All 4 of my grandparents were part of that migration in 1915/16. My paternal grandparents moved here from Baltimore just to be in, afaik, a more bustling place that was still close to their family members but not in the south. My maternal grandparents came here because my grandfather wanted to go to medical school at Jeff. LONG story wrt what happened with that.
Tbh, it impresses me that Phila. stayed #3 for decades. And that there are only 3 cities, well 4 if you count LA, that have stayed in the top ten for a century: NY, Chicago and Phila.
When, or perhaps when, Phoenix becomes absolutely uninhabitable in this century Phila may get its place back in the top ten.
Tbh, it impresses me that Phila. stayed #3 for decades. And that there are only 3 cities, well 4 if you count LA, that have stayed in the top ten for a century: NY, Chicago and Phila.
When, or perhaps when, Phoenix becomes absolutely uninhabitable in this century Phila may get its place back in the top ten.
Agreed. Rising sea levels that may (will) push people out of Boston and especially the NYC and Miami metros may also produce positive net gain for Philadelphia. South and Southwestern Philly may have some challenges from rising sea levels, but it looks relatively manageable to produce infrastructure to contain river overflow.
Agreed. Rising sea levels that may (will) push people out of Boston and especially the NYC and Miami metros may also produce positive net gain for Philadelphia. South and Southwestern Philly may have some challenges from rising sea levels, but it looks relatively manageable to produce infrastructure to contain river overflow.
Isn't this a bit far into the future to say Bostonians, New Yorkers, even DC Baltimore folk will head to Philly vs a whole Nation?
We also do not know what protections will begin to be taken? It reasons NYC and Sea-filled parts of Boston that was created . Won't be let to just go under water .......
But then much will be for future Generations for any over 40 today. Philly will continue to grow at a pace Corporate Ametica choses for it in employment opportunities like our current Sunbelt cities have created for them and all past migrations it steered in our past.
I know counting on NYC transplants is hoped for even today in Philly (not by all I'm sure), that I read in the Philly forum pretty regularly hoped for. But the jobs for then also have to be here for them to move to Philly for and have much more of that occurring. Commuting still is just too much for most. Unless some new hyperlink train got built?
I don't think any other city in the Nation? Looks toward one another city so much, as Philly toward NYC, for its prospering and growth. Especially hoping for more migrations of professionals ...... then Philly. Some no doubt ill continue. But to see Climate-Change effects as even more of its reason to boom again? Is a hoe that really is further in the future then able to predict.
If NYC developers really start to vamp-up investing in Philly as to see this migration increasing to create more in ? Then that is more then hope. But of course, some sill continue as hoped for. Couple include NYC's poor classes too. Maintaining that group as Philly's %. So far it seems stable vs other cities. Some may move our .... but some move in. They merely my be pushed into other neighborhoods that then loose value and change. While their old hood gentrifies.
I don't think any other city in the Nation? Looks toward one another city so much, as Philly toward NYC, for its prospering and growth. Especially hoping for more migrations of professionals ...... then Philly. Some no doubt ill continue. But to see Climate-Change effects as even more of its reason to boom again? Is a hoe that really is further in the future then able to predict.
Migration from New York isn't "hoped for" nor is it required for Philadelphia to flourish. It just is.
Both cities have always had a fairly close historical linkage in terms of migration patterns that has only gotten stronger over time. This is also true, but to a much lesser extent, between Philly and Baltimore, DC and Boston. It's simply part-and-parcel of the economic synergy and flow of commerce in a megalopolis.
So, yes, is there some generous prognosticating going on with regard to anticipating more NYC relocatees as a result of climate change? Sure. But the other posters are absolutely right that it's definitely not a stretch to take it into strong consideration given current trends. And this is to say nothing of other constraints like the rising cost of housing and infrastructure maintenance in NYC, which squeezes the relatively small middle class in that city more and more each year.
I don't think anyone hopes for anyone else to be forced from their home due unfortunate circumstances. But if Philly ends up being a good alternative for these types of folks and serves as a "release valve" for NYC growth pressures, which it ostensibly will moreso in the future, then I don't think it's quite a terrible thing to consider it a win-win for all parties involved.
Phila. actually lost people during the 1930s depression years. The 1940 census shows growth again.
To answer your question, Phila. may not have gotten as many black people from the south during the Great Migration period as other cities. That could help explain it. All 4 of my grandparents were part of that migration in 1915/16. My paternal grandparents moved here from Baltimore just to be in, afaik, a more bustling place that was still close to their family members but not in the south. My maternal grandparents came here because my grandfather wanted to go to medical school at Jeff. LONG story wrt what happened with that.
That video shows Philly losing population the whole decade, from 1930 to 40. Chicago seems to have made out better, not starting to lose population until 1935. I guess that's to be expected though.
Isn't this a bit far into the future to say Bostonians, New Yorkers, even DC Baltimore folk will head to Philly vs a whole Nation?
We also do not know what protections will begin to be taken? It reasons NYC and Sea-filled parts of Boston that was created . Won't be let to just go under water .......
But then much will be for future Generations for any over 40 today. Philly will continue to grow at a pace Corporate Ametica choses for it in employment opportunities like our current Sunbelt cities have created for them and all past migrations it steered in our past.
I know counting on NYC transplants is hoped for even today in Philly (not by all I'm sure), that I read in the Philly forum pretty regularly hoped for. But the jobs for then also have to be here for them to move to Philly for and have much more of that occurring. Commuting still is just too much for most. Unless some new hyperlink train got built?
I don't think any other city in the Nation? Looks toward one another city so much, as Philly toward NYC, for its prospering and growth. Especially hoping for more migrations of professionals ...... then Philly. Some no doubt ill continue. But to see Climate-Change effects as even more of its reason to boom again? Is a hoe that really is further in the future then able to predict.
If NYC developers really start to vamp-up investing in Philly as to see this migration increasing to create more in ? Then that is more then hope. But of course, some sill continue as hoped for. Couple include NYC's poor classes too. Maintaining that group as Philly's %. So far it seems stable vs other cities. Some may move our .... but some move in. They merely my be pushed into other neighborhoods that then loose value and change. While their old hood gentrifies.
Isn't this a bit far into the future to say Bostonians, New Yorkers, even DC Baltimore folk will head to Philly vs a whole Nation?
We also do not know what protections will begin to be taken? It reasons NYC and Sea-filled parts of Boston that was created . Won't be let to just go under water .......
But then much will be for future Generations for any over 40 today. Philly will continue to grow at a pace Corporate Ametica choses for it in employment opportunities like our current Sunbelt cities have created for them and all past migrations it steered in our past.
I know counting on NYC transplants is hoped for even today in Philly (not by all I'm sure), that I read in the Philly forum pretty regularly hoped for. But the jobs for then also have to be here for them to move to Philly for and have much more of that occurring. Commuting still is just too much for most. Unless some new hyperlink train got built?
I don't think any other city in the Nation? Looks toward one another city so much, as Philly toward NYC, for its prospering and growth. Especially hoping for more migrations of professionals ...... then Philly. Some no doubt ill continue. But to see Climate-Change effects as even more of its reason to boom again? Is a hoe that really is further in the future then able to predict.
If NYC developers really start to vamp-up investing in Philly as to see this migration increasing to create more in ? Then that is more then hope. But of course, some sill continue as hoped for. Couple include NYC's poor classes too. Maintaining that group as Philly's %. So far it seems stable vs other cities. Some may move our .... but some move in. They merely my be pushed into other neighborhoods that then loose value and change. While their old hood gentrifies.
You almost make it sound like we're pinning our hopes for Philly's future on New York and New Yorkers.
We really aren't. Given our historic municipal inferiority complex, some here probably take delight in seeing so many overburdened Brooklynites* plant themselves here, but save for imploring them to visit (Visit Philly just about blankets New York Penn Station with advertising, and why not? It may be the most convenient weekend getaway in the country for a New Yorker), it seems to me that Philly isn't looking to hitch its wagon to New York's star. (Okay, we made a pretty big deal about finally completing I-95 and swapping "Trenton" for "New York" on the highway guide signs, but that's an exception to the rule, IMO.)
*The Inquirer recently ran an article breaking down the net migration flows between NYC and Philly borough by borough. It turns out that the flow is net towards Manhattan, but that number is dwarfed by the net flow out of Brooklyn. And if you think about it a minute, this makes sense: The Manhattan lifestyle can only be obtained by moving there; not even Rittenhouse Square comes close to it, so if that's the kind of urban splendor you want and you can figure out how to swing it, you will move there. On the other hand, Philly offers the same kinds of amenities, attractions and activity one finds in Brooklyn (save one in each city" swap Coney Island for the Wissahickon) for a good deal less money, so if you're fine with everything about Brooklyn except your rent or mortgage, you can give yourself a nice raise in terms of disposable income by relocating 90 miles south.
Philly offers the same kinds of amenities, attractions and activity one finds in Brooklyn (save one in each city" swap Coney Island for the Wissahickon) for a good deal less money, so if you're fine with everything about Brooklyn except your rent or mortgage, you can give yourself a nice raise in terms of disposable income by relocating 90 miles south.
And you can live in an actual city offering all the amenities that entails, rather than a borough, fighting for scraps in the shadow of a monster next door. Manhattan sucks up pretty much all the attention when it comes to media, politics, finance, entertainment, culture and urban identity. When anyone in the country claims they are making a trip to NYC, don’t most people assume they are going to Manhattan? When a NYC sports team wins a title, the ticker tape parade is in Manhattan, not where the team plays. Manhattan is simply the default borough. Meanwhile, Philly does its own thing.
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