Philadelphia has seen its median age increase over the last several years along with millennials, who comprise the largest portion of city residents.
However, in Mantua, the median age is actually getting younger, write Beatrice Forman and Joe Yerardi for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the median age of a resident in Mantua in 2023 was 29.9 years old. That is more than two years younger than it was in 2010. It also represents one of the sharpest age declines of any Philadelphia neighborhood.
Mantua’s median age decline has happened during a time when Philly’s median age rose to 35.1 years, a 1.4 year increase.
Emily Dowdall, president of policy solutions at The Reinvestment Fund, explained that this is a result of “studentification.” This refers to when a neighborhood’s nearby presence to a university goes beyond its campus, which leads to the median age dropping.
In contrast to its declining age, Mantua has seen an increase in housing costs.
Between 2023 and the third quarter of 2024, the typical home purchased in Mantua cost about $160,000. Meanwhile, the typical Mantua resident makes about $35,000 in annual income.
An Inquirer analysis of Reinvestment Fund data found that Mantua is the sixth least affordable neighborhood for long-term Philly residents.
Read more about why Mantua is younger and more unaffordable in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on PHILADELPHIA Today in March 2025.
