Advantages & Disadvantages of Retiring in Philadelphia

You think about retiring in Philadelphia but want to get additional information about life as a retiree, living costs, housing situation, medical infrastructure, public transport, entertainment options and much more?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of retiring in Philadelphia in the following chapters.

Retire in Philadelphia – Overview

Reasons to Retire in Philadelphia

1. Lower living costs in Philadelphia compared to other big cities
2. Philadelphia is close to the coast
3. Many senior centers in Philadelphia
4. Many opportunities to socialize with other pensioners
5. Nice bars where you can hang out with other retirees
6. Philadelphia has many great sports teams
7. More than enough entertainment in Philadelphia
8. Philadelphia has decent public transport near the city center
9. Philadelphia is a bicycle-friendly city
10. You may not even need a car to get around in Philly
11. Pensioners find most things they need within walking distance
12. Good medical infrastructure in Philadelphia
13. Proximity to New York city makes Philadelphia even more attractive
14. Most people in Philadelphia have an excellent internet connection
15. Easy to get from and to Philadelphia
16. Many decent restaurants in Philadelphia
17. Air quality in Philadelphia is pretty decent

Lower living costs in Philadelphia compared to other big cities

One advantage of retiring in Philadelphia is that you will have lower living costs compared to many other major cities in the US.

For instance, while people moving to NYC often have to pay lots of money for drinks and many other things of daily life, you in Philadelphia can save lots of money in this regard, at least if you go to the right places and know how to find pretty cheap locations.

Philadelphia is close to the coast

You should also note that Philadelphia is located pretty close to the coast and this gives you the opportunity to swim or just to relax at the beach on a regular basis while most other retires living in Detroit or other places that are not close to the sea just don’t have this luxury.

Many senior centers in Philadelphia

There are also many senior centers where you can hang out and interact with other people of your age and can also play many games together so chances are that you will never get bored as a pensioner in Philadelphia since you will have many things to do and many people to hang out with.

Many opportunities to socialize with other pensioners

In general, you can meet many like-minded people of your age in Philadelphia and this gives you the opportunity to make really good friends in this region in the long run so you can help out each other and can also make many new contacts so you will never feel lonely.

Nice bars where you can hang out with other retirees

Another upside to retiring in Philadelphia is that you will also have many great bars where you can meet many interesting people and talk with them about politics and many other things that are going on in the world right now so you can get different opinions on certain topics and can also stay mentally fit in the long run.

Philadelphia has many great sports teams

Retiring in Philadelphia can also be a great option in case you love watching sports games in person since there are many decent sports teams in Philadelphia and you will never run out of ideas in this regard.

More than enough entertainment in Philadelphia

In general, since Philadelphia is a big city, it also offers lots of entertainment.

For instance, you can go to the movies, to the opera, visit many interesting museums and can do many other things you may be used to from other big cities so you will never get bored with your retirement life in Philadelphia and will always have something to do.

Philadelphia has decent public transport near the city center

Another benefit of retiring in Philadelphia is that you also have pretty decent public transport and can get around by bus or other means of transport in a pretty efficient manner, at least if you live close to the city center where public transport is usually pretty reliable.

Philadelphia is a bicycle-friendly city

You should also know that Philadelphia is often rated a pretty bicycle-friendly city and this can be great for you as a retiree since you can get around by bike in an efficient manner, can save lots of money on gas or public transport, can do good for our environment while you can also stay fit at the same time.

You may not even need a car to get around in Philly

Thanks to good public transport and decent bicycling infrastructure, you may not even need a car to get around in Philly in a pretty efficient manner and this can be great as a pensioner since you can not only save lots of money but many retirees are also no longer able to drive a car in a safe manner and urgently need proper alternatives to get around.

Pensioners find most things they need within walking distance

If you live close enough to the city center, you will also find most things you need for daily life within walking distance and short distances allow you to get everything you need within just a few minutes from your home and this can be crucial for retirees since they often can’t walk long distances or carry heavy stuff for a longer period of time anymore and therefore need to have all important things close to their homes.

Good medical infrastructure in Philadelphia

Retiring in Philadelphia can also make quite a lot of sense since you will also have many good doctors and hospitals in this region and in case you get sick, you can be sure to find proper medical treatment so you can be cured of your health condition in the most efficient manner.

Proximity to New York city makes Philadelphia even more attractive

You should also know that Philadelphia is pretty close to New York City and you can get to this vibrant city usually within two hours.

Consequently, if you get bored with your life in Philadelphia from time to time, you can just make nice day trips to NYC and experience many nice things there so you can improve your overall quality of life quite a lot.

Most people in Philadelphia have an excellent internet connection

Since you will have a really good internet connection in Philadelphia, you can also make many video calls with your loved ones and can also stay connected to the world in general so that you know what’s going on in the world and can react accordingly.

Easy to get from and to Philadelphia

Since Philadelphia has a big international airport, your family and friends from various parts of the world have a rather easy time visiting you in this place and this is important since retirees often only have a rather limited number of social contacts left and need people visiting them to stay happy in the long run.

Many decent restaurants in Philadelphia

You will also find many good restaurants in the Philadelphia region and if you have the money, you can have many nice culinary experiences which can be real highlights of your life as a retiree.

Air quality in Philadelphia is pretty decent

Since you will have pretty good air quality in Philadelphia, retiring in Philly can also make sense if you suffer from pulmonary problems and want to retire in a region where your lungs will be able to get enough fresh air to avoid that your health problems get even worse.

As you can see, there are many reasons for retiring in Philadelphia.

However, it is still not all upside and we also have to talk about the drawbacks of retiring in Philadelphia so you can better decide whether you still want to retire in Philadelphia or rather want to spend the last chapter of your life in a different location instead.

Disadvantages of Retiring in Philadelphia

1. High crime rates in Philadelphia
2. Many retirees no longer feel safe in Philly
3. Housing shortage is a serious problem in Philadelphia
4. Many retirees have to search quite long to find a decent place to stay
5. Rents in Philadelphia have skyrocketed over the past decade
6. Many retirees struggle to pay their bills in Philadelphia
7. Some pensioners even have to work at retirement age
8. You may have to live in rather dodgy neighborhoods as a retiree
9. Philadelphia has a rather poor reputation
10. You may not want to retire in a big and hectic city like Philadelphia
11. Philadelphia may be too cold for many pensioners
12. Landscape around Philadelphia is not as nice as in many other big cities
13. Your loved ones may worry about your well-being

High crime rates in Philadelphia

One problem with living in Philadelphia is that crime rates are pretty high and this problem will likely get worse due to all sorts of social problems in this region and if you are not careful, you may get involved in serious incidents in this regard.

Many retirees no longer feel safe in Philly

Even in case nothing bad happens to you, you may still worry quite a lot about your safety as a retiree in Philadelphia and many pensioners there rather stay at home at nighttime instead of getting out and may become socially isolated in the long run due to that.

Housing shortage is a serious problem in Philadelphia

While housing shortage is not as bad as in many other more popular regions, you should still know that the Philadelphia housing market is pretty competitive and you may therefore have a pretty hard time finding a good place to stay at an affordable price.

Many retirees have to search quite long to find a decent place to stay

Since the housing situation in Philadelphia is pretty bad, many retirees also have a hard time finding a decent place to stay and have to search for many months until they finally find a flat to rent.

Rents in Philadelphia have skyrocketed over the past decade

While people retiring in Philadelphia still have to pay far less for housing compared to people living in San José or other more popular places, rents in Philadelphia have still increased substantially over the past decade and if this trend continues, chances are that many retirees in Philadelphia get into serious financial problems.

Many retirees struggle to pay their bills in Philadelphia

In general, life in Philadelphia has become increasingly expensive and many pensioners therefore no longer know how to pay their bills and become increasingly desperate due to that since they worry about losing their homes and ending up homeless in the streets.

Some pensioners even have to work at retirement age

Another downside to retiring in Philadelphia is that you may even have to work during retirement age to pay your bills.

In fact, many retirees who only receive pretty poor pensions have to make additional money on the side to pay their basic expenses of daily life and are quite miserable due to that since they have to work during the last chapter of their lives instead of just enjoying their leisure.

You may have to live in rather dodgy neighborhoods as a retiree

Since many retirees can’t afford to live in really nice neighborhoods, many of them rather have to live in rather dodgy districts where they simply don’t feel safe or welcome which hurts their overall quality of life quite a lot.

Philadelphia has a rather poor reputation

Due to many social problems and high crime rates, Philadelphia also doesn’t have the best reputation and your loved ones may therefore not understand your decision of retiring in Philadelphia and you may have to justify quite a lot in this regard.

You may not want to retire in a big and hectic city like Philadelphia

Another disadvantage of retiring in Philadelphia is that it is also a pretty hectic and busy city and many retirees just want to spend the last chapter of their lives in a more relaxed and quiet atmosphere instead of experiencing big city life and all the problems that come along with it.

Philadelphia may be too cold for many pensioners

You should also know that winters are pretty cold in Philadelphia and if you are a retiree who suffers from spinal issues, chances are that you would be better off moving to Austin or other warmer places since cold weather is often not good for our health and you may need warmer climates to recover.

Landscape around Philadelphia is not as nice as in many other big cities

While Philadelphia is located close to the sea, you will still not be able to enjoy as much beautiful landscape as people living in San Francisco or other places where there are more national parks and other beautiful places.

Your loved ones may worry about your well-being

Since Philadelphia is not the safest city and certain unpleasant incidents are rather common, your family and friends may also often worry about your well-being and may not sleep well at night due to that.

Top 10 Retiring in Philadelphia Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Philadelphia A Good Place To Retire?

While retiring in Philadelphia can make sense since you will have decent public transport, good medical infrastructure and will also find most things you need within walking distance, you should also know that Philadelphia is not the safest city and housing costs are about to increase quite a lot so that many retirees have a pretty hard time finding an affordable place to stay.

Alternative Cities To Retire

If you don’t want to retire in Philadelphia, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Houston

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Phoenix

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Chicago

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/philadelphiacountypennsylvania

Own research.

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.