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Philadelphia vs York for Rental Property Investing

Side-by-side comparison of Philadelphia, PA and York, PA — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.

Philadelphia wins 4–3 across key metrics
York leads on cash flow (4.96% vs 4.15% cap rate) · Philadelphia leads on population growth
Metric
Philadelphia, PA
York, PA
Est. Cap Rate
4.15%
4.96%
Median Home Price
$265,000
$165,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,480
$1,050
1% Rule
0.56%
0.64%
GRM
14.9x
13.1x
Price / Income
5.0x
4.5x
Property Tax Rate
1.36%
1.38%
Vacancy Rate
5.8%
6.5%
Population Growth
0.2% / yr
0.1% / yr
Annual Appreciation
2.5%
2.2%
Population
1,576,251
45,000
Median Income
$52,800
$36,800

Philadelphia vs York: Which Is Better for Investors?

Cash flow: York has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 4.96% compared to Philadelphia's 4.15%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $265,000 in Philadelphia vs $165,000 in York, while rents come in at $1,480/mo and $1,050/mo respectively.

Growth & appreciation: Philadelphia is growing faster at 0.2% annually vs York's 0.1%. Philadelphia leads on home value appreciation at 2.5% per year.

Costs & risk: Property taxes are 1.36% in Philadelphia vs 1.38% in York. Vacancy rates of 5.8% and 6.5% are mixed — Philadelphia has the tighter rental market.

Bottom line: Philadelphia edges out York on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 4.15%, Philadelphia's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Philadelphia or York.

Philadelphia, PA
4.15% cap rate · $265,000 median · $1,480/mo
Full analysis →
York, PA
4.96% cap rate · $165,000 median · $1,050/mo
Full analysis →
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