Tax delinquent landlords and speculators are the biggest source of blight in Philadelphia, racking up code violations at a far higher rate than tax-compliant property owners. The correlation between tax delinquency and irresponsible property ownership is particularly pronounced in low-income neighborhoods. Read the related story on PlanPhilly →
For each census tract, the chart below links delinquency data with city violations issued over the past year for a number of key quality of life categories, including property maintenance, vacant land and city-funded demolitions of dangerous properties. In each category, the correlation between blight and investor-owned delinquent property is strong.
Source: City of Philadelphia, U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Analysis: Patrick Kerkstra (PlanPhilly) and Casey Thomas (AxisPhilly); Reporting: Patrick Kerkstra (PlanPhilly); Application: Casey Thomas (AxisPhilly). Colors by ColorBrewer