Home appraisals across Philadelphia neighborhoods

Washington Square West historic district, created 2024

Near Washington Square, check whether your home falls inside the Washington Square West historic district the Historical Commission created in 2024: more than 1,400 properties on about 26 blocks south of Walnut Street, between 8th and Juniper streets. Owners inside it now need Commission approval for exterior work, so an appraisal notes which side of the district line a house is on. Houses here run from Federal and Greek Revival rowhouses to homes built in the 1960s, 1980s and later.

Northwest Philadelphia · National Register historic district, 1985

For a Chestnut Hill home, the lot, age, condition and updates help explain which sales offer useful comparisons, so tell us about each. The Chestnut Hill Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on June 20, 1985; it is roughly bounded by Fairmount Park and the Montgomery County line, and its listed periods run from 1700 to 1949.

Northwest Philadelphia · Tudor East Falls historic district, 2009

Tudor homes with leaded diamond-pane glass, slate roofs and stucco or fieldstone fronts recur on these hilly streets by the Schuylkill, about five miles from Center City. The Tudor East Falls historic district, designated in 2009, lists 210 houses, including the 3400 blocks of Midvale Avenue and West Queen Lane, built under permits issued from 1925 to 1931. Sales of similar homes in the district may provide useful comparisons. The City's Rowhouse Manual also lists porchfront homes in East Falls.

North of Center City · the Art Museum area

Tell us which original details the house keeps, along with its condition and updates. Some blocks have their own story: WHYY reports that the 800 block of Woodstock Street was developed in the late 1800s to house physicians at Lankenau Hospital, with Queen Anne colored glass and decorative brick fronts.

On the Delaware River, bordering Northern Liberties

New infill houses, rebuilt rowhouses and unrenovated homes stand close together here, and they can differ a lot in layout and condition. Tell us what has changed in your home so those differences can be considered.

South Philadelphia, west of Broad Street · Christian Street/Black Doctors Row historic district, 2022

Six blocks of Christian Street, from Broad Street to 20th Street, form the Christian Street/Black Doctors Row historic district, designated in 2022, with more than 150 properties. From 1910 through at least 1945 those blocks were home to Black doctors, pastors, teachers and business owners. An appraisal on Christian Street accounts for the Commission's review of exterior work.

Small early rowhouses

The City's Rowhouse Manual lists trinities here, also called bandbox or "Father, Son & Holy Ghost" houses: about 400 to 600 square feet with a winding stair. It also lists double trinities of 1,000 to 1,800 square feet. Very small homes can be hard to compare, so tell us how many floors the house has and what has changed.

Northwest Philadelphia · Main Street Manayunk historic district, 1984

Manayunk grew beside the Schuylkill River as a textile village, and by 1859 a local paper described it as densely packed with houses. The river flooded Manayunk on September 2, 2021, after the remnants of Hurricane Ida, so an appraisal near the river checks the flood map and the house's flood history. Main Street has been a local historic district since 1984.

From workingman's houses to North Broad townhouses

The City's Rowhouse Manual lists workingman's houses and streetcar townhouses here, larger townhouses of 3,000 to 6,000 square feet on North Broad Street, and porchfront homes in Francisville. These are very different homes, so a short description of the house and its condition helps.

Airlites and straight-throughs

The City's Rowhouse Manual lists postwar townhouses here, known as Airlites or straight-throughs: about 1,500 to 1,800 square feet on two floors, with a one-car garage at the lower level and a raised front yard. Tell us what has happened to the garage and the lower level.

Between Old City and Fishtown · its own district until 1854

Newly built townhouse complexes stand near older rowhouses here, and they can appeal to different buyers. That difference matters when selecting comparable sales, so tell us which you have and what has been done to it.

Center City · Old City historic district, 2003

Many homes here are loft apartments made from old workshops, among Georgian rowhouses on Elfreth's Alley, two of them built about 1724. The Historical Commission designated the district in 2003. Sales of similar units in the same converted building may help when suitable comparisons are available.

Lombard Street to Washington Avenue · called Southwark before 1970

Between Lombard Street and Washington Avenue, from 6th Street to the Delaware River, many mixed-use streets became residential. An appraisal here checks whether a building is a house or keeps a shop front, so tell us which yours is. The City's Rowhouse Manual also lists small early rowhouses here, including trinities.

Center City · Rittenhouse-Fitler historic district, 1995

Homes around the square range from small rowhouses to high-rise condominiums and apartments, and the City's Rowhouse Manual lists larger townhouses of 3,000 to 6,000 square feet here. The Rittenhouse-Fitler historic district, designated in 1995, covers part of the neighborhood, and exterior work inside it goes to the Historical Commission. Sales in the same building may help when comparing a condominium near the square.

Southeast Center City · Society Hill historic district, March 10, 1999

Houses a block apart can be more than a century apart in age: on Addison Street, a facade of about 1830 stands one block from houses built about 1965. The Historical Commission designated the district on March 10, 1999, and its inventory describes each property, so an appraisal there dates each house on its own record.

Two-story and three-story rowhouses

The City's Rowhouse Manual lists two common types here: the two-story workingman's house, about 1,000 to 1,600 square feet with a shed kitchen, and the three-story streetcar townhouse, about 2,200 to 2,500 square feet. South Broad Street also has larger townhouses of 3,000 to 6,000 square feet. Tell us how many floors the home has and whether the back kitchen has been rebuilt.

Postwar townhouses

The City's Rowhouse Manual lists Airlites and straight-throughs in all three: about 1,500 to 1,800 square feet on two floors, with a one-car garage at the lower level and a raised front yard. Tell us about any finished lower level or added room.

Porchfront homes

The City's Rowhouse Manual lists porchfront homes here, about 1,200 to 1,500 square feet. Tell us about any changes to the porch, the lower level or the layout.

Porches, bay windows and tall ceilings

The City's Rowhouse Manual lists streetcar townhouses here, with front porches, bay windows, tall ceilings and elaborate woodwork, along with two-story workingman's houses. Tell us what original detail remains and whether the house has been divided into units.

Parcel records and assessed values

The office sets a dollar value for every property in Philadelphia, and the real estate tax is calculated from that assessed value. Its Property app, at property.phila.gov, finds a property by address or OPA account number and shows its ownership, sales history, value and physical characteristics.

Office address: 601 Walnut Street, Suite 300 West, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Deeds and other recorded documents

The department records real estate documents in Philadelphia, and its Commissioner serves as the city's Recorder of Deeds. A copy of a recorded deed or another recorded document is requested from this department.

Office address: City Hall, Room 156, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Wills, letters and estate inventories

The Register probates wills and issues letters of administration when a Philadelphia resident passes away without a will. The office keeps records of wills and estate inventories and acts as an agent for filing and paying inheritance tax.

Office address: City Hall, Room 180, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Estates and trusts before a judge

The division's jurisdiction extends to decedents, trusts, minors and incapacitated persons, among other matters. The Register of Wills is, by virtue of that office, the Clerk of the Orphans' Court and keeps and certifies its records.

Office address: City Hall, Room 415, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Divorce, custody and support

The Domestic Relations Branch of the Family Division handles divorce, child custody, child and spousal support, and domestic violence matters, with offices on several floors of the Arch Street building.

Office address: 1501 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102

Historic districts and permit review

The Commission keeps the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, and its staff review building permit applications for designated properties, including those in the historic districts named in the notes above. An online map of the Register shows the designated properties and districts.

Office address: 1515 Arch Street, 13th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19102

The dated figures below provide context for Philadelphia as a whole. They cannot establish a value for a particular rowhome, condominium or other property.