Get paid to care for family in Philadelphia County
Most of the 242,500 people in Philadelphia County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Pennsylvania Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Philadelphia County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 242,500
- Aged 85+
- 26,500
- Rank in PA
- 2nd
- Median age
- 35.6
15% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 67 counties, by residents 65+
younger than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Philadelphia County is a large metro county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 1).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in Philadelphia
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 242,500 people in Philadelphia County are 65 or older — 15% of everyone who lives here. Philadelphia County skews younger than Pennsylvania overall, but the families caring for an older parent here face the same bills. Roughly 26,500 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Philadelphia County is one of the state's biggest population centers, and home-care agencies do work here — but staffing is thin, schedules change, and a stranger in the house is not what every family wants.
Statewide, 2.7 million people in Pennsylvania are 65 or older — 20% of the state, across 67 counties.
What Pennsylvania pays family caregivers
$13–$19/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Pennsylvania Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Pennsylvania's programs at a glance
- Community HealthChoices (CHC)
- Services My Way
- OBRA Waiver
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- There may be a waitlist — apply early.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Pennsylvania guide →
How families in Philadelphia apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Philadelphia County start with Pennsylvania's program:
Call the PA Independent Enrollment Broker at 1-877-550-4227 (or its online Community Referral Form) to start CHC eligibility; then choose participant-direction/Services My Way with your MCO service coordinator.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Pennsylvania program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Philadelphia questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Philadelphia County?
Yes. Pennsylvania runs real Medicaid programs — like Community HealthChoices (CHC) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Philadelphia County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Philadelphia County?
Reported figures in Pennsylvania are around $13–$19/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Philadelphia County apply?
Families in Philadelphia County start with the state, not the county. Call the PA Independent Enrollment Broker at 1-877-550-4227 (or its online Community Referral Form) to start CHC eligibility; then choose participant-direction/Services My Way with your MCO service coordinator.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Philadelphia County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Pennsylvania: no — spouses and legal guardians cannot be paid; other relatives incl. adult children and parents of adult (21+) disabled children can
How many people in Philadelphia County might need this?
242,500 residents of Philadelphia County are 65 or older and about 26,500 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Pennsylvania's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Program facts come from Pennsylvania's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Guides
For families in Philadelphia County
Start with the Pennsylvania caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Philadelphia
The counties Philadelphia touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water. Ones marked with a state abbreviation are across the line, and their rules are their state's, not this one's.
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