Living in Pittsburgh, PA
Big city in Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is a big city in Pennsylvania, home to about 304,000 people, with 1.2 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
In short: Hills, rivers, universities and healthcare at a very affordable cost. Grey winters.
Is Pittsburgh a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 11 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $229k and rents for $1,660 a month
- Mild summers: highs around 81°F
- Easy flying: PIT is 14 mi away
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
- Smaller job market: about 1.2 million people live within 31 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Pittsburgh ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Pittsburgh: common questions
What is the cost of living in Pittsburgh?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $229k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,660 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 95, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Pittsburgh?
Pennsylvania collects about $1,376 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.96% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Pittsburgh safe?
Pittsburgh isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.
What is the weather like in Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh has cold winters: winter days average around 39°F and summer days around 81°F, with roughly 44″ of snow a year.
Does Pittsburgh get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding: 4 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.3 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Pittsburgh?
The nearest major airport is PIT, about 14 mi away.
How Pittsburgh scores
Each bar compares Pittsburgh with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Pittsburgh
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 23 aspects.
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Pennsylvania.
Is Pittsburgh right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.