Living in Pittsburgh, PA

Crime rates in Pittsburgh are a touch above the national midpoint. The violent crime index comes in at 102 and property crime at 77, where 100 represents the U.S. average. That's not alarming, but it's enough that you should spend real time researching specific neighborhoods rather than assuming everywhere is equally fine. Talk to people who live there, walk the streets at different hours, and check the local police department's crime map. FBI UCR data.

Housing costs in Pittsburgh are reasonable. Median rent sits at $1,221/month with median household income at $64,137/year — a 22.8% rent-to-income ratio. That's well within the comfort zone that most financial advisors recommend. It's not dirt cheap, but most working households can afford rent here without financial strain. Other costs like groceries and utilities will vary, but the rent picture is solid. Census ACS 2023 data.

The average worker in Pittsburgh spends about 18 minutes getting to the office. Driving solo is the default (48.2%), with 20.4% working remotely and 12.4% on public transit. It's a fairly typical commute — not a selling point, not a dealbreaker.

Not particularly. The climate risk score is 22/100, which puts Pittsburgh in the low-risk tier. Flood, Heat Wave, and Winter Storm are the most relevant hazards, but none of them are frequent concerns. Standard insurance should have you covered. It's one less thing to worry about if you're comparing this city to higher-risk metros along the coast or in tornado alley. Data from FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA.

Mixed. The city-wide graduation rate is 84.0% and classrooms average 14 students per teacher. Some schools here are legitimately excellent — strong test scores, engaged communities, good resources. Others struggle. The gap between the best and worst is wider than you might expect. Do your homework on individual schools rather than relying on the city-wide number.

About what you'd expect anywhere. The average monthly utility bill in Pittsburgh runs around $235 for electricity, gas, water, and sewer combined. The national average is $230, so you're right in line. Your actual bill depends on home size, insulation quality, and how much you run the AC or heater — but no surprises here.

For most people, no. The median AQI of 52 puts Pittsburgh in the "Moderate" category — fine for healthy adults, though sensitive groups (asthma, COPD, young kids) should pay attention on higher days. 220 days per year qualify as "Good." PM2.5 is the leading pollutant. Worth monitoring if you have respiratory conditions, but not a reason to avoid the city. Daily data at AirNow.gov.

Higher than average, yes. The total effective tax rate lands around 12.1% when you add up income, property, and sales taxes. Sales tax is 7.0%. High-tax areas often come with better public schools, infrastructure, and services — but that's not guaranteed, and it's cold comfort on payday. If you're moving from a low-tax state like Texas or Florida, brace for a noticeable dip in take-home pay.

Probably a good idea. Pittsburgh's water system scores 60/100 — not terrible, but not great either. There are 0 health-based violations on record, and lead risk is rated "high." The water is technically within EPA limits, but a quality filter adds a layer of protection, especially in older housing. Look up your specific utility on EWG's Tap Water Database for contaminant details.

Everything on this page is built from public government sources: rent and income figures from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023); commute and transportation data from Census ACS tables B08303 and B08006; crime rates from the FBI Uniform Crime Report; climate risk assessments using FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA storm records; air quality measurements from the EPA's Air Quality System database; water quality compliance data from EPA records and the EWG Tap Water Database; school data from the National Center for Education Statistics; utility cost estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. We refresh each dataset monthly through an automated pipeline and cross-check for anomalies. No surveys, no user-submitted guesses — just official federal data presented in a way that's actually useful for people researching a move.