Diverse neighborhoods and value for first-time homebuyers
Pittsburgh has 90 different neighborhoods, although many residents identify sub-neighborhoods within those larger communities. Neighborhoods are defined by their relative location to downtown, which sits at the confluence of the city’s three rivers. The North Side encompasses 18 neighborhoods north of the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers, but no official name is used to describe those that sit south of the Monongahela River. West of the Ohio River is the city’s West End , and as its name suggests, the East End includes a collection of neighborhoods east of downtown. There’s a distinct wealth gap that impacts many of the city’s neighborhoods. Poverty is concentrated in historically African American communities like the Hill District, a rich cultural center that was gutted in the 1950s to make way for the Civic Arena, displacing over 8,000 residents. Just outside the city limits are the North Hills and the South Hills of Pittsburgh, which offer suburban living and highly rated school districts.
According to Forbes, Pittsburgh is the best city in the United States for those looking to buy an affordable home. The National Association of Realtors reports that in the second quarter of 2024, the median sales price for single-family homes in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area was around $236,000. While that’s nearly a 5% increase in home prices over the last year, it’s about $200,000 less than the national average of around $422,000. With tech companies and award-winning hospitals setting up shop in the city’s East End, neighborhoods like Upper Lawrenceville and East Liberty have seen a dramatic increase in home prices, with the average sales price for homes in Central Lawrenceville up 24% within the last year.
According to Pew, half of adults in the Pittsburgh Metro Area consider religion to be very important, with the majority identifying as Catholic. Christian denominations are most common, but houses of worship represent a diversity of faiths.
You will find art from Jeremy Raymer in the Lower Lawrenceville area of Pittsburgh.
A couple takes advantage of the weather and walks their dog at Breezefest in the South Hills.
Pittsburgh City town homes line the streets throughout the neighborhood of Deutschtown.
First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh is the epitome of architectural craft at The Point.
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From the Steel City to the Robotics Capital of the World
Anchored by the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers, Pittsburgh has a rich industrial history dating back to the late 19th century. Steel production began in 1875 when Andrew Carnegie built the Edgar Thomson Steel Works along the shores of the Monongahela River, laying the foundation for an empire that would eventually become synonymous with the Steel City. Growth peaked in the 1950s as Pittsburgh accounted for half of the nation’s steel production and its population rapidly approached 700,000, making it the eighth-largest city in the country. As the steel industry declined throughout the 1970s and ‘80s, Pittsburgh underwent rapid deindustrialization and depopulation, with nearly 350,000 people moving away from the city.
Following the collapse of the steel industry, Pittsburgh has reinvented itself as a global hub for education, healthcare and innovation. With more than 29 colleges and universities, Forbes lists Pittsburgh as one of the top 100 most educated cities in the United States. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is the city’s largest employer, employing over 100,000 people across its award-winning hospitals and outpatient centers. As of 2024, Pittsburgh is also home to six Fortune 500 companies: PNC Financial Services Group, WESCO International, PPG Industries, United States Steel, Alcoa and Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies. Several tech companies have offices or headquarters in Pittsburgh, including Google, Amazon, Facebook and Duolingo. “These companies have brought an inordinate amount of young, brilliant people to the city,” says Denise Serbin, a Realtor with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services and Pittsburgh native. “So many students come to be at the University of Pittsburgh or Carnegie Mellon University, and then they end up living here and working in tech or at these artificial intelligence companies in the Strip District.” Pittsburgh is considered the birthplace of AI, and the Pittsburgh Robotics Network refers to the city as the robotics capital of the world.
In recent years, Pittsburgh’s population has stabilized at around 300,000, making it the second-largest city in the state of Pennsylvania and the 68th-most populous city in the country. Within the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area, outlying suburbs in the North Hills and South Hills have seen population growth alongside rural communities like Butler County, which, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, was one of just two counties in Western Pennsylvania to see its population increase in 2023. While Pittsburgh’s steel mills are now just a distant memory, the legacies of philanthropists like Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick and Andrew Mellon live on in many of the city’s historic neighborhoods and vibrant cultural institutions.
Pittsburgh splits the Ohio River at The Point into the Allegheny and Monongahela River.
The streets fill with crowds each year for the annual SpaceBurgh event.
Just outside of Larimer residents enjoy shopping and dining at Bakery Square.
Carnegie Mellon University is one of two universities that are found within Squirrel Hill North.
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Regional parks and a vibrant cultural district
According to the Trust for Public Land, 93% of Pittsburgh residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. The city manages 165 parks that encompass 3,600 acres of green space, including historic regional parks such as Highland Park and Frick Park. Highland Park is home to attractions like the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, while Frick Park stands out as the city’s largest outdoor space and features various nature trails, athletic facilities and playgrounds. Point State Park, found in The Point community, offers scenic vistas of the city’s three rivers, and its iconic fountain is one of the most photographed locations in Pittsburgh.
In the heart of downtown, Pittsburgh’s Cultural District spans 14 square blocks and attracts over 2 million visitors each year. It includes a dozen art galleries and seven theaters. When it comes to the arts, the city is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Andy Warhol. Pittsburgh embodies his subversive spirit and creativity, with a thriving community of local artists and offbeat museums like the Mattress Factory and Bicycle Heaven. In the Strip District, the Senator John Heinz History Center stands out as the largest history museum in Pennsylvania. The Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh are a group of four distinct museums in the North Oakland neighborhood, including the Andy Warhol Museum.
Friends run on the paths at the beautiful Point State Park in the heart of Pittsburgh.
Friends gather to enjoy works of Andy Warhal in the City of Pittsburgh where he was born.
Pittsburgh residents cut through Frick Park on Nine Mile Run Trail.
Well known local artist perform each week at the Reservoir of Jazz in Highland Park.
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Public schools, private schools and higher education
Pittsburgh Public Schools serve the city and earn a B-minus from Niche. It consists of 54 schools and serves around 25,000 students, making it the second-largest school district in Pennsylvania. Due to budget issues and low enrollment, the district is considering a consolidation plan that would close more than a dozen of its schools, but a final decision is not expected until 2025. Private school options include Shady Side Academy, which serves prekindergarten through 12th grade and receives an A-plus from Niche.
The city is a hub for higher education, with an award-winning robotics academy at Carnegie Mellon University and a top-ranked medical school at the University of Pittsburgh. Smaller institutions like Point Park University, Chatham University and Duquesne University offer a more personalized education with lower faculty-student ratios.
Pittsburgh University Cathedral of Learning is in the heart of North Oakland.
Pittsburgh Greenfield K-8 draws students from 6 surrounding neighborhoods including Greenfield.
Allderdice High School has a diverse student body and is welcoming to all.
Peterson Sports Complex near Central Oakland has beautiful turf fields for sports.
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Farmers markets, annual events and professional sports teams
Community events keep the Steel City humming with activity year-round. There are more than 25 farmers markets in Pittsburgh, including the Bloomfield Saturday Market in Pittsburgh’s Little Italy and the East End Farmers Market in East Liberty. Locals come together for annual festivities like the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, the largest vintage street race in the country and the only one held on public roads. The city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade brings over 200,000 people to the streets of downtown Pittsburgh each March, while Little Italy Days in Bloomfield is the largest cultural festival in the region. Arts and Culture are celebrated at events like the Millvale Music Festival, JFilm Festival and Pittsburgh Fringe Festival.
Pittsburgh is home to three professional sports teams, and the City of Champions bleeds black and gold as its football, baseball and hockey teams embrace the color combination in their uniforms. “It’s unique to have the city’s sports teams share the same colors; it’s a uniform that brings us together,” says Chris Hoffman, a reporter for CBS Pittsburgh who was born and raised in the city. “Wear your black and gold almost anywhere in the world and someone is going to strike up a conversation about it.” The Steelers play at Acrisure Stadium in the North Shore, which sits next to the Pittsburgh Pirate’s home base of PNC Park. Across the river, PPG Paints Arena houses the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
Welcome to Duetchtown, home of the Northside Music Festival in Pittsburgh.
The Squirrel Hill Farmers Market is every Sunday from 9am-1pm & welcome Pittsburgh locals.
Acrisure Stadium hosts fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers nearby downtown Market Square.
Pittsburgh Locals enjoy authentic food vendors at Little Italy Days in Bloomfield.
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Walkability, public transportation and rush hour traffic jams
According to a 2023 report from the non-profit Smart Growth America, Pittsburgh ranks as the ninth-most walkable major metropolitan area in the United States. Pittsburgh has over 1,800 miles of sidewalks and more public staircases than any other city in the country, which ensures that residents can navigate its steep hills and access public transportation. Adopted in June 2020, Pittsburgh’s Bike (+) Plan proposes that the city expand its bike network and add 123 miles of new on-street bike lanes within the next 10 years.
Pittsburgh Regional Transit provides local bus and light rail service throughout the city and many of its surrounding suburbs. Locally known as the “T,” the light rail system spans 26.2 miles from the North Side to the South Hills of Pittsburgh. The PRT also operates two historic inclines that offer riders panoramic views of the downtown Pittsburgh skyline, and the Monongahela Incline is the country’s oldest funicular railway. More than 135 nonstop flights depart each day from Pittsburgh International Airport, which is about a 20-mile drive from downtown Pittsburgh.
Interstate 376 runs east-west through Pittsburgh, while Interstate 279 runs north-south. These auxiliary highways provide access to major thoroughfares like Interstate 76 and Interstate 79, which offer direct routes to cities such as Philadelphia, about 300 miles east, and Erie, about 130 miles north. The city is known for its rush-hour traffic jams, and INRIX’s 2023 Global Traffic Scorecard ranks Pittsburgh as the 15th-worst city in the country in terms of traffic delays. Commuters often get stuck in traffic along I-376, locally known as Parkway West around the Fort Pitt Tunnels and Parkway East around the Squirrel Hill Tunnel.
Shopping and dining with a food scene on the rise
For shopping and dining, the Strip District is just north of downtown. It's anchored by The Terminal, an innovative five-block-long mixed-use development in the former Pennsylvania Railroad Fruit Auction & Sales Building. Just across the street from The Terminal is the original Primanti Bros. Restaurant & Bar, a beloved Pittsburgh-based chain known for its signature sandwiches topped with french fries and coleslaw. Walkable commercial corridors include Butler Street in Lawrenceville and East Carson Street in the Southside Flats , which features more than 80 different bars and restaurants and is known as Pittsburgh’s “Great American Main Street.”
Pittsburgh boasts an award-winning food scene, and restaurant guide Zagat named it the top food city in the country in 2015. There are more than a dozen James Beard Award semifinalists in Pittsburgh, including two restaurants on the 2024 list: Apteka and Pusadee’s Garden. Located in Pittsburgh’s Little Italy, also known as Bloomfield , Apteka serves vegan dishes with a focus on Central and Eastern European flavors. Pusadee’s Garden is a mainstay in Lawrenceville, known for its traditional Thai dishes. Original Oyster House is the city’s oldest restaurant, serving fresh seafood in Market Square for over 150 years. Pierogies are a staple in Pittsburgh, and spots like S&D Polish Deli handmake them each day. Annual events like Picklesburgh, a pickle-themed festival that brings more than 200,000 people to downtown Pittsburgh each summer, honor the city’s eclectic food scene.
Heinz sponsors the Pickelsburgh event each year in Pittsburgh's Market Square.
Friends gather to meet for dinner at Pusadee's Garden on Butter Street in Lawrenceville.
The Rex Theater is a local music venue for residents of the Southside Flats on Carson Street.
Locals eat and watch the outdoor screen in Bakery Square just in Larimer.
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Declining homicide rates and ongoing climate concerns
According to the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, Pittsburgh’s reported violent and property crime rates generally exceed state and national rates. The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police statistics reflect a 40% decrease in reported homicides between 2022 and 2024. The drop came as the city’s STOP the Violence Office distributed nearly $1 million to 43 local organizations in 2023.
Pittsburgh residents should expect to see all four seasons, with mild summers and chilly winters. The average annual snowfall is 40 inches. During 2023, however, Pittsburgh saw just over 13 inches of snow — its second-lowest recorded snowfall since 1880.
A city known for its three rivers, Pittsburgh has always been at risk of flooding. A 2023 study from the First Street Foundation reported that 1 in 7 residential properties in Allegheny County sits in the city’s floodplain, with the risk of flooding exacerbated by climate change and increased rainfall across the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area. Air pollution remains an issue in the city, with the American Lung Association reporting that the Pittsburgh Metro Area ranks worst in the Mid-Atlantic region for short-term particle pollution, although it is no longer one of the top 25 worst metro areas for daily particle pollution. The city is working to address these issues, with its Climate Action Plan 3.0 pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% before 2050. Looking ahead, Pittsburgh is working to create its first comprehensive citywide plan. While planning is ongoing, city officials have identified climate change as a priority, and the process is expected to take two years to complete.
On average, homes in Pittsburgh, PA sell after 73 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Pittsburgh, PA over the last 12 months is $262,745, up 5% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Patti McCaffrey is an experienced real estate agent affiliated with RE/MAX Select Realty in Pittsburgh, PA, and its surrounding areas. She provides professional, responsive, and attentive services to homebuyers and sellers alike. Patti has earned a reputation for truly listening to her clients' needs and desires when helping them find their dream homes.
Patti is a skilled marketer who knows how to promote her clients' homes effectively, maximizing their chances of a successful sale. She is highly knowledgeable about the local real estate market, and her expertise has been instrumental in helping many clients achieve their real estate goals.
Patti takes great pride in her work and is always eager to assist anyone looking to buy or sell a home. She is passionate about her profession and committed to providing her clients with the highest level of service possible. If you're in the market for a real estate agent who will truly listen to you and work tirelessly to help you achieve your goals, then Patti McCaffrey is the agent for you. Give her a call today to learn more about how she can help you with your real estate needs.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
