Moving to Pittsburgh, PA

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This post was updated on May 1, 2023 with most recent trends and data.

Thinking about moving to Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh At-A-Glance

You’ve made a smart choice, literally: according to Forbes, Pittsburgh was once dubbed America’s second-smartest city, with a highly-educated population that keeps on growing. Pittsburgh’s position on this list highlights the underlying changes leading to the city’s revitalization: though long known as a manufacturing giant with a reputation for producing steel, today Pittsburgh is defined by its brainpower.

With Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh pumping out highly-educated graduates and some of the best young tech talent each year, Pittsburgh has become a center for higher education and technical enterprise. And with tech companies come jobs, millennials, revitalized neighborhoods, and hip bars and restaurants. Add to that an impressive slot on the “best places to live” list for livability and CBS News says it might be time to change Pittsburgh’s nickname from “Steel City” to “STEM City.” 

Pittsburgh’s secret is out.

An Exceptionally Attractive Place to Put Roots Down

It’s been called Steel City, Iron City, and the City of Champions but what The ‘Burgh residents love most is that Pittsburgh is a place that is consistently open to transformation. 

With an influx of young people and tech companies, this urban hot spot is an exceptionally attractive place to put roots down. Combine that with a reasonable cost of living, green space, strong community spirit (especially for their sports teams!) and plenty of professional opportunities, and you have a location that is more than just a booming industrial town. 

This hidden gem is starting to slowly grow but because it’s not as dense as nearby Philadelphia you’ll still enjoy big-city amenities like top-ranked universities, enviable cultural destinations, and more, all for an affordable price tag. If you’re a fan of good food and sports, Pittsburgh is probably your kind of city! 

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Pittsburgh’s Economy Continues Slow, But Steady Progress

Steel and soot are two things that epitomize Pittsburgh’s economy. Today, however, it’s become more than an industrial hub with Fortune 500 companies like Kraft-Henzi, PNC Financial, Howmet Aerospace, Wesco International, etc. And for Pittsburgh to continue thriving economy-wise, the city will have to keep forging into new sectors. As Pittsburgh’s older workforce continues to age, there’s a lack of available workers for the industrial jobs the area has been known for. The economy is expected to continue slow but steady gains climbing out of pandemic levels for employment although the labor shortage has the potential to stall progress. 

The good news is that Pittsburgh is becoming a technology hub and is a bonafide higher education powerhouse thanks to Carnegie Mellon University and other revered higher education institutions making a home here.  

Unemployment rate: 4.9% (as of February 2023)

Average weekly wages for all industries: $1,116 (as of May 2022)

Affordable Housing Makes Pittsburgh a Favorable Location

If you’re considering a move to Steel City, you may be delighted to know that affordable housing is one of the best things Pittsburgh has going for it. While housing and rent costs have seen steady increases, it remains a favorable location regardless of what type of home you’re looking for. Median home prices are around $218,000 which is vastly lower than cities like Seattle, San Francisco, New York, etc. Overall, Pittsburgh housing is 7 percent less than the national average, and the cost of living is right on par with the rest of the U.S.

Renters in Pittsburgh will also have an easy time finding affordable housing. The median rent in Pittsburgh is $1,006 per month, which is below the national average. Prices have been creeping up year-over-year but are still reasonable compared to other cities in Pennsylvania and around the country.  

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Which Pittsburgh Neighborhood Should You Call Home?

If moving to Pittsburgh is a given, the more challenging question is which one of the city’s 90 neighborhoods should you call home. Here are our picks for the best neighborhoods in Pittsburgh to check out:

Squirrel Hill: There’s a north and a south neighborhood among Squirrel Hill but this area sits close to the inner-city which means you’ll have an impressive array of shops, bars, restaurants, and amenities to choose from. It is a more affluent neighborhood so keep that in mind when it comes to housing prices. 

Mount Lebanon: Families love this area for the great educational opportunities, low crime rate and affordable homes. It has a suburban style mixed with a strong sense of community, and you’ll find plenty of family-friendly activities to enjoy.   

Highland Park: If quiet streets, neighborhood get-togethers and historic homes are more your speed, Highland Park is a highly desirable area for both professionals and young families. There’s plenty of green space and even though it’s not near the bustling business district, it’s still easy to access popular Pittsburgh hot spots. 

Shadyside: An eclectic neighborhood with an upscale vibe is what you’ll find in Shadyside. It’s perfect for young professionals and college students with lively nightlife and quirky shops. Plus, it’s THE ideal location for dog lovers as the area boasts more than 50 dog-friendly businesses. 

Beechview: You’ll find that Beechview is an up-and-coming diverse neighborhood that is the only one in the city where the light rail goes through the main business district. If you’re open to revitalization efforts and an area that’s undergoing development, you’ll find relatively affordable rent and housing prices as a result. 

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Convenient Services Make It Easy to Get Around the City

Like any city the size of Pittsburgh, you’ll find yourself stuck in traffic for about 34 hours a year according to a survey conducted by INRIX. Traffic jams still happen but not at the same frequency as much larger cities. The nice thing about this area, however, is that the Pittsburgh Regional Transit provides convenient bus, light rail, incline, and paratransit service to thousands of riders on a daily basis, making it fairly easy to get around the city. 

Plus, downtown Pittsburgh is a highly walkable neighborhood, which means it’s easy to get from one side of town to another. Don’t want to combine a workout with getting around? No problem. Biking, carsharing and e-scooters are all popular ways of tootling along the streets.   

Pittsburgh Could Change the Future of Education

While the state of education in Pittsburgh falls right in the middle of the pack, that means there’s room for improvement. And one elementary school came up with such an innovative idea that it may change the future of education everywhere. Ehrman Crest Elementary and Middle School sought to combine the school experience with what children experience in a museum and the result was dubbed by Time magazine as one of the best inventions of 2022. The Smithsonian says, “the 200,000-square-foot facility takes a novel approach, forgoing the traditional school design for the playful, interactive, colorful elements of a children’s museum.”

And Pennsylvania is leading the way toward progress with higher education, too as all four of the state-related universities will be led by women for the first time starting this summer. Prospective students can also choose from noteworthy schools such as Allegheny College, Carnegie Mellon University, and Chatham University. 

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Four Season Fan? Move to Pittsburgh 

If you’re a fan of four seasons, you’ll love the weather in Pittsburgh. The best time of year to visit Pittsburgh for warm-weather activities is from mid-June to September. The summers tend to be warm and you’ll fight clouds before you get to see a sunny day. Pittsburgh sees fewer sunny days than the rest of the country. 
The winters are very cold, snowy, and come with an occasional headline-grabbing precipitation event that seems to catch the East Coast off guard every year. You’ll see wide swings of temperatures anywhere from 23°F to 83°F from season to season. And if you’re moving to Pittsburgh, you might want to pack an umbrella or two as the rainy season gets quite a bit of precipitation.

Summer average (June – Aug): 81°F high, 43°F low

Winter average (Dec – Feb): 39°F high, 23°F low

10 Can’t-Miss Things to Do in Pittsburgh

Diners, hot dogs and waffles: Pittsburgh has the market cornered on these three food items. Once you’re done noshing your way through the city, put these 10 items on your to-do list:

  1. Stop by the Monongahela Incline, a funicular built in 1870 and now designated as a National Historic Landmark. What is a funicular you say? You’ll have to find out!
  2. Take in a baseball game at PNC Park, one of the most beautiful ballparks in all of Major League Baseball. 
  3. Make plans to visit Pittsburgh’s four Carnegie Museums, including the Museum of Natural History and Museum of Art. 
  4. In the market for a “yinzer” souvenir? The best place to find them is by strolling down The Strip District. 
  5. Eat a slice of pizza from Spirit, a 10,000-square-foot space that has a two-level pizzeria, bar and party venue. 
  6. Explore miles of hiking and biking trails in a 644-acre oasis known as Frick Park. 
  7. Look at the stars from the top of Observatory Hill in Riverview Park. The Allegheny Observatory is one of the major astronomical research institutions in the world. 
  8. Stroll along the Mexican War Streets, an historic neighborhood known for Victorian row houses painted in bright colors. 
  9. Pop into the Andy Warhol Museum, which is an homage to the iconic art pioneer originally from Pittsburgh.
  10. Bike along the Great Allegheny Passage (or GAP) for short. It’s a trail that runs along the riverfront all the way to Washington, D.C. Even if you don’t venture far, stroll across at least one of the 446 bridges, which is what prompted the “City of Bridges” nickname.  

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