Fries on a sandwich. Black and gold. Mr. Rogers. All those bridges and tunnels, rivers and hills. Pittsburgh has a lot going for it. No longer the smoggy industrial Steel City of the past, new Pittsburgh is a modern, livable, desirable metropolis. Part East Coast, part Midwest, Pittsburgh is a great place to live, and thankfully quite affordable.
From Duquesne Heights through the Golden Triangle and out to Shadyside, Pittsburgh is a city of unique neighborhoods. But which one is for you? A lot depends on how much you can comfortably afford in rent. When we look at the average rent in Pittsburgh by neighborhood, median income and wages and the overall cost of living in the 412, it can be determined which neighborhoods are calling your name.
Although Pittsburgh technically lies within one of the pricey Northeastern states, rents in the Steel City are assuredly more Midwest. While the national average rent for a one-bedroom is about $1,600 a month, the same units in Pittsburgh are slightly less at $1,578.
However, as rents nationwide increased year to year from 2019, up 0.75 percent, the average rent in Pittsburgh grew at an even higher rate. But despite a 1.81 percent increase from last year, Pittsburgh rents still exceed the national average for affordability.
Experts say that Americans should spend no more than 30 percent of their gross (pre-tax) income on housing, including rent. That's good news for Pittsburghers. Rents for an average one-bedroom in the city fall well within the recommended price based on the local average yearly wage.
The average monthly lease price for a Pittsburgh one bedroom, as outlined above, is a reasonable $1,578. Extrapolated out to a full year, that's $18,936 total. If that figure is 30 percent of one's total income, that's an affordable rate for someone earning $63,120 a year.
According to Payscale.com, the average yearly salary in Pittsburgh is $65,000, nearly $2,000 more than needed to comfortably rent an average-priced one-bedroom unit. In fact, a Pittsburgh resident making the average salary could afford an apartment leasing for $1,625 a month at 30 percent expenditure.
Want to find out how much an affordable apartment is for you based on your personal income? Check out Apartment Guide's handy Rent Calculator.
While Pittsburgh mimics the affordability of the Midwest, there's no denying it's still a city with city prices. Many goods and services here are more expensive than their national averages. Overall the cost of living index in Pittsburgh is 103.7. This figure is 3.7 percent above the average for the U.S. as a whole, as an index of 100 represents the nationwide average.
The city also over-indexes the national average for other categories like utilities and transportation. But conversely, it's slightly cheaper than average for healthcare and miscellaneous goods and services.
Now you know what rents are best for your budget, salary and cost of living. But where in Pittsburgh are the most and least expensive apartments?
If you wish to live in the pricier sections of town, expect higher rents around the Golden Triangle and across to the South Side. To save money, look for leases on the fringes of the city and in and around Oakland.
It's no surprise to see that the most expensive rents in Pittsburgh lie within the neighborhoods closest to the rivers. The highest rent prices in the Steel City can primarily be found in two regions.
Rents are highest in the trendy neighborhoods along the Monongahela River across from downtown. This includes most anything with “South" in the name, including the South Side, South Shore and South Side Flats.
On the other side of the Monongahela, rents are also among the highest in the city. Golden Triangle neighborhoods Downtown, the Cultural District and Fifth and Forbes are expectedly pricey, although still Pittsburgh-reasonable. This trend continues north along the Allegheny into the Strip District and up to the Central Lawrenceville bend.
The corridor of East Carson Street that runs through South Side Flats is the most expensive rental neighborhood. One of the primary reasons it sits at No. 1 is a large jump in rent prices, up over 26 percent from this time last year. Pricey South Side Flats itself increased 21 percent as well.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Average 1-BR Rent Price | YoY Rent Price Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Carson Street | $2,177 | 26.32% |
| 2 | Central Lawrenceville* | $2,123 | 9.85% |
| 3 | South Shore | $2,036 | 4.50% |
| 4 | South Side | $1,950 | 8.70% |
| 5 | Southside Flats | $1,902 | 21.17% |
| 6 | Strip District | $1,827 | 4.59% |
| 7 | Friendship* | $1,810 | -2.69% |
| 8 | Fifth and Forbes Corridor | $1,722 | 3.73% |
| 9 | Cultural District | $1,660 | -7.56% |
| 10 | Downtown Pittsburgh | $1,589 | -4.29% |
A number of the most affordable rental neighborhoods in Pittsburgh sit in the inter-river region east of Downtown primarily through East End South. Several of these lie in the Hill District and include the Oaklands. Bedford Dwellings, just south of the pricey Strip District, features the city's lowest average rents.
Several other affordable neighborhoods ring the city, from Squirrel Hill South in the east to South Park Township in the south to Fairywood in the west. A couple of Pittsburgh's other cheapest neighborhoods reside on the North Side on the River. Troy Hill and its scenic overlook of the city and Northshore, home to Heinz Field and PNC Park, both also remain inexpensive, despite their entertainment options, livability and proximity to Downtown.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Average 1-BR Rent Price | YoY Rent Price Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bedford Dwellings* | $920 | 35.39% |
| 2 | Fairywood* | $938 | N/A |
| 3 | South Park Township | $953 | -5.45% |
| 4 | Banksville | $963 | -1.47% |
| 5 | North Oakland | $1,072 | -3.17% |
| 6 | Terrace Village | $1,196 | 2.56% |
| 7 | Squirrel Hill South | $1,201 | -5.39% |
| 8 | West Oakland | $1,425 | N/A |
| 9 | Troy Hill | $1,443 | -17.25% |
| 10 | Northshore* | $1,462 | -17.38% |
Every Pittsburgh neighborhood has its own charm, from residential to bustling to historic. And each has its own level of rent affordability.
| Neighborhood | Average 1-BR Rent Price | YoY Rent Price Change |
|---|---|---|
| Allegheny Center | $1,513 | -7.29% |
| Banksville | $963 | -1.47% |
| Bedford Dwellings* | $920 | 35.39% |
| Central Lawrenceville* | $2,123 | 9.85% |
| Crawford Roberts Hill | $1,494 | N/A |
| Cultural District | $1,660 | -7.56% |
| Downtown Pittsburgh | $1,589 | -4.29% |
| East Carson Street | $2,177 | 26.32% |
| Fairywood* | $938 | N/A |
| Fifth and Forbes Corridor | $1,722 | 3.73% |
| First Side | $1,527 | N/A |
| Friendship* | $1,810 | -2.69% |
| Mellon Arena | $1,570 | 0.87% |
| North Oakland | $1,072 | -3.17% |
| North Side | $1,471 | -14.60% |
| Northshore* | $1,462 | -17.38% |
| South Park Township | $953 | -5.45% |
| South Shore | $2,036 | 4.50% |
| South Side | $1,950 | 8.70% |
| Southside Flats | $1,902 | 21.17% |
| Squirrel Hill South | $1,201 | -5.39% |
| Strip District | $1,827 | 4.59% |
| Terrace Village | $1,196 | 2.56% |
| Troy Hill | $1,443 | -17.25% |
| West Oakland | $1,425 | N/A |
Now that you have an idea of the average rent in Pittsburgh in each individual neighborhood, it's time to find the neighborhood that is best for you. Whether you are assessing your current Steel City rent or considering a move from across the nation, you can find the perfect Pittsburgh neighborhood on Apartment Guide.
Michael is a Philadelphia-based writer with a variety of interests, including music, TV, politics, travel and sports (Fly Eagles Fly!). His background includes a decade as a programming executive in network television, six years as a marketing executive at a technology company and time at two magazines and two advertising agencies. He also sits on the board of a non-profit law firm that assists veterans with disabilities. His work has been featured in nexxt.com, Ale Street News and Radio TV Interview Report Magazine. Michael is a proud Syracuse grad (Newhouse) who has lived in Kansas, Chicago, Saratoga and beyond.