What’s the best part of Pittsburgh? It could be where everyone knows their neighbor. Or it could be where home prices are the highest, meaning it’s where everyone wants to live.
Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which neighborhoods in Pittsburgh are the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Whether you live in the sticks or in an apartment building downtown, you want a little pocket that you can call home. And each neighborhood offers different perks and benefits.
Smaller neighborhoods usually have obvious benefits — less crime, a slower pace of life, and a lower cost of living. But not all Pittsburgh neighborhoods are created equal. Some are better than others. But which ones?
If you’re thinking of moving to Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh is on the top of your list, check out the best neighborhoods for 2026.
$93,654 median income · $410,917 median home value
$117,062 median income · $497,262 median home value
$90,768 median income · $505,780 median home value
$62,193 median income · $352,892 median home value
$75,200 median income · $318,800 median home value
$79,766 median income · $242,867 median home value
$117,544 median income · $327,714 median home value
$58,211 median income · $252,086 median home value
$66,919 median income · $186,567 median home value
$49,623 median income · $290,525 median home value
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Pennsylvania’s statewide median.
Pennsylvania statewide median: $77,971
Pennsylvania statewide median: $282,736
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best Pittsburgh, PA neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 85 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In Pittsburgh.” We’re lookin’ at you, Highland Park.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Pittsburgh.
The full plate
Table: Best Pittsburgh neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Highland Park | 6,556 | $410,917 | $93,654 |
| 2 | Squirrel Hill North | 11,540 | $497,262 | $117,062 |
| 3 | Central Business District | 4,487 | $505,780 | $90,768 |
| 4 | Shadyside | 14,174 | $352,892 | $62,193 |
| 5 | Squirrel Hill South | 14,208 | $318,800 | $75,200 |
| 6 | Lower Lawrenceville | 2,012 | $242,867 | $79,766 |
| 7 | Point Breeze | 5,572 | $327,714 | $117,544 |
| 8 | Southside Flats | 6,588 | $252,086 | $58,211 |
| 9 | Morningside | 2,856 | $186,567 | $66,919 |
| 10 | East Liberty | 5,708 | $290,525 | $49,623 |
| 11 | Friendship | 1,911 | $283,800 | $41,534 |
| 12 | Regent Square | 879 | $282,250 | $85,507 |
| 13 | Duquesne Heights | 2,341 | $148,100 | $70,178 |
| 14 | Bloomfield | 9,417 | $236,680 | $53,420 |
| 15 | Central Northside | 2,667 | $314,800 | $52,454 |
| 16 | Central Lawrenceville | 4,659 | $226,300 | $62,966 |
| 17 | Polish Hill | 1,382 | $183,300 | $63,316 |
| 18 | North Oakland | 9,017 | $343,400 | $32,413 |
| 19 | Greenfield | 8,032 | $172,400 | $62,590 |
| 20 | North Shore | 259 | $328,100 | $82,049 |
| 21 | Upper Lawrenceville | 2,561 | $138,867 | $63,034 |
| 22 | Stanton Heights | 4,387 | $163,800 | $67,287 |
| 23 | Allegheny Center | 1,508 | $328,100 | $62,943 |
| 24 | Point Breeze North | 1,953 | $163,800 | $68,691 |
| 25 | Allegheny West | 314 | $328,100 | $82,500 |
| 26 | Southside Slopes | 4,265 | $169,083 | $54,903 |
| 27 | Strip District | 1,265 | $422,100 | $120,764 |
| 28 | Banksville | 4,020 | $137,467 | $70,330 |
| 29 | Brookline | 12,956 | $128,560 | $62,725 |
| 30 | Brighton Heights | 6,937 | $119,617 | $66,175 |
| 31 | Swisshelm Park | 1,206 | $155,450 | $69,838 |
| 32 | Bluff | 5,906 | $147,700 | $39,531 |
| 33 | Manchester | 2,025 | $202,550 | $45,255 |
| 34 | Oakwood | 990 | $144,050 | $62,938 |
| 35 | East Allegheny | 1,791 | $205,450 | $32,871 |
| 36 | Herrs Island | 412 | $79,100 | $75,298 |
| 37 | Mount Washington | 8,239 | $117,788 | $56,416 |
| 38 | Westwood | 2,859 | $115,800 | $60,366 |
| 39 | Troy Hill | 1,592 | $88,650 | $58,158 |
| 40 | Spring Garden | 776 | $125,300 | $61,280 |
| 41 | Middle Hill | 1,550 | $126,300 | $32,974 |
| 42 | Garfield | 3,717 | $121,700 | $48,547 |
| 43 | Summer Hill | 805 | $117,400 | $75,280 |
| 44 | Beechview | 7,905 | $102,027 | $57,488 |
| 45 | Hays | 962 | $130,867 | $59,992 |
| 46 | Overbrook | 3,530 | $108,083 | $53,252 |
| 47 | Allentown | 1,815 | $31,000 | $51,792 |
| 48 | Crafton Heights | 3,791 | $88,625 | $44,836 |
| 49 | Chartiers City | 518 | $98,100 | $66,583 |
| 50 | Ridgemont | 636 | $103,700 | $59,514 |
| 51 | Perry North | 3,971 | $108,260 | $64,892 |
| 52 | Oakland | 9,164 | $141,840 | $19,301 |
| 53 | Chateau | 69 | $226,500 | $39,583 |
| 54 | Perry South | 4,142 | $90,625 | $40,444 |
| 55 | Crawford Roberts | 1,833 | $148,400 | $17,822 |
| 56 | Lincoln Place | 3,046 | $83,700 | $64,835 |
| 57 | Wind Gap | 1,356 | $98,100 | $56,729 |
| 58 | Homewood South | 1,947 | $79,700 | $19,679 |
| 59 | Bon Air | 861 | $84,200 | $53,375 |
| 60 | Carrick | 10,678 | $80,838 | $39,096 |
| 61 | California-Kirkbride | 763 | $71,500 | $28,125 |
| 62 | Terrace Village | 2,631 | $129,500 | $16,417 |
| 63 | Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar | 4,433 | $50,100 | $33,697 |
| 64 | Hazelwood | 3,168 | $130,000 | $32,709 |
| 65 | Upper Hill | 2,129 | $69,750 | $34,954 |
| 66 | West Oakland | 1,403 | $119,150 | $18,391 |
| 67 | Beltzhoover | 1,927 | $59,500 | $37,215 |
| 68 | Knoxville | 3,836 | $52,600 | $40,874 |
| 69 | Fine View | 1,052 | $84,500 | $37,880 |
| 70 | Mount Oliver | 3,289 | $54,075 | $33,437 |
| 71 | Homewood North | 2,558 | $46,625 | $29,694 |
| 72 | Sheraden | 4,604 | $63,071 | $42,337 |
| 73 | East Carnegie | 434 | $78,000 | $41,250 |
| 74 | Homewood West | 747 | $52,400 | $22,470 |
| 75 | Elliott | 1,911 | $61,500 | $35,972 |
| 76 | Marshall-Shadeland | 4,396 | $49,920 | $41,920 |
| 77 | Spring Hill-City View | 2,537 | $69,100 | $27,178 |
| 78 | Bedford Dwellings | 1,262 | $49,500 | $16,551 |
| 79 | East Hills | 2,589 | $61,850 | $16,417 |
| 80 | Arlington | 1,368 | $57,200 | $33,083 |
| 81 | Esplen | 380 | $43,800 | $27,250 |
| 82 | Larimer | 1,557 | $34,200 | $21,408 |
| 83 | Arlington Heights | 315 | $57,200 | $33,083 |
| 84 | Mt Oliver | 291 | $57,200 | $33,083 |
| 85 | Saint Clair | 317 | $53,600 | $34,861 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 85 Pittsburgh neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in Pittsburgh
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in Pittsburgh where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in Pittsburgh are Highland Park, Squirrel Hill North, Central Business District, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill South, Lower Lawrenceville, Point Breeze, Southside Flats, Morningside, and East Liberty.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Pittsburgh aren’t all good. Saint Clair takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Pittsburgh.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on Pennsylvania? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In Pittsburgh FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in Pittsburgh?
Highland Park is the best neighborhood in Pittsburgh for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Squirrel Hill North and Central Business District are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in Pittsburgh?
The best neighborhoods in Pittsburgh are Highland Park, Squirrel Hill North, Central Business District, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill South, Lower Lawrenceville, Point Breeze, Southside Flats, Morningside, and East Liberty. We ranked all 85 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is Highland Park?
The median household income in Highland Park is $93,654 and the median home costs $410,917. The best blocks in Pittsburgh rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank Pittsburgh neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, Highland Park, takes the top spot.
Which Pittsburgh neighborhood ranked last?
Saint Clair came in last of the 85 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in Pittsburgh the numbers put it there.
