Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia
The short version
- Pittsburgh is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 8% lower than in the Philadelphia area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $205,800 in Pittsburgh and $243,100 in Philadelphia.
- Households earn more in Pittsburgh ($65,742 vs $61,953 median).
- Philadelphia has the warmer winter: January highs of 41°F vs 36°F.
- Pittsburgh gets far more snow: 44 inches a year vs 23.
- Philadelphia has more scorching days: 30 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 10.
- Pittsburgh is growing faster: +1.5% since 2020 vs -1.8%.
- Commutes are shorter in Pittsburgh (23 vs 32 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Pittsburgh, PA | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 307,632 | 1,574,281 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.5% | -1.8% |
| People per square mile | 5,556 | 11,720 |
| Median age | 33.6 | 35.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 49% | 35% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $65,742 | $61,953 |
| Median home value | $205,800 | $243,100 |
| Home value to income | 3.1× | 3.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,261 | $1,397 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 94.7 | 102.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 72.0 | 113.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $71,000 | $76,900 |
| Homeowners | 48% | 52% |
| Top state income tax | 3.07% | 3.07% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.34% | 6.34% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.7 | 31.7 |
| Work from home | 22% | 18% |
| Take public transit | 12% | 17% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| Poverty rate | 20.1% | 21.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 36° / 21° | 41° / 26° |
| July high / low | 83° / 63° | 88° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 40 in | 44 in |
| Snowfall per year | 44 in | 23 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 10 | 30 |
| Nights below freezing | 114 | 77 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.1 | 99.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 43% | 41% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.4% | +4.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +36.7% | +33.5% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Pittsburgh: May to October. Philadelphia: April to June and August to October.
Full monthly tables: Pittsburgh weather by month and Philadelphia weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $71,000 in Pittsburgh and $76,900 in Philadelphia. Moving from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, you would need about $81,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
Which would you pick?
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