Philadelphia, PA vs Pittsburgh, PA
Side-by-side comparison · Updated Jun 2026
Report card
| Category | PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PA | PittsburghPittsburgh, PA | Same grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| ReloScoreOverall grade | |||
| Affluence | Soft | Average | |
| Cost of Living | |||
| Crime | High Risk | High Risk | |
| Education | |||
| Quality of Life | Good | Good | |
| Sovereignty | High Autonomy | High Autonomy | Same |
| Strategic | Vulnerable | Vulnerable |
Grades rate each place against all US places. How grades work →
Comparison summary
At 100 out of 100 for healthcare access, Pittsburgh, PA scores 16 points higher than Philadelphia, PA's 84, placing Pittsburgh in the 90th percentile and Philadelphia in the 49th. 2023 Census figures show Philadelphia's average commute is 32 minutes (92nd percentile) versus Pittsburgh's 23.1 minutes (47th percentile), a 9-minute difference. Traffic deaths per 100,000 people are 17 in Philadelphia (53rd percentile) and 7 in Pittsburgh (13th percentile), with Philadelphia's rate 2.4 times higher.
Unemployment in Philadelphia stands at 4.7% (87th percentile) compared to Pittsburgh's 3.6% (48th percentile), a 1.1-point difference. Job growth over the past year was +1.8% in Philadelphia (72nd percentile) and +1.1% in Pittsburgh (50th percentile), a 0.7-point gap. The distance to coastline is 51 miles for Philadelphia (22nd percentile) and 282 miles for Pittsburgh (54th percentile), making Pittsburgh's distance 5.5 times greater. Average household size is 2.3 in Philadelphia (29th percentile) and 2 in Pittsburgh (6th percentile), 13% larger in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia's violent crime rate is 822 per 100,000 (96th percentile) versus Pittsburgh's 472 (84th percentile), 74% higher, and property crime is 4,343 per 100,000 (98th percentile) compared to 2,355 (85th percentile), 84% higher. The cost-of-living index is 101 in Philadelphia (49th percentile) and 90 in Pittsburgh (39th percentile), 12% higher in Philadelphia. Median home values are $232,400 (38th percentile) and $193,200 (26th percentile), a 20% difference.
AI-generated and may contain mistakes. Verify any details that matter before acting on them. Generated Oct 2026.
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Where they differ most
Cost of living
| Metric | Philadelphia, PA | Pittsburgh, PA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| COL indexCost of living index (100 = US) | 10149th pctl | 9039th pctl | Cost of living index (100 = US): Philadelphia, PA 101; Pittsburgh, PA 90; Philadelphia is 12% higher. |
| Home valueMedian home value | $232,40038th pctl | $193,20026th pctl | Median home value: Philadelphia, PA $232,400; Pittsburgh, PA $193,200; Philadelphia is 20% higher. |
| Median rent | $1,32359th pctl | $1,22151st pctl | Median rent: Philadelphia, PA $1,323; Pittsburgh, PA $1,221; Philadelphia is 8% higher. |
| Household incomeMedian household income | $60,69831st pctl | $64,13737th pctl | Median household income: Philadelphia, PA $60,698; Pittsburgh, PA $64,137; Pittsburgh is 6% higher. |
| Comfortable (single)Comfortable income (single) | $45,15137th pctl | $37,53526th pctl | Comfortable income (single): Philadelphia, PA $45,151; Pittsburgh, PA $37,535; Philadelphia is 20% higher. |
| Comfortable (family)Comfortable income (family of 4) | $66,37237th pctl | $55,17726th pctl | Comfortable income (family of 4): Philadelphia, PA $66,372; Pittsburgh, PA $55,177; Philadelphia is 20% higher. |
| AffordabilityHousing affordability | Affordable | Affordable | About the same |
Housing-adjusted salary
the same housing budget in Pittsburgh needs about
$66,800
Based only on local housing costs and incomes (cost-of-living index 101 vs 90). Leaves out taxes, groceries and transport. How it works →
Data: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, ReloMaps cost-of-living index (2023–2024).
Jobs & income
| Metric | Philadelphia, PA | Pittsburgh, PA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment | 4.7%87th pctl | 3.6%48th pctl | Unemployment: Philadelphia, PA 4.7%; Pittsburgh, PA 3.6%; Philadelphia is 1.1 points higher. |
| Job growthJob growth (YoY) | +1.8%72nd pctl | +1.1%50th pctl | Job growth (YoY): Philadelphia, PA +1.8%; Pittsburgh, PA +1.1%; Philadelphia is 0.7 points higher. |
| Per-capita income | $37,66949th pctl | $43,59065th pctl | Per-capita income: Philadelphia, PA $37,669; Pittsburgh, PA $43,590; Pittsburgh is 16% higher. |
| Poverty rate | 22.0%87th pctl | 19.5%81st pctl | Poverty rate: Philadelphia, PA 22.0%; Pittsburgh, PA 19.5%; Philadelphia is 2.5 points higher. |
| CommuteAverage commute | 32 min92nd pctl | 23.1 min47th pctl | Average commute: Philadelphia, PA 32 min; Pittsburgh, PA 23.1 min; Philadelphia is 9 minutes longer. |
| Work from home | 16.4%74th pctl | 20.4%84th pctl | Work from home: Philadelphia, PA 16.4%; Pittsburgh, PA 20.4%; Pittsburgh is 4.0 points higher. |
| OpportunityEconomic opportunity | Stable | Stable | About the same |
| Job market | Stable | Strong | About the same |
Data: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, BLS (2023).
Safety
| Metric | Philadelphia, PA | Pittsburgh, PA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimeViolent crime per 100k | 82296th pctl | 47284th pctl | Violent crime per 100k: Philadelphia, PA 822; Pittsburgh, PA 472; Philadelphia is 74% higher. |
| Property crimeProperty crime per 100k | 4,34398th pctl | 2,35585th pctl | Property crime per 100k: Philadelphia, PA 4,343; Pittsburgh, PA 2,355; Philadelphia is 84% higher. |
| 5-yr trendViolent crime, 5-yr trend | Falling | Rising | |
| Crime & safety | Dangerous | Dangerous | About the same |
| Traffic safety | SafeCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | Very SafeCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | Traffic safety: Philadelphia, PA B-; Pittsburgh, PA A+; Pittsburgh is graded higher. |
Data: FBI Crime Data, NHTSA FARS (2025).
Quality of life
| Metric | Philadelphia, PA | Pittsburgh, PA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air quality | GreatCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | GreatCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | About the same |
| HealthcareHealthcare access | ExcellentCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | ExcellentCounty figure. County-level figure: measured for the surrounding county. | Healthcare access: Philadelphia, PA A; Pittsburgh, PA A+; Pittsburgh is graded higher. |
| Tap water | Clean | Poor | Tap water: Philadelphia, PA B; Pittsburgh, PA F; Philadelphia is graded higher. |
| Power grid | ReliableState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | ReliableState figure. State-level figure: the local figure isn't published. | About the same |
| HomesteadingHomesteading potential | Prime | Prime | About the same |
| Disaster riskNational disaster risk | High-Risk | High-Risk | About the same |
4 rows not shown (data not available)
4 rows not shown: climate comfort isn't available for Philadelphia, PA; broadband, walkability and local food access aren't available for either place.
Data: EPA AirData, NOAA NCEI, County Health Rankings, FCC, Geoapify POIs, EPA SDWIS, EIA, OpenStreetMap, FEMA National Risk Index (2022–2024).
Taxes & laws
Both are in Pennsylvania, so state taxes and state laws (homeschooling, firearms, property rights) are the same. See Pennsylvania →
Strategic location
How exposed each place is to large-scale disruption, based on distance from big cities, likely targets and natural hazards.
| Metric | Philadelphia, PA | Pittsburgh, PA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large cityNearest large city | 4 mi3rd pctl | 1 mi1st pctl | Nearest large city: Philadelphia, PA 4 mi; Pittsburgh, PA 1 mi; Philadelphia is 4.1 times higher. |
| Target proximity | Fair | Fair | Target proximity: Philadelphia, PA B-; Pittsburgh, PA B; Pittsburgh is graded higher. |
| To borderDistance to international border | 259 mi35th pctl | 170 mi18th pctl | Distance to international border: Philadelphia, PA 259 mi; Pittsburgh, PA 170 mi; Philadelphia is 52% higher. |
| To coastDistance to coastline | 51 mi22nd pctl | 282 mi54th pctl | Distance to coastline: Philadelphia, PA 51 mi; Pittsburgh, PA 282 mi; Pittsburgh is 5.5 times higher. |
| StrategicStrategic location | Vulnerable | Vulnerable | About the same |
Data: ReloMaps strategic assessment.
People
| Metric | Philadelphia, PA | Pittsburgh, PA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,582,432100th pctl | 303,62097th pctl | Population: Philadelphia, PA 1,582,432; Pittsburgh, PA 303,620; Philadelphia is 5.2 times larger. |
| DensityPopulation density (per sq mi) | 11,78199th pctl | 5,48393rd pctl | Population density (per sq mi): Philadelphia, PA 11,781; Pittsburgh, PA 5,483; Philadelphia is 2.1 times higher. |
| Median age | 35.126th pctl | 33.517th pctl | Median age: Philadelphia, PA 35.1; Pittsburgh, PA 33.5; Philadelphia is 1.6 years older. |
| Bachelor's+Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.6%56th pctl | 47.8%77th pctl | Bachelor's degree or higher: Philadelphia, PA 34.6%; Pittsburgh, PA 47.8%; Pittsburgh is 13.2 points higher. |
| Household sizeAverage household size | 2.329th pctl | 26th pctl | Average household size: Philadelphia, PA 2.3; Pittsburgh, PA 2; Philadelphia is 13% larger. |
More about Philadelphia's residents · Pittsburgh's residents
Data: U.S. Census ACS 5-year (2023).
Politics
Information only. Not part of any grade, difference or summary on this page.
| Measure | PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PA | PittsburghPittsburgh, PA |
|---|---|---|
| Cook PVI | D+19 | D+10 |
| 2024 presidential | D +35.0 pts | D +19.0 pts |
Full politics data: Philadelphia · Pittsburgh
Moving between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
- Median rent: $1,323 in Philadelphia, $1,221 in Pittsburgh
- Median home value: $232,400 in Philadelphia, $193,200 in Pittsburgh
- Cost of living index (100 = US): 101 in Philadelphia, 90 in Pittsburgh
- Median household income: $60,698 in Philadelphia, $64,137 in Pittsburgh
- Comfortable income (family of 4): $66,372 in Philadelphia, $55,177 in Pittsburgh
- Unemployment: 4.7% in Philadelphia, 3.6% in Pittsburgh
- Average commute: 32 min in Philadelphia, 23.1 min in Pittsburgh
- Violent crime per 100k: 822 in Philadelphia, 472 in Pittsburgh
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More places like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
- Data: Cost of living: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, ReloMaps cost-of-living index (2023–2024).
- Data: Jobs & income: U.S. Census ACS 5-year, BLS (2023).
- Data: Safety: FBI Crime Data, NHTSA FARS (2025).
- Data: Quality of life: EPA AirData, NOAA NCEI, County Health Rankings, FCC, Geoapify POIs, EPA SDWIS, EIA, OpenStreetMap, FEMA National Risk Index (2022–2024).
- Data: Strategic location: ReloMaps strategic assessment.
- Data: People: U.S. Census ACS 5-year (2023).
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area.
Narrative content on this page is AI-generated and may contain mistakes. Verify any details that matter before acting on them.
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