The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Pittsburgh For 2022


We used data and science to identify the neighborhoods in Pittsburgh that are the real pits.

Nick Johnson, About HomeSnacks
Last Updated: April 6, 2022

Pittsburgh's neighborhoods conjure up too many stereotypes to count. You've got hipster areas, preppy places, neighborhoods where college kids thrive, and of course, ghettos.

It seems as if there's a neighborhood for everyone in Pittsburgh.

And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in the country thanks in part to a strong economy and tons of entertainment, it's not all rainbows and sunshine in Pittsburgh. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.

So the question arises, which Pittsburgh neighborhoods are the worst, and which are the best?

Today, we'll use science and data to determine which Pittsburgh hoods need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the Pittsburgh area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Squirrel Hill North ranks way above the rest.

We examined 82 of Pittsburgh's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Pittsburgh's reputation.

So what's the worst neighborhood to live in Pittsburgh for 2022? According to the most recent census data, Larimer looks to be the worst neighborhood in Pittsburgh.

Read on to see how we determined the places around Pittsburgh that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don't blame the messenger.

Once you're done, you can look at the bottom of the story for a complete chart of every neighborhood we looked at from worst to best. Looking for places to avoid outside of the city? You can also check out the worst suburbs of Pittsburgh.

For more Pennsylvania reading, check out:

Worst Neighborhoods In Pittsburgh
Source: Wikipedia User Yassie (talk) | CC BY-SA 3.0

The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Pittsburgh For 2022

1. Larimer

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,447
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $44,375 (11th worst)
Median Income: $21,417 (7th worst)
More on Larimer:  Data

2. California-Kirkbride

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 707
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $55,700 (2worst)
Median Income: $20,000 (5th worst)
More on California-Kirkbride:  Data

3. Northview Heights

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,325
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $63,900 (29th worst)
Median Income: $12,742 (worst)
More on Northview Heights:  Data

4. Homewood West

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 831
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $18,500 (worst)
Median Income: $24,700 (14th worst)
More on Homewood West:  Data

5. Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 4,443
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $45,160 (12th worst)
Median Income: $25,868 (17th worst)
More on Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar:  Data

6. East Hills

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,683
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $39,800 (5th worst)
Median Income: $25,650 (16th worst)
More on East Hills:  Data

7. Saint Clair

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 317
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $53,600 (18th worst)
Median Income: $34,861 (27th worst)
More on Saint Clair:  Data

8. Homewood South

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,415
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $40,250 (6th worst)
Median Income: $21,070 (6th worst)
More on Homewood South:  Data

9. Beltzhoover

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,783
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $40,325 (7th worst)
Median Income: $33,514 (24th worst)
More on Beltzhoover:  Data

10. Homewood North

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 3,235
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $32,780 (4th worst)
Median Income: $22,341 (10th worst)
More on Homewood North:  Data

Methodology: How we determined the worst Pittsburgh neighborhoods in 2022

To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what places have the least amount of those things. We threw the following criteria into this analysis in order to get the best, most complete results possible. We used this set of criteria for each neighborhood in Pittsburgh:

  • High unemployment (Less jobs)
  • Low median income (Less pay)
  • Low population density (No things to do)
  • Low home values (No one's willing to pay to live here)
  • High crime (Estimated)

Then, we ranked each neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for each of these criteria from worst to best.

Next, we averaged the individual rankings for each criteria into a "Worst Score".

The neighborhood with the lowest "Worst Score" ranks as the worst neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Pittsburgh to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 82 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.

This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased. Hold on to your pants.

Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Pittsburgh

Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Pittsburgh with Larimer landing at the bottom of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Pittsburgh aren't all bad. Squirrel Hill North takes the cake as the best place to live in Pittsburgh.

We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.

For more Pennsylvania reading, check out:

Where Are The Worst Neighborhoods To Live In Pittsburgh For 2022?

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 Larimer 1,447 $44,375 $21,417
2 California-Kirkbride 707 $55,700 $20,000
3 Northview Heights 1,325 $63,900 $12,742
4 Homewood West 831 $18,500 $24,700
5 Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar 4,443 $45,160 $25,868
6 East Hills 2,683 $39,800 $25,650
7 Saint Clair 317 $53,600 $34,861
8 Homewood South 2,415 $40,250 $21,070
9 Beltzhoover 1,783 $40,325 $33,514
10 Homewood North 3,235 $32,780 $22,341
11 Hays 372 $52,700 $21,815
12 Terrace Village 2,359 $26,000 $17,466
13 Fine View 1,140 $63,750 $34,658
14 Crawford Roberts 2,259 $49,750 $18,794
15 Hazelwood 4,241 $56,629 $23,874
16 West Oakland 1,581 $41,733 $16,857
17 Spring Hill-City View 2,537 $69,100 $27,178
18 Marshall-Shadeland 4,396 $49,920 $41,920
19 Middle Hill 2,062 $80,067 $21,500
20 Esplen 175 $43,900 $39,904
21 Arlington 1,852 $31,225 $34,996
22 Perry South 3,333 $62,967 $33,900
23 Elliott 2,302 $63,775 $45,640
24 Sheraden 5,675 $54,614 $35,876
25 Chartiers City 404 $69,100 $40,990
26 Allentown 2,342 $60,350 $35,505
27 Troy Hill 1,482 $58,700 $45,174
28 Knoxville 4,167 $41,350 $40,075
29 Garfield 3,859 $64,560 $30,202
30 Carrick 9,904 $71,327 $41,950
31 Perry North 3,738 $70,133 $47,169
32 Herrs Island 245 $65,000 $55,500
33 Mount Oliver 3,289 $54,075 $33,437
34 Spring Garden 812 $62,333 $37,416
35 Mt Oliver 562 $49,300 $37,500
36 Polish Hill 1,461 $100,533 $41,222
37 Bon Air 944 $80,100 $56,797
38 Manchester 2,005 $96,750 $39,460
39 East Liberty 5,678 $82,262 $31,021
40 East Allegheny 1,866 $94,550 $25,432
41 East Carnegie 607 $77,500 $55,385
42 Allegheny Center 1,457 $240,650 $46,526
43 Wind Gap 1,355 $72,450 $57,734
44 Overbrook 3,473 $75,940 $44,551
45 Upper Hill 1,759 $133,967 $32,996
46 Oakland 8,663 $70,900 $22,641
47 Allegheny West 259 $302,100 $58,958
48 Lincoln Place 3,534 $87,440 $48,067
49 Strip District 714 $321,400 $93,125
50 Central Northside 2,929 $165,800 $37,312
51 Crafton Heights 3,908 $92,525 $42,870
52 Beechview 8,127 $81,310 $47,089
53 Lower Lawrenceville 2,176 $143,950 $51,874
54 Brighton Heights 6,741 $103,600 $51,491
55 Upper Lawrenceville 2,377 $93,567 $42,436
56 Oakwood 1,030 $98,200 $31,563
57 Southside Slopes 4,680 $92,425 $55,340
58 Fairywood 1,249 $52,800 $83,804
59 Brookline 12,958 $91,167 $53,825
60 Point Breeze North 1,908 $169,275 $56,266
61 Mount Washington 8,521 $96,970 $49,177
62 Summer Hill 1,075 $100,000 $65,000
63 North Shore 177 $100,700 $68,684
64 Central Lawrenceville 4,444 $131,417 $50,605
65 North Oakland 9,383 $158,750 $23,280
66 Bloomfield 8,640 $148,610 $43,967
67 Duquesne Heights 2,550 $110,300 $64,534
68 Swisshelm Park 1,158 $131,800 $65,313
69 Central Business District 3,229 $121,733 $101,131
70 Banksville 3,818 $144,600 $62,896
71 Stanton Heights 4,599 $114,300 $53,459
72 Friendship 1,921 $198,350 $37,587
73 Regent Square 973 $300,900 $67,188
74 Morningside 2,940 $126,925 $53,016
75 Westwood 3,544 $107,350 $59,680
76 Southside Flats 5,548 $213,383 $61,427
77 Squirrel Hill South 15,572 $237,164 $65,941
78 Greenfield 7,858 $138,978 $66,111
79 Highland Park 6,854 $150,738 $62,251
80 Shadyside 13,593 $290,693 $53,305
81 Point Breeze 5,555 $276,757 $109,215
82 Squirrel Hill North 11,446 $401,640 $123,405

Editor's Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don't freak out we updated this article for 2022. This is our time ranking the worst neighborhoods to live in Pittsburgh.
About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.

 Rankings, Worst