The 10 Most Dangerous And Worst Neighborhoods In Pittsburgh, PA


The most dangerous and worst Pittsburgh neighborhoods are Larimer and Esplen for 2023 based on Saturday Night Science.

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

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 Pennsylvania thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Pittsburgh. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.

So the question arises, which Pittsburgh neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?

Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science 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 79 of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous 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 2023? 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.

For more Pennsylvania reading, check out:


Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table


The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Pittsburgh For 2023

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,557
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,105
Property Crime Per 100k: 10,258
Median Home Value: $34,200 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $21,408 (7th worst)
More on Larimer:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 380
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 819
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,269
Median Home Value: $43,800 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $27,250 (10th worst)
More on Esplen:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,589
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,760
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,688
Median Home Value: $61,850 (14th worst)
Median Income: $16,417 (2nd worst)
More on East Hills:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 291
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 356
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,120
Median Home Value: $57,200 (10th worst)
Median Income: $33,083 (16th worst)
More on Mt Oliver:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 317
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 516
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,615
Median Home Value: $53,600 (8th worst)
Median Income: $34,861 (19th worst)
More on Saint Clair:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,368
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 755
Property Crime Per 100k: 1,818
Median Home Value: $57,200 (10th worst)
Median Income: $33,083 (16th worst)
More on Arlington:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,911
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,002
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,905
Median Home Value: $61,500 (13th worst)
Median Income: $35,972 (2worst)
More on Elliott:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,537
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,496
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,932
Median Home Value: $69,100 (16th worst)
Median Income: $27,178 (9th worst)
More on Spring Hill-City View:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 747
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 787
Property Crime Per 100k: 8,292
Median Home Value: $52,400 (6th worst)
Median Income: $22,470 (8th worst)
More on Homewood West:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 4,396
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,165
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,319
Median Home Value: $49,920 (4th worst)
Median Income: $41,920 (29th worst)
More on Marshall-Shadeland:  Data

Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Pittsburgh neighborhoods in 2023

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 plugged the following criteria into Saturday Night Science to get the worst neighborhoods in Pittsburgh:

  • High crime (Estimated)
  • 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)

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 criterion into a “Worst Score.”

The neighborhood with the lowest “Worst Score” ranks as the most dangerous neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

The article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2023. This report is our time ranking the worst neighborhoods to live in Pittsburgh.

Skip to the end to see the list of all 79 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.

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 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:

Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Pittsburgh For 2023?

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 Larimer 1,557 $34,200 $21,408
2 Esplen 380 $43,800 $27,250
3 East Hills 2,589 $61,850 $16,417
4 Mt Oliver 291 $57,200 $33,083
5 Saint Clair 317 $53,600 $34,861
6 Arlington 1,368 $57,200 $33,083
7 Elliott 1,911 $61,500 $35,972
8 Spring Hill-City View 2,537 $69,100 $27,178
9 Homewood West 747 $52,400 $22,470
10 Marshall-Shadeland 4,396 $49,920 $41,920
11 Fine View 1,052 $84,500 $37,880
12 Sheraden 4,604 $63,071 $42,337
13 Hazelwood 3,168 $130,000 $32,709
14 Beltzhoover 1,927 $59,500 $37,215
15 Crawford Roberts 1,833 $148,400 $17,822
16 Knoxville 3,836 $52,600 $40,874
17 California-Kirkbride 763 $71,500 $28,125
18 Upper Hill 2,129 $69,750 $34,954
19 Terrace Village 2,631 $129,500 $16,417
20 East Carnegie 434 $78,000 $41,250
21 Carrick 10,678 $80,838 $39,096
22 West Oakland 1,403 $119,150 $18,391
23 Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar 4,433 $50,100 $33,697
24 Perry South 4,142 $90,625 $40,444
25 Homewood South 1,947 $79,700 $19,679
26 Bon Air 861 $84,200 $53,375
27 Mount Oliver 3,289 $54,075 $33,437
28 Perry North 3,971 $108,260 $64,892
29 Allentown 1,815 $31,000 $51,792
30 Troy Hill 1,592 $88,650 $58,158
31 Strip District 1,265 $422,100 $120,764
32 Oakland 9,164 $141,840 $19,301
33 Chartiers City 518 $98,100 $66,583
34 Hays 962 $130,867 $59,992
35 Allegheny West 314 $328,100 $82,500
36 Wind Gap 1,356 $98,100 $56,729
37 Crafton Heights 3,791 $88,625 $44,836
38 Herrs Island 412 $79,100 $75,298
39 Garfield 3,717 $121,700 $48,547
40 Mount Washington 8,239 $117,788 $56,416
41 East Allegheny 1,791 $205,450 $32,871
42 Allegheny Center 1,508 $328,100 $62,943
43 Manchester 2,025 $202,550 $45,255
44 Lincoln Place 3,046 $83,700 $64,835
45 Overbrook 3,530 $108,083 $53,252
46 Ridgemont 636 $103,700 $59,514
47 Summer Hill 805 $117,400 $75,280
48 Spring Garden 776 $125,300 $61,280
49 Beechview 7,905 $102,027 $57,488
50 Central Northside 2,667 $314,800 $52,454
51 Brighton Heights 6,937 $119,617 $66,175
52 Southside Slopes 4,265 $169,083 $54,903
53 Point Breeze North 1,953 $163,800 $68,691
54 Westwood 2,859 $115,800 $60,366
55 North Shore 259 $328,100 $82,049
56 East Liberty 5,708 $290,525 $49,623
57 Oakwood 990 $144,050 $62,938
58 Brookline 12,956 $128,560 $62,725
59 Swisshelm Park 1,206 $155,450 $69,838
60 Polish Hill 1,382 $183,300 $63,316
61 Banksville 4,020 $137,467 $70,330
62 Upper Lawrenceville 2,561 $138,867 $63,034
63 Central Lawrenceville 4,659 $226,300 $62,966
64 Bloomfield 9,417 $236,680 $53,420
65 North Oakland 9,017 $343,400 $32,413
66 Regent Square 879 $282,250 $85,507
67 Stanton Heights 4,387 $163,800 $67,287
68 Friendship 1,911 $283,800 $41,534
69 Duquesne Heights 2,341 $148,100 $70,178
70 Greenfield 8,032 $172,400 $62,590
71 Southside Flats 6,588 $252,086 $58,211
72 Lower Lawrenceville 2,012 $242,867 $79,766
73 Point Breeze 5,572 $327,714 $117,544
74 Morningside 2,856 $186,567 $66,919
75 Squirrel Hill South 14,208 $318,800 $75,200
76 Shadyside 14,174 $352,892 $62,193
77 Central Business District 4,487 $505,780 $90,768
78 Highland Park 6,556 $410,917 $93,654
79 Squirrel Hill North 11,540 $497,262 $117,062
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.