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.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Pittsburgh for 2024? 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:
- Best Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Cheapest Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Most Dangerous Cities In Pennsylvania
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Pittsburgh For 2024
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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 2024
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 2024. 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.
The worst neighborhoods in Pittsburgh are Larimer, Esplen, East Hills, Mt Oliver, Saint Clair, Arlington, Elliott, Spring Hill-City View, Homewood West, and Marshall-Shadeland.
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.
The best neighborhoods in Pittsburgh are Squirrel Hill North, Highland Park, Central Business District, Shadyside, and Squirrel Hill South.
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 2024?
| 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 |
Here is the 5 worst hoods in Pittsburgh Homewood_Hill District_EastHills_Larimer_Northview Heights
All of a sudden larimet is not east liberty anymore.
Brookline is a far nicer neighborhood than Greenfield. Clearly you didn’t visit them.