City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA versus St Louis, MO is a real move, not a trivia matchup. This comparison uses the same 2026 neighborhood report data we publish on each city page — typical rent, median household income, crime indexes, school composites, and typical weather — so you can see which city actually fits how you live, work, and spend. Typical rents sit near $1,299 a month in Pittsburgh and $1,218 in St Louis, and median household income lands at $60,187 versus $52,941. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
Pittsburgh takes job market, safety, and weather, while St Louis takes affordability. The widest gap is crime index, where Pittsburgh leads by 35% — the kind of spread you feel in a monthly budget or a nightly walk, not just on a chart. Read the category rows as a filter: if cheaper housing would change your life more than a stronger job market, weight rent first. If you are moving with kids, weight schools and crime. If you picked a city after one good weekend, use the weather and income rows to test whether that weekend survives a full year.
Numbers below are citywide, not a guarantee about the street you will actually live on. Two ZIP codes in Pittsburgh can feel further apart than Pittsburgh and St Louis do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Pittsburgh and St Louis reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Pittsburgh, PA
St Louis, MO
Rent
6% cheaper
St Louis rent is 6% cheaper than Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh
$1,299/mo
St Louis
Winner$1,218/mo
Typical rent runs $1,218 a month in St Louis versus $1,299 in Pittsburgh, so St Louis is 6% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $81, or $972 a year — noticeable, but rent alone should not pick the city. Use this as a tie-breaker after you compare income, schools, and crime, unless you are already stretching every dollar.
Median income
14% higher
Pittsburgh's median income is 14% higher than St Louis
Pittsburgh
Winner$60,187
St Louis
$52,941
Median household income is $60,187 in Pittsburgh versus $52,941 in St Louis, so typical pay runs 14% higher in Pittsburgh — about $7,246 more household income a year. Higher median income usually signals a stronger local job market and better negotiating leverage on salary. Remote workers should weigh this against cost of living rather than treating it as a direct personal benefit. For people who will actually work in town, Pittsburgh is the stronger labor market on paper. St Louis can still win if housing is cheap enough to offset the weaker median or if your specific role already pays well there.
Crime index
35% lower crime
Pittsburgh's crime index is 35% lower than St Louis
Pittsburgh
Winner75 (100 = avg)
St Louis
116 (100 = avg)
Pittsburgh's crime index is 75 versus 116 in St Louis (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 35% lower in Pittsburgh. That gap is meaningful day-to-day — it affects whether you feel comfortable walking at night, leaving your car on the street, or letting kids play outside unsupervised. Indexes still compress a lot of reality: a calmer city has blocks you would skip, and a higher-crime city has streets that feel neighborly at 10 p.m. On the everyday test of walking from the car to the door, Pittsburgh is the easier city. St Louis can still work if you pick the right pocket — just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
School scores
Neck and neck
Pittsburgh and St Louis are about even on school scores.
Pittsburgh
A- · 84/100
St Louis
A- · 84/100
School composites are effectively even (A- in Pittsburgh, A- in St Louis). For families with kids this is a warning if you assumed one city was obviously better — at this range the campus, not the city name, decides it. Tour the zoned elementary you would actually use.
Typical weather
23% more comfortable
Pittsburgh weather is 23% more comfortable than St Louis
Pittsburgh
Winner69°F typical
St Louis
78°F typical
Pittsburgh scores 23% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 69°F in Pittsburgh and 78°F in St Louis. Pittsburgh reads as mild, livable temperatures; St Louis reads as warm weather most of the year. Climate affects quality of life more than most people anticipate when planning a move. Consider how much time you spend outdoors and whether extreme heat or cold impacts your mood or productivity. Pittsburgh is the better default if you want year-round outdoor access. St Louis can still be right if you love that climate on purpose — beach heat, dry heat, or a real winter — but you cannot return a city's weather.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside plus year-round outdoor access
It is also a match for career-focused movers who want salary upside and year-round outdoor access. Median household income runs 14% higher ($60,187), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two — around 69°F. That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.
Pittsburgh is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 35% lower than St Louis (75 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Fit check
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to St Louis
St Louis is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 6% cheaper here at about $1,218 a month. Choose St Louis if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
Bottom line
If safety is your priority, Pittsburgh is the clear choice.
If cost of living matters more to you, St Louis pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, Pittsburgh offers the better overall package.
Common questions
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