Both crime rates sit above the national benchmark, property crime more so than violent crime: 17% above versus 12%. The direction matters as much as the level. Violent crime fell 15.4% in 2024, a trend SafeNest classifies as improving, so a buyer is looking at a C-grade city moving downward on crime rather than a static one. Schools follow the same pattern of averages hiding range: 5.7/10 across 145 rated schools, with elementary at 5.9 and high schools at 5.5, while Ross El Sch reaches 9.6. Pennsylvania's 26 federal flood declarations and 10 hurricane or tropical-storm declarations describe a state, not a parcel. Every figure here is a city-wide or state-wide average. The block you buy on, its school, and its flood zone are settled address by address.
Crime in Pittsburgh vs. the national average
Pittsburgh reports 428 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 12% above the U.S. average of 381, and 2,280 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (17% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate fell 15.4% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as improving.
| Pittsburgh | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 428 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 2280 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Pittsburgh can differ dramatically. For a specific address, a SafeNest report covers it directly — or search free in the iPhone app.
Flood & natural hazard risk
Federal disaster records for Pennsylvania — the state SafeNest uses for Pittsburgh's flood context — list 26 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1955 and 2016, most recently "Severe Storms And Flooding". Pennsylvania has also seen 10 hurricane or tropical-storm declarations, events that frequently drive flooding. These are state-level federal declarations, not a parcel-level flood-zone determination — a specific Pittsburgh address may sit inside or well outside a FEMA flood zone, which SafeNest does not determine; check FEMA's flood maps and flood-insurance requirements for that address.
Schools in Pittsburgh
Public schools in Pittsburgh average 5.7/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 145 rated schools. By level, elementary schools rate strongest at 5.9/10 on average, while high schools average 5.5/10. The highest-scoring is Ross El Sch at 9.6/10.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for Pittsburgh: a single citywide number would blend blocks with very different profiles and mislead more than it informs. Registered offender counts by distance band for any specific Pittsburgh address are included in a SafeNest report, drawn directly from the state's public registry. The iPhone app shows that count free for any address, and maps each registrant with Premium.
Check a specific Pittsburgh address
City averages are a starting point. A SafeNest report covers one specific address — crime, registered offender counts, flood and disaster history, schools, air quality, taxes — delivered by email as a PDF for $6.99.
Or search any Pittsburgh address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Pittsburgh
Is Pittsburgh, PA safe?
Pittsburgh records 428 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, roughly in line with the US national average of 381. Overall SafeNest grade: C, a city-wide average of reported crime. It does not describe a specific street or address.
What is the crime rate in Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh reports approximately 428 violent crimes and 2280 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Pittsburgh have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Pittsburgh, federal records show 26 FEMA flood disaster declarations for Pennsylvania, most recently in 2016; a specific address may still sit inside or outside a FEMA flood zone, which SafeNest does not determine — check FEMA's flood maps for that address.
How this page was built
Every figure here comes from the same public records behind SafeNest's grading. We published the full method and what it does and doesn't support in We graded 13,216 American cities with FBI data — including where a letter grade means almost nothing. City comparisons: safest cities in Pennsylvania.
Other city safety reports
Data compiled from public sources including FBI crime statistics, FEMA disaster declarations and the FEMA National Risk Index, NCES education data, and state registries. Last updated 2026-08-17. Figures are city-level estimates; verify with primary sources before making decisions. SafeNest is not a consumer reporting agency (see Terms).