What it's like to live in Bethel Park
Bethel Park is a small city in Pennsylvania with home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Bethel Park deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a population that has been shrinking, and cold winters.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Shrinking population
- Cold winters
How Bethel Park compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Bethel Park
Based on Bethel Park's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,622
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,440 a year
- 41% of Bethel Park renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$54,680
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $27,340
- Homes cost 2.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,311/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,311 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $273,400. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $273,400 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 33% below US
2.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.9%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 87% below US
44 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 576/100k · Bethel Park Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 24% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 25°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 49% above US
54% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Friendship Hill National Historic Site (38 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Bethel Park's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and a population that has been shrinking. A year of median rent ($1,311/mo) equals 15% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (24% of workers here already work from home).
See all the data for Bethel Park →·All Pennsylvania cities →
Other places near Bethel Park
All Pennsylvania guides →Moving to Jefferson Hills →
6 mi away · pop. 12,317
Rent $1,355/mo · Income $116,064
Compare with Bethel Park →Moving to West Mifflin →
7 mi away · pop. 19,190
Rent $780/mo · Income $76,563
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