What it's like to live in Greensburg
Greensburg is a small city in Pennsylvania with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Greensburg deals with household incomes below the national average, a population that has been shrinking, cold winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Shrinking population
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Greensburg compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Greensburg
Based on Greensburg's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,678
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $33,560 a year
- 43% of Greensburg renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$36,820
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $18,410
- Homes cost 2.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 41% below US
$839/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $839 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $184,100. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $184,100 · 43% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Westmoreland County is 4.2%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Westmoreland County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 35% below US
214 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 600/100k · Greensburg Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
39% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 39% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, 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 Fort Necessity National Battlefield (35 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Greensburg's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a population that has been shrinking. A year of median rent ($839/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Greensburg
All Pennsylvania guides →Moving to Murrysville →
11 mi away · pop. 20,817
Rent $1,587/mo · Income $121,823
Compare with Greensburg →Moving to Monroeville →
14 mi away · pop. 28,295
Rent $1,175/mo · Income $79,218
Compare with Greensburg →Moving to McKeesport →
16 mi away · pop. 17,380
Rent $848/mo · Income $34,219
Compare with Greensburg →Not sure Greensburg is the one?
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