What it's like to live in Whitehall
Whitehall is a small city in Pennsylvania with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, 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. Whitehall deals with commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a population that has been shrinking, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Shrinking population
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
How Whitehall compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Whitehall
Based on Whitehall's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,830
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $36,600 a year
- 59% of Whitehall renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$47,240
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,620
- Homes cost 2.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 35% below US
$915/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $915 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $236,200. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $236,200 · 59% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Allegheny County is 4.0%, 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.
Allegheny County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 88% below US
41 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 240/100k · Whitehall Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 12% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 17% 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▲ 20% above US
43% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 43% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Friendship Hill National Historic Site (41 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Whitehall's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($915/mo) equals 12% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Whitehall
All Pennsylvania guides →Moving to Bethel Park →
4 mi away · pop. 32,881
Rent $1,311/mo · Income $107,090
Compare with Whitehall →Moving to West Mifflin →
4 mi away · pop. 19,190
Rent $780/mo · Income $76,563
Compare with Whitehall →Not sure Whitehall is the one?
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