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Living in
Plum.
About
Life in Plum
This is a solidly middle-to-upper-middle-class suburb where you'll find reasonable home values in the $228,000 range and median household incomes near $98,500 — comfortable for the region without the intensity of urban living. The job market is stable with unemployment around 3.3%, and most residents have some college education, though you should expect a roughly 31-minute commute if you're working elsewhere in the metro area. The school district operates five buildings serving K-12, which matters if you have kids, and the community library keeps cultural life active.
Plum at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
44.4 yrs
Poverty Rate
3.6%
Foreign-Born
2.6%
Broadband Internet
94.0%
of households
Population Growth
-3.4%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics2.6% foreign-born, most often from Ireland
Who lives in Plum: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Plum, the largest foreign-born group is from Ireland (21.2%), and 0.6% of residents speak Other Indo-European at home.
Under 18
21.2%
of residents
65 and Older
22.8%
of residents
Households with Kids
30.0%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
25.7%
of households
Married Couples
57.4%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.45
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent about average for PA
Rent, home values, and income in Plum
In Plum, home values are 11% below the PA average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
37.1%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
11.0%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
94.7
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$3,948
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
80.7%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1972
median year built
Vacant Homes
5.6%
of housing units
Jobs & Economyunemployment 1 pts below PA average
Unemployment in Plum and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Plum is 1 percentage points lower than the PA average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What Plum Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
Pittsburgh, PA metro area
Commute31.1 min avg
How Plum residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Plum, most residents drive alone to work (69%), and 50% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 24 mi
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport (LBE)
Regional airport · few flights63k passengers boarded in 2025
- 25 mi
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
Medium hub4.8M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 83% below national average
Crime rates for 2024
Violent crime in Plum runs 83% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
61.2
per 100,000 residents
Below average (363 national, 2024)
Property Crime Rate
153
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,767 national, 2024)
Plum Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 26 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively High
98.1 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Allegheny County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Allegheny County, which includes Plum, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 26 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | Flash Flood | $714,300 |
| 2024 | 44 | Thunderstorm Wind | $12.3M |
| 2023 | 25 | Thunderstorm Wind | $382,000 |
| 2022 | 31 | Winter Weather | $265,000 |
| 2021 | 40 | Thunderstorm Wind | $1.4M |
| 2020 | 25 | Thunderstorm Wind | $743,000 |
| 2019 | 44 | Flash Flood | $498,500 |
| 2018 | 37 | Flash Flood | $12.1M |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Allegheny County, county-wide
Plum is about 2% of Allegheny County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Air Quality52 median AQI — Moderate
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Allegheny County, which includes Plum, is typically moderate — acceptable for most people, but can affect those unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Median AQI
52
Good Days
168
per year
Moderate Days
193
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Allegheny County, county-wide
Plum is about 2% of Allegheny County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Climate81°F summers, 22°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Plum has warm summers (avg high 81°F) and cold winters (avg low 22°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
61°/38°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
81°/60°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
63°/43°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
39°/22°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
44.5"
Annual Snowfall
25.0"
Hot Days/Year
15
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
117
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
150
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°F | 19°F | 3.38" |
| Feb | 40°F | 21°F | 2.87" |
| Mar | 49°F | 28°F | 3.68" |
| Apr | 62°F | 38°F | 3.70" |
| May | 72°F | 49°F | 3.91" |
| Jun | 79°F | 58°F | 4.45" |
| Jul | 83°F | 62°F | 4.54" |
| Aug | 82°F | 61°F | 3.56" |
| Sep | 76°F | 54°F | 4.18" |
| Oct | 64°F | 43°F | 3.32" |
| Nov | 51°F | 32°F | 3.26" |
| Dec | 42°F | 26°F | 3.66" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Plum
Uninsured
2.9%
of residents
No hospitals inside Plum's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Upmc East
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 4.5 mi away · Monroeville
Forbes Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 5.2 mi away · Monroeville
Upmc St Margaret
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 7.8 mi away · Pittsburgh
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education16.9:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Plum
Plum's student/teacher ratio is 16.9:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 45.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
5
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
45.0%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
16.9:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges Near Plum (within 15 miles)
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
11.4 mi awayPublic · 4-year · 20,370 students · in-state tuition $22,736 · 83% graduate · median earnings $73,113 (10 yrs after entry)
Community College of Allegheny County
14.6 mi awayPublic · 2-year · 9,544 students · in-state tuition $4,962 · 27% graduate · median earnings $43,286 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 7,304 students · in-state tuition $68,776 · 92% graduate · median earnings $125,257 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 5,350 students · in-state tuition $51,068 · 78% graduate · median earnings $81,698 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,331 students · in-state tuition $41,000 · 57% graduate · median earnings $52,251 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,348 students · in-state tuition $37,132 · 57% graduate · median earnings $56,397 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Fort Necessity National Battlefield, 48 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Plum
Plum has 6 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Fort Necessity National Battlefield (48 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Fort Necessity National Battlefield
National Battlefield
48 mi awayFriendship Hill National Historic Site
National Historic Site
51 mi awayJohnstown Flood National Memorial
National Memorial
52 mi awayFlight 93 National Memorial
National Memorial
54 mi awayAllegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
National Historic Site
62 mi awayFirst Ladies National Historic Site
National Historic Site
88 mi awayPublic Libraries in Plum
Plum Borough Library
445 Center-New Texas Road, Pittsburgh
Cities Near Plum
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Plum?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Plum FAQ
Is Plum, Pennsylvania affordable?⌄
Plum's median rent is $1,177/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $98,705/year. Median home value is $227,600.
Is Plum, Pennsylvania safe?⌄
Plum's violent crime rate was 61 per 100,000 residents in 2024, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 363/100k that year. Property crime rate is 153 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Plum, Pennsylvania?⌄
Plum has an unemployment rate of 3.3%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Plum, Pennsylvania?⌄
The cost of living in Plum is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,177/month and median household income is $98,705/year. The median home value is $227,600. About 37% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Plum, Pennsylvania?⌄
The average commute in Plum is 31 minutes, which is longer than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from