Moving to Pittsburgh

• 39% never saw Pittsburgh prior to joining Heinz
• 26% never saw the USA prior to joining Heinz
• 25% visited Pittsburgh at least once prior to joining Heinz
• 7% did not grow up in Pittsburgh, but lived in Pittsburgh prior to attending Heinz
• 3% grew up in the Pittsburgh area

• 35% four months ahead
• 34% three months ahead
• 16% two months ahead
• 5% already lived in Pittsburgh
• 5% one month ahead
• 3% after arriving for Orientation (not recommended)
• 2% five months ahead

Only 31% of Heinz students have a car with them in Pittsburgh.

Public transportation options to/from campus include:

• Pittsburgh city bus (PAT transit)
• CMU Shuttle & Escort
• PITT (University of Pittsburgh) shuttle

Above services are FREE of charge with your CMU ID card.

If you don't plan to have a vehicle with you on campus, please be sure to review the service maps and schedules above. Service varies in many areas of the neighborhoods we have recommended.

4% of Heinz students who have a car also have a campus parking permit.

If you would like to park on campus on a regular basis, you must request a parking permit very early in your process of relocating to Pittsburgh. (Due to limited available on-campus parking, not all students who request a permit will be able to obtain a permit.) Open parking enrollment for the fall semester begins in April and often closes prior to May 1. Permit parking costs vary depending upon lot availability. The average cost is $145 per month. Updated information on permit costs and application deadlines is available on the Parking & Transportation services home page. (Those interested in a summer parking pass should contact Parking Services directly as soon as possible.)

Unless you purchase a Carnegie Mellon parking permit, parking on campus is extremely limited between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays. For more information on "pay as you park" options, please visit the CMU Parking & Transportation's Visitor Information page.

• 54% City Bus (PRT)
• 27% Walk
• 10% Drive
• 3% Bicycle
• 3% CMU Shuttle/Escort
• 2% Uber/Lyft
• 1% E-Scooter

The City of Pittsburgh consists of several distinct neighborhoods. We have found that the majority of Heinz students live in the Shadyside, Oakland or Squirrel Hill neighborhoods. We encourage you to visit the many neighborhoods within the city to determine which one matches your requirements best.

View the City of Pittsburgh neighborhood map

The Pittsburgh Police Bureau offers an Interactive Crime Dashboard, which offers safety statistics for all Pittsburgh neighborhoods.

View the Pittsburgh Interactive Crime Dashboard

Table of average Pittsburgh rental costs by neighborhood:

City of Pittsburgh neighborhood map

65% of current Heinz College students share living expenses with a housemate(s). Below is the breakdown of how they met:

• 40% social media groups not managed by Heinz College (often promoted through official Heinz College outlets)
• 32% knew them previously
• 12% Heinz College Housing Facebook page
• 16% Other

• 38% Additional Resources
  • apartments.com
  • hotpads.com
  • rent.com
  • Trulia
  • Zillow
• 16% asked people they knew in Pittsburgh
• 15% connected with current Heinz College students
• 10% visited Pittsburgh to specifically find housing prior to the start of orientation
• 8% used the CMU Housing Registry
• 7% used social media groups not managed by Heinz College
• 5% used Heinz College Housing Facebook page

The list below should not be considered a complete listing. CMU does not endorse the companies below. These were provided by current Heinz students and all listings should be investigated accordingly.

• Arbors Management
• Equity Real Estate
• Forbes Management
• Kamin Realty
• Lobos Management
• Mozart Management
• Rockwel Realty
• Sterling Land Company
• Walnut Capital

Do your homework:

Before renting, check for reviews about your potential landlord/leasing company on Yelp. This link is a good place to start: https://www.yelp.com/c/pittsburgh/apartments

Be smart:

Most of our students have had positive rental experiences in Pittsburgh. That being said, there are malicious actors who attempt to take advantage of students seeking apartments from a far. If something does not feel right or seems to good to be true, it might not be. Be sure to ask questions and protect yourself.

 

Carnegie Mellon University supports students and their families. We've compiled a list of relevant University-offered benefits, information about child care, and resources helpful to parents and families. Please click here for the resources: https://www.cmu.edu/graduate/current-grad-students/graduate-partners-spouses-families/graduate-students-with-children/ 

Every rental property will determine which utilities they include in the rent. Be sure to ask!

Common utilities included in the rent:

• Garbage pick-up
• Sewage
• Water
• Heat: We recommend that you choose an apartment that includes heat with the rent. Paying to heat an apartment in the winter can be a costly additional expense:

Common utilities not included in the rent:

• Air conditioning
• Cable television
• Electricity
• Cooking gas
• Internet service
• Phone service

It will be your responsibility to contact each utility company to activate and arrange payment for services not included in the rent. Companies that service your neighborhood vary, so ask the rental agency for the name of the appropriate company for each respective utility.

• 63% found prior to arrival in Pittsburgh*
• 15% were in Pittsburgh for 1 - 3 days
• 8% were in Pittsburgh for 4 - 10 days
• 4% were in Pittsburgh for 11 - 15 days
• 5% were in Pittsburgh for 16 - 30 days
• 5% were in Pittsburgh for 31+ days (staying in sublet accommodations)

*We do not recommend signing a lease prior to inspection of the property by yourself or your roommate(s).

• 40% Sublet a room, house, or apartment alone
• 21% Sublet a room, house, or apartment with roommates
• 15% Hotel
• 10% Airbnb
• 9% A friend/family member in the Pittsburgh area
• 5% A current student in the program