Working/Living in PIT (Pittsburgh, Washington: apartment, to rent, how much)

[Hudlander]

Was offered a job in PIT and trying to decide if the economics make sense.
I currently live outside DC, and as a single guy, in the suburbs, 52-55 gets you a comfortable salary and nice apartment, closer to 60K in the city.
What about PIT?
If I work in downtown PIT, where would I want to live as a single young adult and what rent/salary would I need?

Again I know the figures I need in DC/I-95 which is 52-60....but what about PIT?
Is 40 comparable or 45?

[yinzer93]

Originally Posted by Hudlander

Was offered a job in PIT and trying to decide if the economics make sense.
I currently live outside DC, and as a single guy, in the suburbs, 52-55 gets you a comfortable salary and nice apartment, closer to 60K in the city.
What about PIT?
If I work in downtown PIT, where would I want to live as a single young adult and what rent/salary would I need?

Again I know the figures I need in DC/I-95 which is 52-60....but what about PIT?
Is 40 comparable or 45?

Hi there, we'd love to have you! I know someone who moved from Silver Spring, MD at 54k to Pittsburgh at 42k and they said their quality of life went up, so I suppose in that way economics at those numbers can definitely work. As a single young adult, there are plenty of living space options to choose from. Can you tell us a little more about what you're aiming for? I'm a city guy so I'll be biased towards one of the many city neighborhood living spaces, though others on here might make an argument for a first or second ring suburb. Really, it depends on what you find most important to you.

This might help get you started, though the guide is a little old in parts, along with the stickied thread at the top of the main Pittsburgh forum page:

City Guide - Pittsburgh, PA

But, if you can give us some more detail on what you ideally would like in a neighborhood, then many of us might be able to provide more anecdotal advice.

Hope you enjoy this exciting time of change in your life, and we'd love to have you in the 'burgh!

[cooky01]

How many years have you worked in IT & DC area?
If you're at an intermediate level, and know precisely how to grow in your career, Pittsburgh isn't a bad place for IT professionals.
If you're just starting, I'd spend a few more years, taking advantage of all sorts of projects & opportunities near DC first.

I only made 30K when I first started in IT, and it was enough for a single guy to get by.
To answer your question, 40 - 45K should also be sufficient, but w/o knowing your experience or skill set, it's hard to say how much you can likely get.

Here's another thread by someone who's also considering moving here:
Moving from Seattle to Pittsburgh. Worth it?

[guy2073]

I think your lifestyle is going to play into account. I could easily live off of 20k if I was single in pgh. But since I am now married and domesticated I need to bring in alot more.

To answer your question 40-45 you should be comfortable

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by Hudlander

Was offered a job in PIT and trying to decide if the economics make sense.
I currently live outside DC, and as a single guy, in the suburbs, 52-55 gets you a comfortable salary and nice apartment, closer to 60K in the city.
What about PIT?
If I work in downtown PIT, where would I want to live as a single young adult and what rent/salary would I need?

Again I know the figures I need in DC/I-95 which is 52-60....but what about PIT?
Is 40 comparable or 45?

Hudlander, if you managed to be "comfortable" and have a nice apartment at 52-55 down there, I think that is an indication of your living / spending standards.

You would be OK here at $45k*.

You might want to settle in for a year close to where you work. In that year, you will get to know the city better, and make a sound judgement as to where you might want to move to for a longer term. The hip single areas here are not necessarily good for many people that actually use those areas! But for starters, take time to google or ask about Shadyside. Think of it as a hybrid of Wisconsin Avenue + M Street Shopping + Dupont Circle, but at a lesser scale for all three of those examples.

In IT, I'm thinking employment opportunities will likely draw you more to the suburbs, rather than Downtown. From there, it is easier to get moving on the road to service calls or whatever.

Hey, hope you like it here!

*one word of advice - as you get older, that $45k might not stretch as far, since your priorities will change. You will probably accumulate "things" - actually nicer furniture, nicer clothes, items for hobbies (musical instruments, skis, etc.), and you will desire more time away from the area for vacations!

[bluecarebear]

Originally Posted by guy2073

I think your lifestyle is going to play into account. I could easily live off of 20k if I was single in pgh.

I don't even know how this is possible. A restaurant meal, not fast food, would cost at least $20 and that is on the low end of the scale. A trendy bar will cost at least $7 a beer. Any event is at least $20 to get in the door. An old one bedroom or efficiency in a not popular area might be found at $600+ a month.

To the OP, according to RentJungle, the average one bedroom in Pittsburgh is $1147. I would say that is close to accurate.

[yinzer93]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

I don't even know how this is possible. A restaurant meal, not fast food, would cost at least $20 and that is on the low end of the scale. A trendy bar will cost at least $7 a beer. Any event is at least $20 to get in the door.

It's not that bad as long as you dont misspending your money and don't "OMG I just need to have it" to buy things. I did it for a year on 25k just fine with no help. I know some places where you can get a great, delicious, huge meal for under $8. And, when I was very poor, that's where I went! It's definitely possible, you just gotta be smart!

[lprmesia]

Back to the OP - if you're working Downtown, I would highly consider finding a place close to a bus line, T Line, or within walking distance as parking downtown can run you almost $300/mo. A bus pass is $97.50.

Living in the trendy/walkable neighborhoods on your own can be a bit pricey, but it's fairly common within certain city neighborhoods for people to rent out a single bedroom, especially for people in their mid 20's without kids. The large majority of my city friends do this, and you can find tons of spots in these neighborhoods on Craigslist. Some decent neighborhoods I've seen with ads for these are South Side, Mt. Washington, Bloomfield, Friendship, Brookline, Lawrenceville, Strip District, North Shore, Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, or even within downtown proper as well as certain 1st ring suburbs such as Dormont. Renting out individual bedrooms is a much cheaper option than an entire 1 or 2 bedroom apartment.

If you don't mind living with other people, $40K can be quiet comfortable for a young, single adult in Pittsburgh. I lived pretty comfortable on $25K when I first moved here doing the same, but this was also 10 years ago.

[Hudlander]

Thanks, so I'll elaborate a little:

-I am not IT, I am urban planning and just starting out with some experience.
-In 5-10 years, I'd like to have a nice house with some property and family...I prefer semi-rural BUT right now, as a single dude, I know in a new area I would be incredibly lonely and isolated. So, I'd like a neighborhood where it would have a balance of:
-Being convenient to work, able to meet others my age, nice.

I'd like a one bed, ideally with a terrace, parking, WITHOUT a roommate.
So
-Which neighborhoods if working downtown work
-What cost am I looking at
-What salary do I need to be able to not be rent poor?

[mbw5100]

Originally Posted by yinzer93

It's not that bad as long as you dont misspending your money and don't "OMG I just need to have it" to buy things. I did it for a year on 25k just fine with no help. I know some places where you can get a great, delicious, huge meal for under $8. And, when I was very poor, that's where I went! It's definitely possible, you just gotta be smart!

pls, where?