Side-by-side comparison of Pittsburgh, PA and Philadelphia, PA — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: Pittsburgh has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 4.25% compared to Philadelphia's 4.15%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $220,000 in Pittsburgh vs $265,000 in Philadelphia, while rents come in at $1,250/mo and $1,480/mo respectively.
Growth & appreciation: Pittsburgh is growing faster at 0.2% annually vs Philadelphia's 0.2%. Philadelphia leads on home value appreciation at 2.5% per year.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 1.36% in Pittsburgh vs 1.36% in Philadelphia. Vacancy rates of 6% and 5.8% are mixed — Philadelphia has the tighter rental market.
Bottom line: Pittsburgh edges out Philadelphia on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 4.25%, Pittsburgh's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia.