8 Top Suburbs in Pittsburgh

The Steel City is an up-and-coming place to live, but not everyone wants to live in Pittsburgh. Maybe it has to do with traffic, the school system, or a desire for more space. You’ll gain the city’s same high quality of living by buying a home in the Pittsburgh suburbs, plus some potential other perks. 

To explore where to live near Pittsburgh, check out these leading suburban cities and communities.

Mount Lebanon 

Population: 34,000

Over a century old, Mount Lebanon in the South Hills region is a popular choice for those who want to stay close to the city without being in it. This tree-lined suburban area with historic homes is known for its high quality of life. Its low crime rate, green spaces, and sustainability have won accolades.

A leading advantage is the excellent public schools, which rank among the state’s best. It includes National Blue Ribbon schools and Silver Award winners from US News and World Report.

Washington Road is its downtown center. Park the car and walk to its shopping and dining options, like its nostalgic candy store and bakery. The road shuts down for some festivals and street fairs.

Inside Mount Lebanon are beautiful neighborhoods like Cedarhurst, Sunset Hills, and Parker Gardens. These communities emphasize neighborly ties, with the city supporting block parties, a town magazine, and programs through its parks and recreation.

Upper St. Clair 

Population: 19,000

Upper St. Clair Township has ranked among the best places to live in the nation. Today, it’s known as an affluent part of the Pittsburgh Metro. The area is another South Hills region suburb. 

The township is highly residential, with over 19,000 residents who live here for its quality of life. Like Mount Lebanon, its school district typically ranks highly in Pennsylvania for rigorous and high-quality education.

Much of the township may be beautiful and historic homes, but it has everything you need for your day-to-day, with major grocers like Whole Foods and Giant Eagle. The South Hills Village Mall has specialty stores and dining. 

Upper St. Clair works hard to promote connections within the community, starting with its annual Community Day Festival. It publishes a magazine quarterly to promote local businesses and events. 

The township has a community center with programming at a discount for residents. And the local Boyce Mayview Park sprawls at 475 acres of trails, recreational fields, and a nature center.

Fox Chapel 

Population: 5,343

Fox Chapel is an idyllic suburb six miles northeast of Pittsburgh near the Allegheny River. It’s nearly entirely residential, with homes surrounded by lush, wooded hillsides and quiet streams running down to the Allegheny. Fox Chapel has a more rural feel despite being so close to a major industrial city.

While it may not have commercial centers, Fox Chapel does have quite a few perks that make it attractive. Locals have quite a selection of recreation activities, like the well-established Fox Chapel Golf Club and the historic Pittsburgh Field Club, which has golfing, racquet sports, skeet shooting, and dining facilities. 

The Borough owns 300 acres of parkland, an impressive figure for just 8.5 square miles of space, and it includes an interconnecting trail system with O’Hara Township for long-distance rides or walks. The parks include wooden playgrounds, ice skating rinks, sports courts, streams, and meadows.

The exceptional schools start with the public school district, often top-ranked in the state. But it also includes the 100-year-old private Shady Side Academy, a nationally recognized school with four campuses serving PK-12.

Franklin Park 

Population: 15,400

The green of Franklin Park Borough stands out. Besides the 500 acres of green spaces, there’s more to recommend this great suburb in the North Hills region of Allegheny County. A thriving YMCA operates family and community programs, the city runs a golf course, and the Soergal Orchards add to the natural vibe of this Borough.

Franklin Park is conveniently located near major roadways, including Interstate 79 and 279’s intersection, making commuting to Pittsburgh or other parts of the region relatively easy. 

This north-of-Pittsburgh Borough has around 15,000 residents who enjoy its low crime rate, excellent schools, and beautiful colonial, modern, and traditional homes. And as an additional perk, it has one of the lower property tax rates in the Pittsburgh region.

Aspinwall 

Population: 3,000

Rated by Niche.com as one of the top 50 places to live in the US for 2023, Aspinwall is a compact historic community right on the scenic Allegheny River. It’s bisected by the Allegheny Expressway and next to the Highland Park Bridge, adding an easy commute to its advantages. 

This suburban neighborhood was created to house Pittsburgh’s working families during its industrial heyday. Its grid design is perfect for families, singles, and seniors alike, who can walk to the Riverfront Park, St. Margaret Hospital, or the Market District Supermarket. New bars and businesses are cropping up, enough to support a local beer crawl.

It’s close to Pittsburgh, ten miles from downtown, providing plenty of access to culture and attractions while maintaining its unique identity as a caring, people-first small town. Aspinwall Neighbors is the community group that throws events like the Big Night Out and organizes the Snow Angels and Soup Delivery Programs. 

Sewickley 

Population: 3,900

Riverfront Sewickley is another historic borough, this time on the Ohio River. This small Borough of around 3,000 residents has roots from the 1700s and historic homes that match its character. It feels more like a village with its walkable streets, sidewalks, Victorian homes, and Gilded Age mansions.

Even though it’s small, it has much to offer its residents. There’s a community center, YMCA, Art Center, and two nearby parks for recreational activities. Roads in the tree-lined neighborhoods lead to in-town schools, a centralized and active business district, and libraries. Sewickley holds events like Santa Parades, Memorial Day Parades, and Light Up Night.

Families are proud of their local school district, where all four schools have earned National Blue Ribbon awards. 

Cranberry Township 

Population: 33,000

Cranberry Township in Butler County is one of the larger suburbs, but that’s because it’s a little further out. With over 30,000 residents today, it is in a prime location at the intersection between two interstates and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The Cranberry Connector takes residents directly into the heart of the Pittsburgh metro when they need to visit the city. 

The township considers itself family-oriented, with its multitude of pedestrian trails, three major public parks, and excellent schools through the Seneca Valley School District. Locals have a municipal golf course, a water park, and a skate park. The township recently acquired a 70-acre farm it intends to make a living, active monument to the region’s agricultural past.

The southern end around the roadway intersections is packed with all the big box retailers a resident could want, from Petco for the furry ones to Costco for bulk savings.

Thanks to its affordability and growing educated population, Cranberry has attracted major businesses like McKesson and UPMC Lemieux Center. It has a Regional Learning Alliance Center to support a growing local economy. Local service providers, retailers, and dining options enhance the quality of life.

Ross Township 

Population: 33,000

Ross Township is a great place for families looking for fast access to Pittsburgh but suburban living. Locals have I-295 and McKnight Road dropping right into the city’s heart but live in quiet communities on tree-lined streets in the North Hills. 

This neighborhood has earned accolades as a top place to live in the US from Livability and Money.com’s Top 50 Places to Live in the US for 2020. The township has a mall, commercial centers for business, and all the big-name grocers like Market District and Trader Joe’s. The schools here fall in the North Hills School District and typically have excellent ratings from the state.

Shopping and dining are abundant on McKnight Road, with big box stores like At Home and Best Buy mixed in with Cheesecake Factory and the local Eat’n’Park. 

The township is large enough to support resources specific for senior citizens, a recycling program, and sustainability initiatives like rain barrel rebates.

And it has ample park space, including one of the region’s largest city parks, North Park. The Allegheny Observatory is based in the township beside Denny Park. 

Living in the Pittsburgh Suburbs

Find a high quality of life in these suburbs near Pittsburgh. From Mount Lebanon to Sewickley, each community has something special, like excellent schools or a rural atmosphere. So look around with a local real estate professional and see which of these top Pittsburgh suburbs best fits you.