Aug 28, 2026 - News
Pittsburgh renters are paying more for less
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The average new Pittsburgh apartment shrunk by 15% in the past decade, per a new survey from RentCafe.
Why it matters: Despite shrinking square footage, Pittsburgh renters are paying more — even accounting for a 39% rise in inflation.
Zoom in: Pittsburgh's new apartments slimmed down 142 square feet to 804, while Zillow finds the average apartment rents for $1,499 per month.
- That's $498 more, up 8% adjusted for inflation, than 10 years ago.
The big picture: Pittsburgh is bucking the national trend. The typical new apartment in the 100 cities RentCafe looked at grew 13 square feet, or a little over 1%, between 2016 and 2025.
- Floor plans grew the most in the South where Tallahassee, Florida, has the nation's highest average: 1,156 square feet.
- Seattle is the smallest, with an average of 645 square feet.