Rankin Viaduct (8223.2507.RR), 1918
Rankin’s story
156 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1918.
- 1870Rankin is settled
Population
1,975
2025 Census estimate · +4.3% since 2020
Median home value
$95K
Census ACS
Household income
$48K
median
Median age
35.4
years
Jobs based here
531
Balanced
Is Rankin a good place to live?
Rankin’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living, walkability, and the outdoors; its weakest is a D− for health. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Rankin, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (7.6%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). No town in Pennsylvania scores higher than Rankin on cost of living. Rankin's schools rank behind 86% of the state's. Rankin’s density of trails is 3.0 miles per square mile, against 0.4 in Pennsylvania’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 40 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns do better. Rankin has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Rankin stand out
Where Rankin beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
WalkabilityA+
More walkable than 99% of U.S. towns
28.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
4 better4 too close to call18 worse
| Widest gap | Rankin | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 28.8% | 14.5% |
Worth knowing · HealthD−
Less healthy than 96% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A shrinking town
Rankin has shrunk 7% since 2010
2,122 counted in 2010 and 1,896 in 2020; an estimated 1,975 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Rankin grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Rankin is from typical.
Cost of livingTypical home $95K, 1.3 years of the Pittsburgh metro’s $76K median household incomeA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 14.6 of 20; 42.9% of households have no carA+Open →HealthMagee Womens Hospital of UPMC Health System 4.4 miles awayD−Open →SchoolsDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 22% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →Jobs & income$48K median household incomeCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 12% conserved landA+Open →HistoryB−Open →Civic life5.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 81 attractions →Acrisure Stadium and 57 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Rankin. Close and well known come first.
Big draw7 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Stadium
2 mi Theme parkKennywood
7 mi LandmarkFort Duquesne
7 mi Stadium & arenaPNC Park
6 mi Stadium & arenaPPG Paints Arena
2 mi City parkFrick ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Acrisure Stadium: Fo2grfr, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kennywood: Ski2007 of English Wikipedia, Public domain · Fort Duquesne: Sébastien Paquin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · PNC Park: alpineinc, CC BY 2.0 · PPG Paints Arena: Jleedev, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Frick Park: Lee Paxton, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Rankin: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rankin, and how to reach them.
PowerDuquesne Light23.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWilkinsburg-Penn Jt Water Auth2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFridayTrash dayTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAllegheny County Board of ElectionsAllegheny County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code1510415104 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Rankin.
HealthD−
Compared with most of Pennsylvania and the rest of the country, more of Rankin’s adults sleep under 7 hours
Among 1,036 Pennsylvania towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Rankin. In Rankin, just over a third of adults get no exercise outside work. Against the Pennsylvania average, Rankin comes out ahead on 4 CDC measures out of 26, and behind on 18.
4%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Rankin | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 11% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 38% | 36% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 19% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 34% | 35% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
4 better4 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Rankin | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.8% | 8.8% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.7% | 18.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 28.8% | 14.5% |
Magee Womens Hospital of UPMC Health System
4.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
The biggest natural risk in Rankin is inland flooding, at a low overall level
Since 2012, one flood insurance claim has been paid in Rankin. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities. 75% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 15%. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2004.
22risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 2012
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in Rankin brings four seasons and pleasant summers
A winter brings about 25 inches of snow, with January nights at 22° and July afternoons at 85°.
25″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–41°
Spring40–62°
Summer61–83°
Fall44–65°
Nov 10
typical first frost
Apr 5
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
About two in five of Rankin’s working residents commute to Pittsburgh
For Rankin, the typical journey to work is 29 minutes. Most people who work leave Rankin to do it: just 1% work in town. Since 2013, Rankin has added 160 jobs, to 531 in 2023. Half commute less than 7 miles.
1%work in town
| Rankin | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Rankin1%
Pittsburgh38%
Monroeville3%
Swissvale2%
Wilkinsburg2%
7 mi
median commute distance
531
jobs based in Rankin
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: among the most walkable U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
11.9%conserved
11.9%
conserved · 38 of 321 acres
1.5 mi
of trails · 3 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rankin
18pages on Rankin
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
15 within 15 miles of the center of Rankin
Chatham UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Pittsburgh3.4 mi$44,626 tuitionUniversity of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusUniversity or college · Public · Pittsburgh4.3 mi$21,926 in-state tuitionCommunity College of Allegheny CountyCommunity college · Public · Pittsburgh7.6 mi$4,842 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Rankin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
About Rankin
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Rankin is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, 8 miles (13 km) south of Pittsburgh on the Monongahela River. The borough was named after Thomas Rankin, a local landowner. Early in the 20th century, Rankin specialized in manufacturing steel and wire goods. The population increased from 3,775 in 1900 to 7,470 in 1940 and has since declined to 1,896 as of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1870
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
Rankin’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Rankin.
SwissvaleBraddockNorth BraddockRankin
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rankin | — | — | A+ | — | D | D− |
| Swissvale | #847 | C | B− | — | D | B− |
| Braddock | — | — | A− | — | D | D− |
| North Braddock | #883 | C | A | — | D | C− |
Rankin and Braddock have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Rankin, Swissvale, Braddock and North Braddock report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Rankin with a neighbor →
Questions about Rankin
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rankin, PA expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.