School house, 1910
Whitaker’s story
122 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1910.
- 1904Whitaker is settled
WhitakerPA
A town of 1,123, settled in 1904.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Talk2dan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,123
2025 Census estimate · −5% since 2020
Typical home
$113K
−7.3% in a year
Household income
$63K
median
Median age
41.8
years
Jobs based here
29
A commuter town
Is Whitaker a good place to live?
The best of Whitaker’s subject grades are an A− for cost of living, walkability, and the outdoors; the weakest is a C− for health. 26% of residents live below the poverty line in Whitaker, above both the Pennsylvania town median (7.6%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On health, just 128 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do worse. Whitaker's schools rank behind 71% of the state's. Whitaker’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 0.4 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Whitaker has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Whitaker stand out
Where Whitaker beats most towns.
Natural hazardsA
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Typical home value
Whitaker$113K
Pennsylvania$287K
Cost of livingA−
1.5 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 85% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
WalkabilityA−
More walkable than 84% of U.S. towns
2.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Small town
1,123 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
MunhallWest MifflinWhitaker
How Whitaker grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Whitaker is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 12% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 13.3 of 20; 14% of households have no carA−Open →HealthUPMC Mckeesport Hospital 3.8 miles awayC−Open →SchoolsCOpen →Jobs & income29 jobs based hereC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3% conserved landA−Open →HistoryCOpen →Civic life3.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 41.8; 14% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
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 Whitaker. Close and well known come first.
Big draw8 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Stadium
2 mi Theme parkKennywood
7 mi LandmarkFort Duquesne
7 mi Stadium & arenaPNC Park
6 mi Stadium & arenaPPG Paints Arena
7 mi LandmarkFort PittSources: 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 · Fort Pitt: Downtown_Pittsburgh_May_2008.jpg: Allie Caufield derivative work: GrapedApe (tal, CC BY 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Whitaker: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Whitaker, and how to reach them.
PowerDuquesne Light23.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPennsylvania American WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Whitaker’s trash rules yet
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 codes15120, 1512215120 98% · 15122 2%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 Whitaker.
HousingCost of living grade A−
The typical home in Whitaker is valued at about $113K
The typical Whitaker home is worth about $113,000, down 7.3% in a year, 61% below the Pennsylvania typical home. 57% of Whitaker households own their home.
$113KZillow home value
| Whitaker | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,075 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Whitaker$113K
Pennsylvania$287K
−7.3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthC−
Whitaker is less healthy than 84% of U.S. towns
Whitaker beats the Pennsylvania average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 21% of adults smoke cigarettes in Whitaker.
17%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Whitaker | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 19% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better12 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Whitaker | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8.5% | 5.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.1% | 14.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.6% | 7.7% |
UPMC Mckeesport Hospital
3.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Whitaker faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 88% of U.S. communities.
12risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Whitaker’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Whitaker for work: only 1% work in town. The median household income in Whitaker is $63,000. The top destinations are Pittsburgh (32%), West Mifflin (9%) and Homestead (3%).
1%work in town
| Whitaker | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Whitaker1%
Pittsburgh32%
West Mifflin9%
Homestead3%
Munhall3%
6 mi
median commute distance
29
jobs based in Whitaker
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 84% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Whitaker, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Whitaker has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 22° and about 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
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
Safety
Crime reported in Whitaker
Whitaker's reported crime rate is well below Pennsylvania's. Whitaker’s property crime rate is 1.8 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Whitaker | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.8 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Whitaker0
Pennsylvania2.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Whitaker1.8
Pennsylvania13.6
U.S.15.5
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
2
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
3.3%conserved
3.3%
conserved · 7 of 207 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Whitaker Ball Field | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Whitaker
19pages on Whitaker
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 71% of PA districtsSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than PA on 0 of 26 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$113K typical home · down 7.3% in a yearWork & commuteC+$63K median household income · 29 jobs hereNatural hazardsAFEMA risk higher than 12% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
15 within 15 miles of the center of Whitaker
Chatham UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Pittsburgh3.9 mi$44,626 tuitionUniversity of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusUniversity or college · Public · Pittsburgh4.7 mi$21,926 in-state tuitionCommunity College of Allegheny CountyCommunity college · Public · Pittsburgh7.8 mi$4,842 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Whitaker residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Whitaker for work
Where Whitaker’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
29jobs based in Whitaker
1%of working residents work in town
6 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Whitaker
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Whitaker is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and is on the Monongahela River 3 miles (5 km) upriver from Pittsburgh. The population was 1,179 at the 2020 census. The borough is named for James Whitaker, a pioneer settler. Whitaker was incorporated January 4, 1904, from part of the former Mifflin Township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1904
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
Questions about Whitaker
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Whitaker, 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−.