Español

Este sitio también está en español. Leer en español

City · 8,418 residents · Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Swissvale , Pennsylvania

In Swissvale, a typical home is worth $147,000 and typical rent is $1,136 a month. Compared with all of Allegheny County, the typical home value is 35% lower, typical household income is 23% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 16 points lower.

WhatsApp

  • Typical home value

    $147,000

    35% below the county

    42% below Pennsylvania

    • Swissvale
    • Allegheny
    • Pennsylvania

  • Typical rent

    $1,136a month

    About the same as the county

    6% below Pennsylvania

    • Swissvale
    • Allegheny
    • Pennsylvania

  • Typical household income

    $60,341a year

    23% below the county

    23% below Pennsylvania

    • Swissvale
    • Allegheny
    • Pennsylvania

  • Households that own their home

    49%

    16 points below the county

    20 points below Pennsylvania

    • Swissvale
    • Allegheny
    • Pennsylvania

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Swissvale is in Allegheny County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Allegheny County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Swissvale apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Nearby, in Duquesne, the typical home value is $63,800: 57% less than in Swissvale ($147,000).

  2. Nearby, in Turtle Creek, the typical rent is $682: 40% less than in Swissvale ($1,136).

  3. The typical home in Swissvale is worth $147,000, 35% less than in Allegheny County as a whole ($227,600).

  4. 49% of households in Swissvale own their home, against 65% in Allegheny County.

  5. The typical household income in Swissvale is $60,341, 23% less than in Allegheny County as a whole ($78,548).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Swissvale

What homes there are in Swissvale, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

No kind of home is the majority in Swissvale; the largest group, detached houses, adds up to 47%, less than in Allegheny County (62%).

Year built

In Swissvale, half of the homes were built before 1941; in Allegheny County, before 1957.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

With an FHA limit of $541,287, at least 94% of owner-occupied homes in Swissvale sit below it: they are worth less than $500,000.

Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,323 a month

Allegheny County: $1,685 a month

Without a mortgage

$558 a month

Allegheny County: $654 a month

Owners with a mortgage

61%

Allegheny County: 58%

In Swissvale, 61% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $1,323 a month, against $1,685 in Allegheny County. Without one it drops to $558.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Homes in Swissvale gained value more slowly than in Allegheny County: 34% since 2015–2019, against 47%.

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Swissvale rose 36%, more than in Allegheny County (30%).

The typical household income in Swissvale rose 21%: less than home values (+34%) and rent (+36%).

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureSwissvaleAllegheny CountyPennsylvaniaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate6.8%4.9%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.9%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate1.0%1.6%3.4%
People per household 1.932.202.392.53
Drive alone 48%62%68%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate6%8%9%
Public transit 9%5%4%3%
Walk or bike 7%4%4%3%
Work from home 26%21%16%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute 20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

On average, a household in Swissvale has 1.93 people, fewer than in Allegheny County (2.20).

Many people here do not commute at all: 26% work from home; in Allegheny County, 21%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Swissvale?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in Swissvale, worth $147,000, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 26% of the typical household income in Swissvale, which is $60,341 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Allegheny County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Swissvale. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $5,145 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,318

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$144,337
Total interest
$207,668
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $2,482 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,408 a month

    Your payment · 26%

  • Tight

    $1,408 to $1,810 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,810 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Swissvale ($60,341 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,318
Principal & interest$978
Property tax$214
Home insurance$61
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$65

You need at least $5,145 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Swissvale and Allegheny County

Swissvale is in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Swissvale's own numbers

Typical home value
$147,000
Typical monthly rent
$1,136
Typical yearly household income
$60,341
Households that own their home
49%
Effective property tax rate
1.75%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Allegheny County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,389
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+40%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
0.9%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Allegheny County.

Everything about Allegheny County

Buying

Buying a home in Swissvale

A typical home in Swissvale is worth $147,000: 35% below the county and 42% below Pennsylvania. With the typical household income in Swissvale ($60,341 a year), a typical home costs 2.4 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Swissvale 2.4 years
  • Allegheny 2.9 years
  • Pennsylvania 3.3 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Allegheny County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Allegheny County rose 76% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Allegheny County.

Period County Pennsylvania U.S.
Last year (2025) +3.2% +4.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +40% +48% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +76% +77% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Swissvale next to Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Swissvale $147,000
  • Allegheny $227,600
  • Pennsylvania $254,500
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Swissvale $1,136
  • Allegheny $1,153
  • Pennsylvania $1,209
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Swissvale $60,341
  • Allegheny $78,548
  • Pennsylvania $77,971
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Swissvale next to Allegheny County and Pennsylvania
Measure Swissvale Allegheny County Pennsylvania U.S.
Typical home value $147,000 $227,600 $254,500 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,136 $1,153 $1,209 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $60,341 $78,548 $77,971 $80,734
Households that own their home 49% 65% 69% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $2,570 $3,451 $3,311 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.75% 1.52% 1.3% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 52% 46% 48% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Allegheny County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Swissvale

For a typical $147,000 home in Swissvale, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Swissvale's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,318a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $5,145
    Cash to close
    $9,555
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $65

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,291a month

    Down payment
    $7,350
    Cash to close
    $11,760
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $70

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,072a month

    Down payment
    $29,400
    Cash to close
    $33,810
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,208a month

    Down payment
    $22,050
    Cash to close
    $26,460
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Swissvale and for Allegheny County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Swissvale

1.75%of the home’s value each year

$2,570 a year for the typical owner in Swissvale.

  • Swissvale 1.75%
  • Allegheny 1.52%
  • Pennsylvania 1.3%

What Pennsylvania publishes Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program (PTRR) (Pennsylvania Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Pennsylvania

Flood risk in Allegheny County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Allegheny County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
0.9%
4,261
Of those, with NFIP insurance
28%
County Pennsylvania U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 0.9% 2% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 28% 23% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Swissvale

Typical rent in Swissvale is $1,136 a month: about the same as the county. In Swissvale, 52% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Allegheny County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,389 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $26.71 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Allegheny County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,075 $20.67 $43,000
1 bedroom $1,146 $22.04 $45,840
2 bedrooms $1,389 $26.71 $55,560
3 bedrooms $1,773 $34.10 $70,920
4 bedrooms $1,925 $37.02 $77,000

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Swissvale

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Swissvale is in ZIP code 15218.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,430: $41 more than the fair market rent for Allegheny County ($1,389).

  • 15218 $1,430$1,820

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Swissvale when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Swissvale

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 6 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Allegheny County; 2 say they serve in Spanish.

An older woman smiles in front of her apartment building.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Swissvale

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Swissvale or Allegheny County. The ones below are statewide in Pennsylvania: they work in Swissvale the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Pennsylvania

Housing counselors near Swissvale

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Swissvale, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Mon Valley Initiative

    303-305 E. 8th Avenue, Homestead · 1 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in American Sign Language (ASL), French, Korean, other languages, and 4 more languages.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • and 2 more
    412-464-4000-4026

  • Willissae's Agency for Vision and Empowerment (WAVE)

    7171 Churchland St, Pittsburgh · 3 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • and 2 more
    (412) 573-9217

  • Neighborhood Housing Services, DBA NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania

    10 Duff Rd Ste 402, Pittsburgh · 4 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • and 3 more
    (412) 281-9773

Every agency in Allegheny County All counseling agencies in Pennsylvania

Help in Spanish near Swissvale

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Swissvale

HUD’s record names them for Swissvale or Allegheny County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Allegheny County Housing Authority Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (412) 355-8940

2 other authorities have an office in Allegheny County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Allegheny County

These cities are also in Allegheny County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Allegheny County Housing in Pennsylvania
See 21 more cities in Allegheny County, with prices and rents

Every city has its own page with prices, rents and help.

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Swissvale, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Allegheny County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Swissvale.

All guides
A mother holds hands with her two daughters on the beach at sunset.

Questions

Housing questions about Swissvale

Short answers with the numbers for Swissvale and all of Allegheny County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Swissvale?

The typical home value in Swissvale is $147,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Allegheny County it is $227,600.

How much does it cost to rent in Swissvale?

Typical rent in Swissvale is $1,136 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Allegheny County is $1,389.

What is the FHA loan limit in Swissvale?

Swissvale uses the FHA limit for all of Allegheny County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Swissvale?

The typical homeowner in Swissvale pays $2,570 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.75% of the home’s value; in Allegheny County, the rate is 1.52%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Swissvale?

There are 6 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Allegheny County. 2 say they serve in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).