Situated alongside its namesake creek in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh, Plum lives up to its name as one of the original seven townships of Allegheny County. It was founded in 1788 and began as a rural community known for its swaths of undeveloped farmland and fertile soils with a significant number of plum trees growing along the banks of the creek. Plum was eventually re-incorporated as a borough in 1956, and residential developments have since taken the place of its rolling farmlands. The community continues to serve as a destination for outdoor recreation, with downhill skiing at Boyce Park, a nationally renowned golf course at the Oakmont Country Club and access to the Allegheny River. Home to over 26,000 people, Plum is also the second-largest borough in Pennsylvania, not because of its population, but rather for its size of 29 square miles. Located less than 20 miles from Pittsburgh, Plum attracts those looking for proximity to the city with convenient highway access. “The affordability of homes and location are huge draws,” says Dana Simpson, a Realtor with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services with over 15 years of experience in the industry. “On a good day, you’re only about 25 minutes from Pittsburgh.”
A row of large, brick homes lines this street in Plum.
Boyce Park has multiple reservoirs within the property.
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Low home prices bring first-time homebuyers to Plum
As one of the largest boroughs in Pennsylvania in terms of square mileage, Plum features a wide range of established neighborhoods, subdivisions and new-construction communities. “Most of Plum’s neighborhoods are very walkable,” Simpson says. Homebuyers will find everything from traditional ranch-style and bi-level homes to contemporary New Traditional estates built in tidy subdivisions. The median price of single-family homes is $270,000, nearly 45% less than the national median of around $420,000. “Affordability of homes is huge, and there’s a big market for first-time homebuyers in Plum,” Simpson says. There are also several townhouse developments on the borough's outskirts, and units typically sell for about $170,000. Most properties sell after more than two months on the market, longer than the national average of 44 days.
Colonial homes are a popular option among newer residents of Plum.
Multiple styles of single-family homes fill the streets of Plum.
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Renowned country club and winter sports at Boyce Park
The borough owns four green spaces, including Plum Creek Park. It features several picnic pavilions, a playground and various athletic facilities that are home to local youth sports leagues like the Plum Baseball & Softball Association, the Plum Midget Football Association and the Plum Borough Youth Lacrosse Association. The streambank of Little Plum Creek is a popular fishing spot, and residents gather there each spring for Youth Trout Fishing Day. There are more opportunities for water activities on the Allegheny River, which winds along the borough’s northern edge. “People love to take out their kayaks or boats there,” Simpson says. Plum is also home to the award-winning Oakmont Country Club, a nine-time host of the U.S. Open Golf Championship, one of the four highly esteemed major championships on the PGA Tour. Oakmont will host the championship again in 2025.
Boyce Park stretches into the southern half of Plum and is the only spot within the Allegheny County Parks system where visitors will find downhill skiing and snow tubing. While the park is best known as a destination for skiing, snowboarding and tubing during Plum’s snowy winters, residents can also head to its wave pool to cool off throughout the borough’s humid summers.
Workers prep the Oakmont Country Club near Plum, PA.
Hold on tight while Tubing at Boyce Park each year in Plum.
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Highly rated schools in the Plum Borough School District
The Plum Borough School District earns an overall grade of A-minus from Niche. It consists of two elementary schools, an intermediate school, a middle school and a high school, all of which receive a B or higher from Niche. Plum is also less than 5 miles north of the Community College of Allegheny County – Boyce Campus, which offers more than 130 diploma, degree and certificate programs.
Holiday Park Intermediate School is a highly rated, public school located in Plum PA.
Plum Senior High School is a highly rated, public school located in Plum PA.
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Festivals, the Monday Market and an outdoor amphitheater
Community events bring residents together throughout the year. SummerFest and Fall Fest are popular seasonal festivities, and the borough’s Monday Market is a staple at Plum Creek Park from June through September. “SummerFest is a huge free attraction for families. Local groups, like high school cheerleaders or the baseball team, have stands where you can make purchases and support their organizations. They do fireworks, too, and some people can see them from their yards,” Simpson says. In 2023, the borough opened an outdoor amphitheater next to its municipal building. The amphitheater hosts movie nights and annual events like Christmas at Plum Creek, which spreads holiday cheer to the borough as residents gather around crackling fire pits, sip on hot chocolate and visit local food trucks parked around the amphitheater.
Plum boro hosts a weekly Monday Market from June through September.
Little Nicky's offers up delicious Italian cuisine at the Plum Monday Market.
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Plum offers several commercial corridors and access to the Monroeville Mall
While the borough lacks a town center, Saltsburg Road and Golden Mile Highway are its primary commercial corridors. Both thoroughfares are popular spots for shopping, dining and running errands. They feature a mix of shopping centers, local businesses and family-owned restaurants like Eighty Acres Kitchen & Bar. Residents are also less than 10 miles from the Monroeville Mall, which has more than 130 shops, restaurants and department stores such as Macy’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods. As the second-largest retail center in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Monroeville itself is a regional destination for shopping, dining and entertainment and borders Plum to the south.
Brushes and Beans Cafe, near Plum, offer coffee on one side and painting on the other.
Infinity Comics & More, near Plum is a treasure trove of comics and collectables.
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Highway access, Pittsburgh commutes and PRT bus service
With an overall Walk Score of 32 out of 100, Plum is primarily car-dependent. Residents have access to Interstates 76 and 376, which leads about 19 miles west to Pittsburgh. Also known as the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-76 offers a direct route to Philadelphia, around 295 miles away. Pittsburgh Regional Transit provides local bus service, with stops concentrated along the borough’s main thoroughfares. Commuters can leave their cars at the Plum Park and Ride before getting on the bus and heading into the city. “There are a lot of commuters here,” Simpson says. Pittsburgh International Airport is around 36 miles from Plum via I-376.
Low crime rates and ongoing investigations into house explosions
The borough’s overall CAP Index crime score is 2 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4. The FBI’s Crime Data Explorer further shows that violent and property-related crime rates remain consistently below national figures.
Plum made the national news in August of 2023 after a tragic house explosion took the lives of six people in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood. The incident was the second of its kind since 2022, the third since 2008 and the fifth since the mid-1990s. The cause of these home explosions remains unknown, and several investigations into the most recent tragedy are ongoing. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission completed its investigation in July of 2024 and found that Peoples Natural Gas services lines were not thought to be the cause of the explosion.
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