Numerous lists and surveys in recent years have consistently ranked Pittsburgh among the U.S. communities deemed the “best places to live.” Our city boasts renowned universities and health care systems. It’s home to a vibrant arts and culture scene. We have world-class museums and three professional sports teams that have collectively won 16 championships in their respective leagues.
But Pittsburgh has not been immune from the housing affordability crisis that’s swept the United States during the past decade. To be sure, it’s been a good time to be an existing homeowner in the city — the median home price in August 2024 was about 42% higher than it was during the same month in 2019, according to real estate site Redfin. But that steep rise in prices combined with high interest rates have frozen out many would-be first-time homebuyers.
For renters in the city of Pittsburgh, the issue of affordability is more concerning. According to rental listing site RentCafe, the average rent for an apartment in Pittsburgh as of July was between $1,500 and $1,600. For an apartment in some of the city’s most vibrant and desirable neighborhoods — East Liberty, Lawrenceville, the Strip — average rents approach $2,000 a month.
In a city where the median household income is a little more than $60,000, according to recent U.S. Census data, it’s not surprising that 41% of renters here spend more than 30% of their income on housing — the threshold above which a renter is considered “cost-burdened.” (Nearly 24% are considered “severely burdened,” meaning more than 50% of their income is spent on housing.) The city’s most recent housing needs assessment, published last year, found the rising costs have pushed some residents out of the city entirely, with Black and lower-income Pittsburghers representing the largest share.
But parsing housing data can get you only halfway to understanding Pittsburgh’s housing affordability problem. For a fuller understanding, one only needs to take a walk Downtown or along the riverfront trails to see the homeless encampments that have popped up in the past few years.
It’s with all this in mind that the WESA newsroom conceived of our “Home Equity” series, which examines the state of housing in Pittsburgh.
You’ll read and hear stories that shed light on Pittsburgh’s housing past and how it affects the present. We’ll bring you stories that focus on the issues — such as the steps local officials are taking to help alleviate homelessness. You’ll learn about the impact of out-of-state corporate ownership of rental properties on neighborhoods, and why so many luxury apartment buildings seem to be popping up all over the city. And finally, we will look to the future and examine how civic planners are thinking about development in the face of a changing climate.
We encourage you to join us by reading and listening on the air at 90.5 FM and here online, and we hope we all come away with a better understanding of what we must do to fulfill the promise of making our home a place that is “livable for all.”
