The most affordable city in the US is located in the western part of Pennsylvania.
Economists at Realtor.com found in a recent report that Pittsburgh has the cheapest major housing market in the US
In October, the median sales price of a home in the metro was $250,000, which is more than $150,000 below the national median, according to Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com.
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This comes on the heels of Steel City turning heads this summer for being the only major metro area where it was cheaper to buy a home for the first time than paying monthly rent, Realtor.com reported.
A view of the skyline of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)
Of the 50 largest U.S. metros, it was only one of three deemed affordable to middle earners based on the 30% rule of thumb, Jones said in a June report.
The 30% affordability rule suggests that a potential home buyer should spend no more than about 30% of their pre-tax income on housing, leaving room for other non-negotiables in addition to savings. It is seen as a useful benchmark for potential buyers to gauge whether purchasing a home makes financial sense.
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In May, the typical home for sale in Pittsburgh cost just $249,900, requiring just 27.4% of the median income to finance, assuming a 20% down payment and a typical 30-year fixed mortgage rate.
Pittsburgh consists of 90 neighborhoods. In September 2025, the median list price was $269,000, up 3.5% year over year, while the median sales price was slightly higher at $271,000.
An aerial view of large Victorian homes in Friendship, a neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on a sunny autumn morning. (Getty Images)
For almost two years mortgage interest are hovering around their highest levels in more than two decades, creating a significant barrier to entry into the U.S. housing market, reducing demand and making the American dream of owning a home seem out of reach for many. However, Pittsburgh could be a bright spot for some buyers struggling with the ongoing affordability crisis in the housing market.
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These challenges don’t appear to be going away anytime soon, either, as mortgage rates rose for the second week in a row on Thursday, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.
Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 6.24%, up from last week’s 6.22%.
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Anthony Smith, senior economist at Realtor.com, said the “nearly flat move” in rates “reflects a broader market lull as sentiment around the government reopening is dampened by continued fiscal and economic uncertainty.”
“While 10-year Treasury yields are showing signs of stabilizing, there is still no meaningful catalyst to push rates decisively higher or lower,” he said.
