Department of Numbers

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Home Affordability

The data below measures home affordability for the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania metropolitan area using price-to-income and price-to-rent metrics.1 The maximum affordable loan amount for the median household income is also calculated. You can also compare Pittsburgh home affordability to other cities.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Home Price-to-Income Ratios

The second chart shows a history of the ratio as an index calculated from the Federal Housing Finance Agency's Pittsburgh HPI series. Median household income data for Pittsburgh is from the Census American Community Survey.

Price-to-Income Index Ratio: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Home Price-to-Income Ratio History

Date FHFA (Index Ratio)
December 2011 116.1
September 2011 115.8
June 2011 114.9
March 2011 114.2
December 2010 115.2
September 2010 115.5
June 2010 113.1
March 2010 112.6
December 2009 113.9

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Home Price-to-Rent Ratios

The chart below shows an index of the rent ratio calculated from the metro FHFA HPI series and the Pittsburgh median contract rent data from the Census ACS.

Price-to-Rent Index Ratio: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Home Price-to-Rent Ratio History

Date FHFA (Index Ratio)
December 2011 107.9
September 2011 107.6
June 2011 106.8
March 2011 106.1
December 2010 107.0
September 2010 107.4
June 2010 105.1
March 2010 104.7
December 2009 107.8

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Inferred Affordable Mortgage

The inferred affordable mortgage value is determined by taking the median household income for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and calculating the mortgage 30% of that income could afford. Traditionally, 30% of income is the maximum amount a homeowner could use towards a home loan. Inferred affordable loan values are calculated from ACS median household income and average monthly mortgage rates.

Inferred Affordable Mortgage

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Inferred Affordable Mortgage History

Date Inferred Mortgage
January 2012 $246,925
December 2011 $245,731
November 2011 $244,841
October 2011 $242,491
September 2011 $241,329
August 2011 $236,761
July 2011 $229,074
June 2011 $230,149
May 2011 $226,682
April 2011 $221,500
March 2011 $221,500
February 2011 $218,727
January 2011 $223,551

1. Specifically, home prices are from the non seasonally adjusted FHFA all-transactions quarterly series. Dollar ratios are calculated using NAR metro prices when available. Rent and income data are from the Census ACS and are carried forward into the following year prior to release of the new data.