Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Detroit holding out as the last affordable housing markets

Key Points

• Research suggests Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Detroit are among the most affordable housing markets in the US for 2025, with evidence leaning toward them being some of the last affordable options.

• Rankings vary by source, but these cities consistently appear in top affordable lists, with Detroit often first, followed by Pittsburgh and St. Louis.

• Affordability is measured by home prices relative to income, vacancy rates, and cost of living, with some controversy over which metrics are most important.

Overview

Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Detroit seem likely to be among the last affordable housing markets in the US for 2025, based on recent data from real estate reports. These cities offer lower home prices compared to national averages, making them attractive for buyers in a generally expensive market. However, rankings can differ depending on the source, so let's break it down.

Rankings and Metrics

Different sources use various metrics like median home prices, affordability to median income, and vacancy rates. For example, Redfin ranks Detroit as the most affordable with 77.2% of homes affordable, Pittsburgh second at 68%, and St. Louis third at 67.5%. Another source, citing WalletHub via Newsweek, places Detroit second and Pittsburgh third, but doesn't list St. Louis in the top 10, suggesting some variation in methodology.

Why These Cities?

These cities, often in the Midwest and Rust Belt, have lower costs due to historical economic challenges, like Detroit's auto industry decline, leading to high vacancy rates (over 20% in Detroit). This creates a buyer's market, but it also reflects broader economic conditions that might affect livability, though that's not the focus here.

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Survey Note: Detailed Analysis of Affordable Housing Markets in 2025

This note provides a comprehensive analysis of whether Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Detroit are holding out as the last affordable housing markets in the US for 2025, based on recent data from multiple sources. The analysis aims to verify the user's statement by examining rankings, metrics, and contextual factors, ensuring a thorough understanding for readers interested in real estate trends.

Background and Context

The user's statement implies that Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Detroit are among the few remaining affordable housing markets in a landscape where housing costs have surged nationally. As of July 5, 2025, the US housing market has seen median home sales prices rise to $416,900 in Q1 2025, with mortgage rates at 6.81% in May 2025, making affordability a pressing concern. Affordable housing markets are typically defined by lower median home prices, higher affordability relative to median income, and favorable cost-of-living indices, often found in Midwest and Rust Belt cities due to historical economic shifts.

Data Sources and Methodology

To address the query, data was gathered from recent reports, including:

• Redfin's analysis of the most affordable cities in the US for 2025, focusing on the share of home listings affordable to someone making the area's median income, with data through January 2025.

• Newsweek's article from May 29, 2025, referencing WalletHub's research on the 10 most affordable US cities to buy a home, based on metrics like median house prices, tax rates, and vacancy rates.

• Other sources like U.S. News and Kiplinger were consulted for broader affordability rankings, though their focus on "best places to live" sometimes included livability metrics beyond housing costs.

The analysis prioritizes housing affordability specifically, aligning with the user's focus on "housing markets" rather than overall cost of living or quality of life.

Rankings and Detailed Metrics

The following table summarizes the rankings and key metrics for Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Detroit from the Redfin report, which provides the most comprehensive data for all three cities:

City	Rank	% of Homes Affordable	Median Household Income	Median Sale Price	Median Rent Price	Income Needed for Median Home	Cost of Living vs National Average
Detroit, MI	1	77.2%	$63,937	$175,000	$1,333	$45,789	3% higher
Pittsburgh, PA	2	68%	$79,863	$225,000	$1,410	$61,313	2% lower
St. Louis, MO	3	67.5%	$85,750	$258,000	$1,235	$68,980	22% lower

Source: Redfin: The Most Affordable Cities in the U.S. in 2025

From this data, Detroit stands out as the most affordable, with 77.2% of homes affordable to median income earners, a median sale price of $175,000, and a cost of living only 3% higher than the national average. Pittsburgh follows with 68% affordability and a median sale price of $225,000, while St. Louis, at 67.5% affordability, has a median sale price of $258,000 but benefits from a 22% lower cost of living compared to the national average.

The Newsweek article, citing WalletHub, provides a slightly different perspective:

• Detroit is ranked 2nd for affordable housing in 2025, with a median price per square foot of $87 and a vacancy rate above 20%.

• Pittsburgh is ranked 3rd, though specific metrics like median price per square foot were not detailed in the summary.

• Flint, MI, is ranked 1st, but it is not one of the cities mentioned in the query.

• St. Louis is not mentioned in the top 10, suggesting it may rank lower in WalletHub's methodology, which focuses on metrics like vacancy rates and cost per square foot.

This discrepancy highlights a potential controversy in affordability rankings: different sources use different metrics. WalletHub emphasizes factors like vacancy rates (e.g., Detroit's over 20% vacancy rate, reflecting a buyer's market), while Redfin focuses on affordability to median income, which includes St. Louis prominently.

Additional Context from Other Sources

The U.S. News report on the 25 best affordable places to live for 2025-2026 did not list Pittsburgh or Detroit in the top 25, and St. Louis was not directly listed, though nearby Florissant (ranked 256) was mentioned. This suggests U.S. News may prioritize livability alongside affordability, potentially excluding cities with economic challenges like Detroit, where high vacancy rates reflect historical population decline due to the auto industry's downturn. However, this does not contradict the housing affordability focus, as U.S. News's methodology includes broader quality-of-life factors.

Kiplinger's list of the 25 cheapest places to live and Niche's ranking of cities with the lowest cost of living were consulted but did not provide specific rankings for the three cities in the query, focusing instead on general affordability indices.

Why These Cities Are Considered "Last" Affordable

The term "last" implies these cities are among the few remaining affordable options in a market where national home prices have surged. The Redfin data shows Detroit, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis with median sale prices significantly below the national median of $416,900 in Q1 2025 ($175,000, $225,000, and $258,000, respectively). High vacancy rates in Detroit (over 20%) and lower cost-of-living indices (e.g., St. Louis 22% lower than average) create a buyer's market, making these cities stand out as affordable amidst rising national costs.

Historical economic challenges, such as Detroit's auto industry decline and Pittsburgh's shift from steel, have led to lower demand and thus lower prices, reinforcing their affordability. However, this also raises questions about livability, though the query focuses solely on housing markets.

Conclusion and Implications

Based on the data, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Detroit are indeed among the most affordable housing markets in the US for 2025, with Redfin ranking them 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively, in terms of homes affordable to median income earners. While WalletHub's rankings (via Newsweek) place Detroit and Pittsburgh in the top 3 but omit St. Louis from the top 10, the evidence leans toward all three being highly affordable, especially given their low median home prices and favorable cost-of-living indices.

For potential homebuyers, these cities offer significant opportunities, but readers should consider local economic conditions and livability, as affordability does not guarantee quality of life. The variation in rankings underscores the complexity of defining affordability, with different metrics highlighting different aspects of the housing market.

This analysis confirms the user's statement, supported by Redfin and Newsweek data, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape as of July 5, 2025.

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