Pennsylvania Is More Affordable for Middle-Class Homebuyers

The typical household needs to earn nearly six figures to buy a median-priced U.S. home, but Pennsylvania requires the seventh lowest income nationwide to purchase a home in the state, according to an analysis by Realtor.com.

In February, the typical household nationwide would have needed to earn an annual income of $99,000 to buy a median-priced home of $415,500. The required income in many states was even higher, with potential homebuyers in 23 states needing incomes over $100,000 to avoid paying more than 30% of their gross income on housing.

However, the 2022 U.S. Census reported that the typical American household income was only $75,000, meaning the majority of households could not afford to buy a home.

In the top 10 states where buyers need the lowest incomes to purchase homes, Pennsylvania falls at No. 7.

The median home list price in the commonwealth at the time of the analysis was $285,378. The median household income required to purchase a home was $67,996.

Across the country, economic factors have decreased the affordability of homes for many potential buyers. This is especially true for many middle-class Americans.

In 2024, the middle class can afford an average home in only 52 of the top 100 metro areas nationwide, according to a report by Creditnews. This is a significant decrease from 91 out of 100 metros in 2019.

Housing affordability is worse for those in the lower-middle class, as 93 out of 100 metros are unaffordable for them, which is a steep increase from 33 in 2019. The lower-middle class is defined as households that make between $30,001 and $58,020 annually.

Notably, three metro areas in Pennsylvania make Creditnews’ list of top 10 affordable metros for middle-class homebuyers:

• No. 1: Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pennsylvania
• No. 4: Scranton-Wilkes-Barre
• No. 6: Pittsburgh