These 10 cities' real estate markets are considered "unicorns," offering greater numbers of homes with median list prices that middle-class households can comfortably afford.
Mostly located in the Rust Belt and Northeast, these markets keep middle-income households out of the cost-burdened range (spending 30 percent or more of income on housing costs), and have the greatest concentrations of homes at or below $257,400 of all the 50 largest U.S. metros, according to Realtor.com's research. Pittsburgh, Penn. topped the list, with 64.3 percent of its housing stock in the "affordable" range, and a median list price of $179,100. Home to the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh is attracting tech and health care giants, all while home prices have remained relatively low.
Can America's stressed-out, fought-over, cash-strapped middle class still afford to buy homes? That's the megamillion-dollar question these days. Because while the economy is strong and wages are rising, these gains are being left in the dust by runaway home prices. Combined with creeping mortgage rates, it's enough to make any average-income worker wonder: Will my paycheck ever catch up?
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