PITTSBURGH, PA - While conventional wisdom holds that housing is cheaper as you get further from the urban core, far-flung suburban real estate may not be as affordable as it seems when transportation costs are factored in, according to a new interactive mapping Web site launched Wednesday by The Brookings Institution and the Center for New Technology.
The site, htaindex.cnt.org, examines the true affordability of housing based on location and transportation costs in 52 metropolitan areas, including Pittsburgh.
"Understanding transportation costs and having access to good transportation choices can help households significantly lower their cost of living," Center for Neighborhood Technology President Scott Bernstein said in a statement.
Pittsburgh residents living in densely populated areas spend considerably less on transportation costs than their suburban counterparts.
For instance, residents living in the vicinity of First Avenue Station Downtown spend roughly 10.7 percent of average median income on transportation costs.
In contract, residents living in West View, just north of Ross Township in the North Hills, spend 22.6 percent of average median income on transportation.
Source: Pittsburgh Business Times