In 2021, Allegheny County Economic Development (ACED), in partnership with Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh(URA), completed the a Market Value Analysis (MVA) for Allegheny County. This analysis services as both an update to previous MVA’s commissioned separately by ACED and the URA and combines the MVA for the whole of Allegheny County (inclusive of the City of Pittsburgh). The MVA is a unique tool for characterizing markets because it creates an internally referenced index of a municipality’s residential real estate market. It identifies areas that are the highest demand markets as well as areas of greatest distress, and the various markets types between. The MVA offers insight into the variation in market strength and weakness within and between traditional community boundaries because it uses Census block groups as the unit of analysis. Where market types abut each other on the map becomes instructive about the potential direction of market change, and ultimately, the appropriateness of types of investment or intervention strategies.

This MVA utilized data that helps to define the local real estate market. The data used covers the 2017-2019 period, and data used in the analysis includes:

• Residential Real Estate Sales
• Mortgage Foreclosures
• Residential Vacancy
• Parcel Year Built
• Parcel Condition
• Building Violations
• Owner Occupancy
• Subsidized Housing Units

The MVA uses a statistical technique known as cluster analysis, forming groups of areas (i.e., block groups) that are similar along the MVA descriptors, noted above. The goal is to form groups within which there is a similarity of characteristics within each group, but each group itself different from the others. Using this technique, the MVA condenses vast amounts of data for the universe of all properties to a manageable, meaningful typology of market types that can inform area-appropriate programs and decisions regarding the allocation of resources.

Please refer to the presentation and executive summary for more information about the data, methodology, and findings.

The number of U.S. home sales in the United States declined in 2024, after soaring in 2021. A total of four million transactions of existing homes, including single-family, condo, and co-ops, were completed in 2024, down from 6.12 million in 2021. According to the forecast, the housing market is forecast to head for recovery in 2025, despite transaction volumes expected to remain below the long-term average. Why have home sales declined? The housing boom during the coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated that being a homeowner is still an integral part of the American dream. Nevertheless, sentiment declined in the second half of 2022 and Americans across all generations agreed that the time was not right to buy a home. A combination of factors has led to house prices rocketing and making homeownership unaffordable for the average buyer. A survey among owners and renters found that the high home prices and unfavorable economic conditions were the two main barriers to making a home purchase. People who would like to purchase their own home need to save up a deposit, have a good credit score, and a steady and sufficient income to be approved for a mortgage. In 2022, mortgage rates experienced the most aggressive increase in history, making the total cost of homeownership substantially higher. Are U.S. home prices expected to fall? The median sales price of existing homes stood at 413,000 U.S. dollars in 2024 and was forecast to increase slightly until 2026. The development of the S&P/Case Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index shows that home prices experienced seven consecutive months of decline between June 2022 and January 2023, but this trend reversed in the following months. Despite mild fluctuations throughout the year, home prices in many metros are forecast to continue to grow, albeit at a much slower rate.

The median number of days property listings spend on the market in a given geography during the specified month (calculated from list date to closing, pending, or off-market date depending on data availability).

With the release of its September 2022 housing trends report, Realtor.com® incorporated a new and improved methodology for capturing and reporting housing inventory trends and metrics. The new methodology updates and improves the calculation of time on market and improves handling of duplicate listings. Most areas across the country will see minor changes with a smaller handful of areas seeing larger updates. As a result of these changes, the data released since October 2022 will not be directly comparable with previous data releases (files downloaded before October 2022) and Realtor.com® economics blog posts. However, future data releases, including historical data, will consistently apply the new methodology. More details are available at the source's Real Estate Data Library (https://www.realtor.com/research/data/).

With the release of its November 2021 housing trends report, Realtor.com® incorporated a new and improved methodology for capturing and reporting housing inventory trends and metrics. The new methodology uses the latest and most accurate data mapping of listing statuses to yield a cleaner and more consistent measurement of active listings at both the national and local level. The methodology has also been adjusted to better account for missing data in some fields including square footage. Most areas across the country will see minor changes with a smaller handful of areas seeing larger updates. As a result of these changes, the data released since December 2021 will not be directly comparable with previous data releases (files downloaded before December 2021) and Realtor.com® economics blog posts. However, future data releases, including historical data, will consistently apply the new methodology. More details are available at the source's Real Estate Data Library (https://www.realtor.com/research/data/).

Key information about House Prices Growth

• US house prices grew 5.2% YoY in Dec 2024, following an increase of 5.4% YoY in the previous quarter.
• YoY growth data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1992 to Dec 2024, with an average growth rate of 5.4%.
• House price data reached an all-time high of 17.7% in Sep 2021 and a record low of -12.4% in Dec 2008.

About 20 percent of home buyers in the United States in 2021 purchased homes that cost 500,000 U.S. dollars or more. The share of home buyers generally reduced as the house prices decreased. The largest share of purchases fell in the 200,000 to 249,999 and 250,000 to 299,999 price classes, which was below the national average sales price for existing homes.

The count of listings which have had their price reduced in a given market during the month.

With the release of its September 2022 housing trends report, Realtor.com® incorporated a new and improved methodology for capturing and reporting housing inventory trends and metrics. The new methodology updates and improves the calculation of time on market and improves handling of duplicate listings. Most areas across the country will see minor changes with a smaller handful of areas seeing larger updates. As a result of these changes, the data released since October 2022 will not be directly comparable with previous data releases (files downloaded before October 2022) and Realtor.com® economics blog posts. However, future data releases, including historical data, will consistently apply the new methodology. More details are available at the source's Real Estate Data Library (https://www.realtor.com/research/data/).

With the release of its November 2021 housing trends report, Realtor.com® incorporated a new and improved methodology for capturing and reporting housing inventory trends and metrics. The new methodology uses the latest and most accurate data mapping of listing statuses to yield a cleaner and more consistent measurement of active listings at both the national and local level. The methodology has also been adjusted to better account for missing data in some fields including square footage. Most areas across the country will see minor changes with a smaller handful of areas seeing larger updates. As a result of these changes, the data released since December 2021 will not be directly comparable with previous data releases (files downloaded before December 2021) and Realtor.com® economics blog posts. However, future data releases, including historical data, will consistently apply the new methodology. More details are available at the source's Real Estate Data Library (https://www.realtor.com/research/data/).

Graph and download economic data for Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States (MSPUS) from Q1 1963 to Q1 2025 about sales, median, housing, and USA.

The median listing price in a given market during the specified month.

With the release of its September 2022 housing trends report, Realtor.com® incorporated a new and improved methodology for capturing and reporting housing inventory trends and metrics. The new methodology updates and improves the calculation of time on market and improves handling of duplicate listings. Most areas across the country will see minor changes with a smaller handful of areas seeing larger updates. As a result of these changes, the data released since October 2022 will not be directly comparable with previous data releases (files downloaded before October 2022) and Realtor.com® economics blog posts. However, future data releases, including historical data, will consistently apply the new methodology. More details are available at the source's Real Estate Data Library (https://www.realtor.com/research/data/).

With the release of its November 2021 housing trends report, Realtor.com® incorporated a new and improved methodology for capturing and reporting housing inventory trends and metrics. The new methodology uses the latest and most accurate data mapping of listing statuses to yield a cleaner and more consistent measurement of active listings at both the national and local level. The methodology has also been adjusted to better account for missing data in some fields including square footage. Most areas across the country will see minor changes with a smaller handful of areas seeing larger updates. As a result of these changes, the data released since December 2021 will not be directly comparable with previous data releases (files downloaded before December 2021) and Realtor.com® economics blog posts. However, future data releases, including historical data, will consistently apply the new methodology. More details are available at the source's Real Estate Data Library (https://www.realtor.com/research/data/).

As of October 2021, approximately 6.3 percent of homes in the United States were valued at between 100,000 and 124,999 U.S. dollars. Approximately one percent of homes were valued at one million U.S. dollars or more.

Graph and download economic data for Average Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States (ASPUS) from Q1 1963 to Q1 2025 about sales, housing, and USA.

The average listing price in a given market during the specified month.

With the release of its September 2022 housing trends report, Realtor.com® incorporated a new and improved methodology for capturing and reporting housing inventory trends and metrics. The new methodology updates and improves the calculation of time on market and improves handling of duplicate listings. Most areas across the country will see minor changes with a smaller handful of areas seeing larger updates. As a result of these changes, the data released since October 2022 will not be directly comparable with previous data releases (files downloaded before October 2022) and Realtor.com® economics blog posts. However, future data releases, including historical data, will consistently apply the new methodology. More details are available at the source's Real Estate Data Library (https://www.realtor.com/research/data/).

With the release of its November 2021 housing trends report, Realtor.com® incorporated a new and improved methodology for capturing and reporting housing inventory trends and metrics. The new methodology uses the latest and most accurate data mapping of listing statuses to yield a cleaner and more consistent measurement of active listings at both the national and local level. The methodology has also been adjusted to better account for missing data in some fields including square footage. Most areas across the country will see minor changes with a smaller handful of areas seeing larger updates. As a result of these changes, the data released since December 2021 will not be directly comparable with previous data releases (files downloaded before December 2021) and Realtor.com® economics blog posts. However, future data releases, including historical data, will consistently apply the new methodology. More details are available at the source's Real Estate Data Library (https://www.realtor.com/research/data/).

Nahb Housing Market Index in the United States decreased to 32 points in June from 34 points in May of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Nahb Housing Market Index - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Graph and download economic data for Housing Inventory: Median Days on Market in the United States (MEDDAYONMARUS) from Jul 2016 to May 2025 about median and USA.

The U.S. housing market has slowed, after ** consecutive years of rising home prices. In 2021, house prices surged by an unprecedented ** percent, marking the highest increase on record. However, the market has since cooled, with the Freddie Mac House Price Index showing more modest growth between 2022 and 2024. In 2024, home prices increased by *** percent. That was lower than the long-term average of *** percent since 1990. Impact of mortgage rates on homebuying The recent cooling in the housing market can be partly attributed to rising mortgage rates. After reaching a record low of **** percent in 2021, the average annual rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage more than doubled in 2023. This significant increase has made homeownership less affordable for many potential buyers, contributing to a substantial decline in home sales. Despite these challenges, forecasts suggest a potential recovery in the coming years. How much does it cost to buy a house in the U.S.? In 2023, the median sales price of an existing single-family home reached a record high of over ******* U.S. dollars. Newly built homes were even pricier, despite a slight decline in the median sales price in 2023. Naturally, home prices continue to vary significantly across the country, with West Virginia being the most affordable state for homebuyers.

In recent years, more and more Gen Zers and Millennials are entering the housing market as home buyers or renters. In 2021, almost half of rent applications in the United States were submitted by Millennial apartment seekers. In comparison, Baby Boomers and older were responsible for only ten percent of applications. According to a survey conducted in 2021, a large percentage of Millennials and Gen Zers are not currently saving for a house.

According to Cognitive Market Research, the global Real Estate Sector market size will be USD 3625.5 million in 2024. It will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.50% from 2024 to 2031.

North America held the major market share for more than 40% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 1450.20 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.7% from 2024 to 2031.
Europe accounted for a market share of over 30% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 1087.65 million.
Asia Pacific held a market share of around 23% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 833.87 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.0% from 2024 to 2031.
Latin America had a market share of more than 5% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 181.28 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.9% from 2024 to 2031.
Middle East and Africa had a market share of around 2% of the global revenue and was estimated at a market size of USD 72.51 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2% from 2024 to 2031.
The Commercial real estate is the fastest-growing segment, driven by economic development, urbanization, and a shift toward modern, multi-use spaces

Market Dynamics of Real Estate Sector Market

Key Drivers for Real Estate Sector Market

Urbanization and Population Growth to Boost Market Growth

Urbanization is one of the primary drivers of the real estate sector. As more people migrate from rural areas to urban centers, there is an increasing demand for both residential and commercial properties. The growth of megacities around the world has spurred significant development in infrastructure, housing, and office spaces. This trend is expected to continue as populations in cities grow, creating new opportunities for real estate developers to meet the expanding demand for housing, retail spaces, and industrial areas. Additionally, urbanization leads to an increase in disposable income, further boosting the demand for better housing options and modern amenities. For instance, in October 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stated that the benchmark interest rate would remain at 4%, providing a substantial boost to the country's real estate sector. Low house loan interest rates are predicted to fuel housing demand and boost sales by 35-40% during the holiday season of 2021

Economic Expansion and Rising Income Levels to Drive Market Growth

The overall economic expansion in many countries is another key driver for the real estate market. As economies grow, the demand for residential, commercial, and industrial properties rises in tandem. Rising income levels also contribute to increased purchasing power, allowing more people to invest in homes and businesses. Furthermore, a strong economy often leads to higher investor confidence, attracting more capital into the real estate sector. The construction of new infrastructure projects such as highways, airports, and transport systems also fuels further demand for real estate, thereby benefiting the market.

Restraint Factor for the Real Estate Sector Market

High Construction Costs, will Limit Market Growth

One of the significant restraints in the real estate sector is the rising cost of construction materials and labor. The volatility in the prices of raw materials such as steel, cement, and timber, combined with labor shortages, leads to higher construction costs, which can delay projects and reduce profit margins. Additionally, increased costs can make property prices unaffordable for potential buyers, thus slowing the pace of development. This situation is exacerbated by global supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures, which negatively affect the overall cost structure in real estate development. Developers must navigate these challenges while maintaining competitive pricing to ensure market viability.

Impact of Covid-19 on the Real Estate Sector Market

Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted the real estate sector, leading to shifts in both demand and operational dynamics. During the early phases of the pandemic, lockdowns and economic uncertainties caused a slowdown in construction activities, delays in project completions, and a decline in property transactions. The residential market experienced a surge in demand for larger homes and properties in suburban areas as people ...