Pittsburgh vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

Side-by-side Alpha Scores, affordability, momentum, supply, jobs, and rental yield · as of May 2026

Pittsburgh vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria side by side

Metric Pittsburgh Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Alpha Score4425
Price Momentum5050
Inventory Health41
Affordability6515
Economic Strength6039
Rental Yield5126
Median Sale Price
Price-to-Income2.84.5
Payment-to-Income17.0%27.4%
Months of Supply
Gross Rental Yield5.9%4.3%
Overvaluation Index

Highlighted = the stronger read for that metric (supply, valuation, and payment burden are better when lower). Income/rent inputs lag annually.

How Pittsburgh and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Pittsburgh leads — Pittsburgh 65/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 15/100.
  • Price Momentum: Pittsburgh and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria score the same (50/100).
  • Inventory Health: Pittsburgh leads — Pittsburgh 4/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 1/100.
  • Economic Strength: Pittsburgh leads — Pittsburgh 60/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 39/100.
  • Rental Yield: Pittsburgh leads — Pittsburgh 51/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 26/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Pittsburgh or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?

Pittsburgh scores higher — 44 vs 25 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is Pittsburgh or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria more affordable?

Pittsburgh is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 2.8 in Pittsburgh and 4.5 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, Pittsburgh or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?

Both markets show similar price momentum (about 50/100).

Want to swap in other cities, change the metrics, or chart the trend over time? Customize this comparison → in the interactive Compare tool. Or read the Pittsburgh market brief and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria brief.