Pittsburgh multifamily housing permits rise
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Permits for multifamily housing have surged in the Pittsburgh metro area since the pandemic, according to Redfin.
Why it matters: Pittsburgh housing development has been slow for a decade, but a recent increase over the past year could change the dynamic of the Steel City.
Zoom in: Pittsburgh-area developers received permits to build an average of 8.8 multifamily units per 10,000 people from April 2024 to March 2025, according to Redfin's analysis of Census Bureau data.
- That's up roughly 184% from a local pandemic low (3.1 units) and up around 151% from pre-pandemic averages (3.5 units).
Yes, but: Pittsburgh's development speed up is still lower than national averages, below some peer regions like Milwaukee (11.8 units) and Cincinnati (11.1 units), and well below fast-growing metros like Columbus, Ohio (37.9 units) and a slew in Florida.
- Pittsburgh also has a lot of catching up to do, as its multifamily development averages between 2014 and 2023 were among the lowest in the nation.
Zoom out: U.S. developers got permits to build an average of 12.4 multifamily units per 10,000 people in the same time.
- That's down roughly 27% from the pandemic surge (17 units) and down around 5% from pre-pandemic (13.1 units).
State of play: Increased housing permits have yet to lead to a decrease in Pittsburgh rents.
- The region saw a 3.3% increase in rents for the first three months of 2025, one of the fastest rent growth rates in the nation, according to Apartments.com.
- However, it's also unclear how many of the 2,090 multifamily housing units permitted since last year have come online.
The bottom line: A national construction slowdown could be prolonged by tariffs and risk affecting even markets with increasing development, such as Pittsburgh.