Affordability in Philly

Here’s a quick snapshot of housing affordability in Philadelphia using two Census indicators: median housing values and monthly owner costs.  As you can see from these maps, there’s strong spatial variation between areas in Philly.  I did the analysis at the Census-tract level, so each small polygon on the map roughly represents a neighborhood.

Median housing value is a useful indicator for a variety of reasons.  One that might not be as obvious – housing is a major financial asset for many families.  So not only does the indicator show where “nice” housing exists, it shows which neighborhoods stand to have a lot of value, provided homeownership opportunities exist.

DIY community analysis

Example analysis of fair market rents using Community Commons.

I’m going to be posting about affordable housing over the next several months as part of my preparation for a summer Bike & Build trip.  As part of this, I’d like to do some housing analysis of communities we’ll be passing through.  

I’ll probably be using a variety of data sources and tools to collect and display the information.  Some of these are really user-friendly sites that allow you to do your own community’s analysis – a great way to learn about affordability in your area!