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A Pennsylvania city was recently highlighted by Realtor.com as one of the nations most \u201cdesirable\u201d metro areas for those homebuying under $300,000.<\/p>\n
Susan Angstadt for Spotlight PA<\/p>\n
The real estate listing site Realtor.com declared the Scranton\/Wilkes-Barre region among 10 \u201cdesirable\u201d metros in the nation with homes under $300,000.<\/p>\n
State College didn\u2019t make the list. With a median home listing of $462,470 in February, it is the most expensive metropolitan area for homebuyers in Pennsylvania and is over the national median of $403,450.<\/p>\n
Realtor.com uses its own data to find areas with a sub-$300,000 median listing prices in metro areas across the country, then selects those that have \u201ca satisfying quality of life,\u201d \u201cthe conveniences of a bustling city\u201d and home prices \u201caligned with local incomes,\u201d according to a write-up from the site<\/a>. All 10 of the metropolitan areas listed are east of the Rockies.<\/p>\n Scranton\/Wilkes-Barre, according to the site, was selected for its \u201cgrowing health care and education sector,\u201d outdoor amenities and proximity to Philadelphia and New York. Commonwealth Health is based in Wilkes-Barre, and the major health care providers Geisinger and Jefferson are expanding there.<\/p>\n Listing prices in the Electric City and surrounding areas have been fairly stable over the past few years, with the median in February being $259,950. While there is less of an on ramp to homeownership there than some other areas in the commonwealth, it is but one of 22 areas with a sub-$300,000 median listing price. Also included is the major metro area of Pittsburgh ($238,450) and closer-to-home areas like Lock Haven ($222,500).<\/p>\n