(Newsradio 1020 KDKA) - When it comes to Rust Belt recovery, Pittsburgh is ranking high on a new list.
The study, conducted by CommercialCafe.com, looked at the following areas: population and income growth, unemployment and poverty reduction, increases in labor force participation, education attainment levels, housing units and median home value.
Pittsburgh ranked first for income growth, first in median home value growth and finished third overall out of 17 cities.
The study aimed to “track the progress made by 17 of the most promising Midwestern and Northeastern cities in the decade after the financial crisis.”
One of the biggest reasons for Pittsburgh’s success pointed on in the study is “its big bet on rebranding itself as ‘Robot City’, a university-centered technology hub.” It also found Pittsburgh leading the way with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Another reason for the high ranking is Pittsburgh proximitaty to the Marcellus Shale industry meaning “there has been a steady supply of well-paying, blue-collar jobs.”
The top five Rust Belt cities are Grand Rapids, MI, Madison, WI, Pittsburgh, PA, Buffalo, NY and Columbus, OH.
You can see more information about Pittsburgh’s ranking here
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