Pittsburgh a top town for divorcees on rebound

While divorce can be a personal and financial bombshell, where you live might play into how well you bounce back after untying the knot.

Pittsburgh is one of the best cities in America to recover from divorce, according to a study by LendingTree, an online lending marketplace based in Charlotte, N.C.

The Steel City ranked No. 4 on the list of best cities to get back on your feet, tying with Denver for the spot. Minneapolis ranked No. 1, followed by Milwaukee and Detroit.

New York City is the worst place to recuperate from a marital breakup, according to LendingTree’s economic score, dating pool score and remarriage risk score.

“The hardest part of a divorce is taking the finances for one household and making it work for two households,” said Katie Markowski, a certified divorce financial analyst at Watermark Financial in Mt. Lebanon.

“Because Pittsburgh’s home prices are still below the national average and so are rent prices, that gives people the opportunity to have a more stable situation in a divorce,” she said.

LendingTree used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey to evaluate divorced people in each of the 50 states, ages 35 to

64. The company looked at median income, homeownership and rental data; dating pool prospects; and percentage of people who are currently divorced or separated or have been married at least three times.

Pittsburgh has gained a reputation as an affordable place to live for young people priced out of other cities, but the cost of living has been climbing in recent years. Average sale prices for homes in the region rose nearly 5% last year — $199,821 at the end of 2019 compared to $190,326 in 2018, according to the West Penn Multi-List, which provides residential real estate listings.

When it comes to the highest homeownership rate among divorced people, Salt Lake City is second to none. More than twothirds — 69.7% — of divorced people in Utah community own a home, according to LendingTree.

Washington, D.C., has the highest median income for divorced people, the analysis found. D.C.’s median income for divorced people ages 35 to 64 is $50,559, while those in Riverside, Calf. — the metro with the lowest median income on the list — earn a median $24,269.

Pittsburgh is a close second for its balance between single men and women; Denver is No.

1. Memphis, Tenn., comes in last for this metric.