Marple, Newtown Among Area's Most Expensive For Rent: Study

BROOMALL-NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA — How affordable is it to rent a home in Broomall and Newtown Square?

Not very affordable, according to a new analysis by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

The coalition recently released its annual "Out Of Reach" report for 2020, and it shows that you'd have to earn about $26 an hour to afford to rent a two-bedroom home in Broomall and Newtown Square area.

Broomall's ZIP code, 19008, requires an average $25.77 per hour wage for a two-bedroom rental.

In Newtown Square, 19073 ZIP, the average hourly wage needed to rent a two-bedroom place is $26.73.

Nearby, 19085 (Villanova and Ithan) and 19066 (Merion Station and Wynnewood) are the most expensive in the area, each with an average hourly wage of $35.38 to rent a two bedroom place.

The report ranks ZIP codes by the hourly wage a person would need to earn to afford renting without spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing.

Across Pennsylvania, renters earn $15.90 per hour on average, while $19.23 per hour is needed to afford to rent a two-bedroom home.

Residents in the Keystone State would have to work 86 hours per week at the minimum wage of $7.25 to afford even a one-bedroom home, the report says.

Pennsylvania ranked 26th in the nation in terms of affordability for renters. The most expensive state for housing is Hawaii, followed by California, then Massachusetts.

You can view the full report here.