New Kensington, PA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Pennsylvania·New Kensington

Westmoreland County · Pittsburgh · population 11,877

AffordabilityShrinkingSmall-town feel
View watchlist →
59
Stable
Momentum score · 0–100

Where New Kensington stands

At or near all-time high. population shrinking 0.6% per year.

Median home $174,594
1-year +0.8%
5-yr CAGR +3.7%
vs 5-yr peak -0.6%
Population -0.6%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-03$175k$91k$122k$152k$183k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
59/100
Workable for remote workers
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 15.4
Lean buy

At a 15.4 price-to-rent ratio, New Kensington is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
54 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
57 · w22%
Distance from peak
87 · w18%
Population growth
36 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
63 · w10%
Long thesis

New Kensington offers a $174,594 median home with +3.7% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

New Kensington's population is shrinking 0.6% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — if people are leaving, the buyer pool is shrinking faster than the inventory. That eventually shows up in price.

About New Kensington

New Kensington is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, with an estimated population of 11,877. It anchors the Pittsburgh metro area. The population has contracted 0.6% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in New Kensington is $174,594 as of 2026-04, up 0.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in New Kensington average $944 per month. The composite momentum score is 59 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.

Bull case

Held the highs: currently -0.6% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
Cheap entry point: $174,594 median home is well below the US median of $355k — room to grow without overpaying.

Bear case

Flat or shrinking population: -0.6% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.

Playbook

Buyer

Lifestyle fit matters more than market timing in a Stable market. Take your time on the home and neighborhood; the macro trend isn't urgent. Negotiate normally.

Seller

Price competitively from day one or risk a 60+ day listing. Staging, photography, and presentation matter more in Stable markets than in Hot ones.

Investor

Stable cap rates, no big appreciation story to lean on. Underwrite this as a pure cash-flow play — the math has to work on rent alone.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Westmoreland County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Westmoreland County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like New Kensington

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
36° / 21°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
83° / 63°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
186
~51% of year
Annual precip
42″ rain
30″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Low
Tornado
Low
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Pittsburgh area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current New Kensington listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
71%
Humid climate
Median household income
$73,800
Pennsylvania state median
Top industries (state-level)
Healthcare (Pittsburgh)Finance (Philly)Manufacturing

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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