So the pundits and talking heads are busily analyzing the relative merits of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania vs. Green Bay, Wisconsin. Apparently, there is some big competition looming between the two cities. Not one to miss a good debate, I thought I should weigh in.

As an Allen Tate, REALTOR®, I have access to a wealth of tools because of our affiliation with the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, a major real estate network comprised of the best locally and regionally branded residential firms. (Our network sells $250 billion in homes annually, more than any national franchise brand.) Among those tools is Onboard Informatics, a valuable resource for Allen Tate clients and our associates who need to research and compare communities.

Let’s say you have a cousin moving from Pittsburgh to Green Bay. Your Allen Tate agent can not only assist your cousin find a stellar REALTOR® for either end of her move, but can also provide a useful comparison between the two cities. How do the population demographics line up? Education? What about the climate, crime, and cost of living? That kind of data can help your cousin (and our clients) make an informed decision regardless of needs or destinations.

So…what about this Pittsburgh vs. Green Bay thing? Using my Onboard Informatics tool, I see that Pittsburgh has a much larger population, and that population is older (median age of 40.25 years vs. 35.86 years) and has fewer children living at home. Green Bay has an average low temperature of 7 degrees in January, while Pittsburgh has a relatively balmy average low January temp of 19 degrees.

My bottom line? I took a close look at the Cost of Living comparison between the two cities. Both cities have a relative cost index below the national average. Healthcare, housing, and utilities cost less in Green Bay. Clothing, entertainment, and home furnishings cost less in Pittsburgh. But when I tallied all the factors, Pittsburgh has a slight edge in total expenditures and an overall lower cost of living. I call it for Pittsburgh…by 0.6%!

How else can your trusted advisor at the Allen Tate Company assist you?

By Tom Gongaware