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Fox Chapel most affluent community in state

Fox Chapel, which held sway for decades as a popular executive enclave, hasn’t seen that appeal diminish any over the years, according to a new American City Business Journals study that ranked it as the most affluent community in Pennsylvania. Criteria the study examined included income, home value and education levels of the residents.

Fox Chapel’s median household income was $174,924, and 60 percent of the households in the suburban community northeast of Pittsburgh had income of at least $150,000. The median home value was $527,400, and about 54 percent of the housing units had nine or more rooms. Some 65.6 percent of the population have management positions in business, science or the arts. Eight out of 10 adults hold bachelor’s degrees, and 43.8 percent have advanced degrees.

Lawyers relocating from outside the region also still scope out Fox Chapel.

“Senior-level partners moving to Pittsburgh with their families from other cities definitely look at Fox Chapel,” said Lori Carpenter, president of Carpenter Legal Search, a recruitment firm specializing in lawyers for firms and corporations. “That’s because of the school system, the community — people know one another — and it’s not far from the city, but you can get a fair amount of land with wooded areas when you buy a house. That’s what they tend to like the most, a better quality of life.”

Carpenter is working with a recruit in Chicago who grew up in Pittsburgh and is moving back to join a large law firm.

“He and his wife are specifically looking at homes in Fox Chapel because he’s continuing to build a practice and wants to be in an area where potential clients live,” she said.