Matt Levin

Senior Reporter

SHORT BIO

Matt covers AI for Marketplace, where he tries to be as polite as he can to every chatbot he meets … because, well, he’s seen sci-fi movies. Matt also covers some crypto and housing, with a taste for stories that make you say: "huh, that's kinda weird.”

Before joining Marketplace Matt was a data and housing reporter for CalMatters, focused on California politics and policy. Before that he was a statistics jockey for a think tank, focused on poverty and inequality. And long before that Matt was a really terrible teenage cashier for Toys R Us.

Matt’s previous honors include awards from the Online News Association and regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and SPJ awards.

Latest Stories (314)

Don't want to pay sticker price for a new car? Good luck with that.

Jun 29, 2021
Low auto inventories are giving car dealers a lot more leverage.
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images

How office food staples are adapting to a hybrid workforce

Jun 25, 2021
Sweetgreen and Krispy Kreme are planning to go public, but that's not necessarily a sign everyone will be back in the office.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Even house flippers are being priced out of the market

Jun 23, 2021
Record-high housing prices are making life difficult for house flippers looking to make a quick buck.
With a hot housing market, some house flippers have switched to a flip-to-rent model instead of resale.
Spencer Platt via Getty Images

Restaurants crack down on no-shows

Jun 21, 2021
Forgetting to cancel your reservation could end up costing you.
At lots of restaurants, you'll need to take out your credit card long before the bill arrives to put down a deposit on your reservation.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Convention skills a little rusty? We can help.

Jun 17, 2021
With the reemergence of networking events and conventions, you may need a refresher on chatting over cocktails or going in for the handshake.
SolStock via Getty Images

Las Vegas hosts its first big convention since the pandemic. It better go well.

Jun 8, 2021
World of Concrete is the first of many business gatherings on Las Vegas' calendar. Conventions are key to the city's economic rebound.
The Las Vegas Convention Center before the World of Concrete convention opens. "It’s our Super Bowl or World Series," a participant calls it.
Matt Levin/Marketplace

California wants to make it easier to turn empty malls into affordable housing

Jun 2, 2021
But cities, who don't want to give up sales tax revenue, and stores may not be quick to give up mall space.
The mall-to-housing flip can be harder than it sounds.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Will drivers come back to Uber and Lyft?

Jun 1, 2021
Many ride-hailing drivers shifted to delivering food during the pandemic and aren't eager to return to transporting passengers.
Ride-hailing companies are offering new incentives to attract drivers.
LPETTET via Getty Images

Rents are rising all over the place again

May 28, 2021
Apartment and home rental prices rose, on a national basis, at a record pace from April to May, according to Apartment List.
San Francisco and New York rents are still cheaper than before the pandemic, but markets like D.C., Seattle, Boise and Spokane are all up and continuing on those trends.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The traffic control bible is getting an update. Here's why you should care.

May 25, 2021
Pedestrian and bicycle-safety advocates want to rewrite the federal manual to reduce its bias toward cars.
Some argue the Manual on Traffic Control Devices is too prescriptive when it comes to designing things like crosswalks and bike lanes, and too permissive when it comes to cars.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images