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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 (339)

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

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

by Matt Levin
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
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COVID & Unemployment

Will drivers come back to Uber and Lyft?

by Matt Levin
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
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COVID-19

Rents are rising all over the place again

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

by Matt Levin
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
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Race and Economy

Checking in with Black-owned bookstores, 1 year since George Floyd's murder

by Matt Levin
May 24, 2021
Business is still up, although not quite as much as it was in the six months following George Floyd's death.
James Fugate, co-owner of Eso Won Books, speaks with a customer at his store in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, Nov. 24, 2020.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
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Open houses become a sign of the times

by Matt Levin
May 21, 2021
After a year of virtual visits, real estate brokers are rolling out the welcome mat for frenzied buyers
An Open House sign directs prospective buyers to property for sale in Monterey Park, California.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images
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Pandemic or not, consumers have an appetite for sweet snacks

by Matt Levin
May 17, 2021
The snack industry is seeing inflation, so you may have to pay a higher price for those cupcakes.
A stack of boxes of Twinkies, Hostess' most popular product, sits on a grocery store shelf. Hostess went public today, after years of financial strife and transformation.
ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
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COVID & Unemployment

Schools gradually add back jobs, but teacher shortage may worsen

by Matt Levin
May 7, 2021
Younger teachers may also be more inclined to leave and even switch career paths entirely.
Because of remote learning and $190 billion in federal aid, there haven’t been massive teacher layoffs. But stress and burnout could push people from the field, one education researcher says.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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When the spirit moves: Church real estate is heating up

by Matt Levin
May 4, 2021
Though some churches need to sell, many nondenominational churches are growing rapidly and looking for bigger digs.
Like residential real estate, church properties need curb appeal. This Walnut Creek church is listed for more than a million dollars.
Matt Levin/Marketplace
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