After minor post-pandemic spikes in 2020 and 2021, the average size of a new apartment shrunk in 2022, decreasing from 941 square feet a decade ago to 887 square feet. In addition, according to a new report from RentCafe, 2022 saw the largest year-over-year drop, down 30 square feet.
The report, which looks at the most significant changes in apartment size in the nation’s 100 largest cities using Yardi Matrix data, cites the decrease to more studios and one-bedroom apartments entering the market, reaching a historic share of 57% last year. A decade ago, studios and one-bedrooms represented half of the apartments built.
In addition, not all unit types got smaller on a year-over-year basis in 2022. Apartments with three bedrooms increased by 15 square feet.
Apartments also are bigger in the South. Last year, the average size in the region was 993 square feet, 106 square feet more than the national average. The Pacific Northwest has taken the lead from California for the region with the least amount of apartment space—at 776 square feet, 111 square feet less than the national average.
Here are some other key findings from the RentCafe report:
- Tallahassee, Florida, comes in at the top with the largest apartments in the nation. Apartments in the Florida capital have increased 191 square feet, or 16.2%, in the last decade to 1,182 square feet. Following Tallahassee for largest size are Gainesville, Florida, 1,105 square feet; Mobile, Alabama, 1,080 square feet; Knoxville, Tennessee, 1,075 square feet; and Marietta, Georgia, 1,060 square feet;
- Seattle had the smallest apartments, with an average size of 659 square feet in 2022. This is a 30-square-foot, or 5%, decrease when compared with a decade ago. The boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn, New York, follow at 681 and 692 square feet, respectively. Manhattan came in fifth at 740 square feet; however, it had a surprising increase of 19 square feet compared with a decade ago;
- Like Manhattan, apartments that have typically been smaller in other large cities saw an increase in size. In 2022, apartments in Chicago went from 704 to 797 square feet, gaining 93 square feet compared with a decade ago. San Francisco renters gained an extra 52 square feet, going from 689 to 741 square feet, while the average size of a new apartment in Los Angeles saw a 45-square-foot increase from 754 to 799 square feet; and
- Some interesting trends are taking place for apartments under construction. While these numbers aren’t final, Tallahassee looks to be increasing its unit sizes, with the average size of apartments under construction estimated to reach 1,408 square feet. Apartments under construction in Ocala, Florida, also are estimated to be an average of 1,407 square feet. At the other end of the list, apartments in Spokane, Washington, are expected to reach an average of 494 square feet.
