The burgeoning micro unit trend has swept across major cities throughout the United States. And we’ve provided coverage on the movement fairly comprehensively here, here, and here, for instance. But there's one city bucking the trend and creating more space for its renter population.
Washington, D.C. is actually growing the size of its new units in the high-demand metropolis, according to the latest data from Dallas, Texas-based research firm Axiometrics.
On the other end of the spectrum is tech-heavy Seattle. This metro has seen a steep drop in unit size in recent years, from just over 950 square feet between 2001 and 2005, to just over 750 square feet in current lease-up. Of the 18 properties currently in a lease-up phase in the urban core, 11 of them have an average square footage of 759 or less.
There is no doubt—most newly delivered units are getting smaller. In fact the average size of new apartments on a national basis is now 982 square feet. Less is more. Among the other major cities with a noticeable decline in apartment sizes are Dallas, Denver, and Houston.
Still think it’s a fad? Weigh in through the comment section below to share your opinion on the feasibility of the micro unit trend.
