The average size of new apartments dropped sharply in 2022, as tracked by RentCafe.
Across the U.S., the average new apartment size was 887 sf, down 30 sf from 2021, which was the largest year-over-year decrease, according to the apartment search service. It was also 54 sf less than the average size of a new apartment 10 years ago.
The drop in size can be attributed to more studios and one-bedroom apartments entering the market in 2022, reaching a historic share of 57%. Tallahassee, Fla., led the nation with the largest apartments, while Seattle’s apartment portfolio had the smallest-sized units.
Tracking the size of U.S. apartments, in six charts
“The post-pandemic apartment market has seen significant fluctuations from one year to another, including oscillations in the size of new apartments,” according to RentCafe. “From the need for more space in 2020 to the need for more homes in 2022, the rising demand for rentals is affecting the size of newly built apartments.”
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Oct 21, 2021
Chicago’s historic Lathrop public housing complex gets new life as mixed-income community
A revitalized New Deal–era public housing community in Chicago brings the Garden City movement of yesteryear into the 21st century.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 20, 2021
Sacramento’s first luxury high-rise rental residences announced
Southern Land Company is developing the project.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 18, 2021
Construction begins on downtown Fort Worth’s first luxury high-rise rental residences
GDA Architects designed the building.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 14, 2021
27-story Bronx tower will include retail, 200 apartment units
CetraRuddy is designing the project.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 12, 2021
Affordable and sublime: 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
These projects prove that it’s possible to develop aesthetically pleasing, high-quality housing for low-income families, the homeless, and veterans.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 12, 2021
New multifamily community completes in Austin
Britt Design Group and Davies Collaborative designed the project.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 6, 2021
New assisted living and memory care facility begins construction in Austin
OZ Architecture designed the project.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 4, 2021
Spire brings 343 condos to downtown Seattle
The project is the closest high-rise building to the Space Needle.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 29, 2021
Five-story apartment community in Duarte, Calif. breaks ground
The project is located 22 miles from downtown L.A.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 22, 2021
Designing for the ‘missing middle’ in multifamily housing
Multifamily housing expert Patrick Winters, AIA, discusses a neglected segment of the market: the "missing middle."
