Apartment sizes steadily increasing, reversing decade-long trend

The average size of an apartment in the U.S. has increased to 908 sf as of 2024, according to a RentCafe report. This is up from 904 sf in 2023, and 891 sf in 2022.

Key Takeaways:

• Studios, one-, and two-bedroom apartments all got larger, adding between four and 13 sf to their floorplans in 2024.
• Several metros like San Francisco, Calif., and New York, N.Y., have had significant growth in apartment sizes over the past 10 years.
• Seattle, Wash., holds the record for the smallest apartment sizes in the U.S.

In its annual analysis, RentCafe sees the average size of new apartment units expanding, reversing a decade-long trend of shrinking floor plans. Smaller units like studios and one-bedrooms have especially been getting larger.

In fact, all but the three-bedroom unit type have increased in square-footage in 2024. Studio apartments make up the bulk of the change, with an average of 13 sf added per unit year-over-year.

Florida metros lead the pack in terms of largest apartment sizes. Tallahassee, Fla., ranks number one in apartment size among 100 metropolitan areas, with its average size of new units reaching 1,130 sf. Gainesville, Fla., follows closely behind at 1,122 sf.

Other cities include Baton Rouge, La. (1,055 sf), Knoxville, Tenn. (1,041 sf), Marietta, Ga. (1,041 sf), and Greensboro, N.C. (1,040 sf).

Some of the smallest new apartments come out of metros like Seattle, Wash. (649 sf), Portland, Ore. (668 sf), Queens, N.Y. (702 sf), and Brooklyn, N.Y. (708 sf).

Where Apartment Size Changed Most in the Past 10 Years

Where are apartments getting larger over the past decade? Sunbelt and Coastal cities are where renters should set their sights.

Marietta, Ga., has had a 100-sf growth in average unit size over the past 10 years. San Francisco, Calif., while remaining on the low-end of unit sizes, has also been steadily increasing by 59 sf. Cleveland, Ohio (57 sf growth), Queens, N.Y. (39 sf growth), and St. Petersburg, Fla. (22 sf growth), follow.

To read the full report, visit RentCafe.