America’s Typical Apartment Is Getting Smaller

The size of the typical apartment in the United States saw one of the largest declines in recent years as inventory remains constrained.

The average size of new apartments was 887 square feet in 2022, constituting a 3% drop since the previous year and a decline of 54 square feet over the past decade, according to a recent report from RentCafe. The apartment search company noted that higher demand for housing prompted the lower unit sizes.

“With one of the highest levels of construction in half a century, the year was marked by the need for more housing all across the country,” the report said. “As such, more studios and one-bedroom apartments were finished in 2022 than ever before.”

The years marked by the lockdown-induced recession witnessed a modest increase in the size of new apartments from 910 square feet in 2019 to 917 square feet in 2021. Demand in real estate markets pivoted toward a desire for larger properties as families spent more time in their homes and…