May 26, 2025
If you’ve been feeling like your living room barely fits your couch and coffee table lately, it’s not just your imagination.
Over the past decade, the average size of newly built rental apartments in the U.S. has been shrinking — and the numbers back it up.
According to a new RentCafe report, the average new rental today is just 908 square feet, about 22 square feet smaller than it was back in 2015.
There are a few reasons behind this trend. Developers have been building more studios and one-bedroom units over the last decade — in fact, these smaller layouts have jumped from making up 46% of new builds pre-2015 to 53% now.
With fewer people getting married young and high interest rates keeping many would-be buyers in the rental market longer, there’s a bigger demand for compact living spaces.
Plus, for developers, squeezing in more units on a building footprint just makes financial sense.
That said, it’s not all doom and gloom for renters hoping for a little more breathing room. In the last two years, average unit sizes have actually increased by about 17 square feet.
Cities like San Francisco and Queens have seen some of the biggest bumps — San Francisco rentals have grown by an average of 59 square feet, and Queens units are up by about 39 square feet.
Even Manhattan and Brooklyn, typically known for tighter living spaces, saw slight upticks.
Still, the big picture shows that in many major cities — places like Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles — apartments are smaller now than they were a decade ago.
Even Sun Belt cities like Orlando and Columbia, S.C., which once prided themselves on offering larger living spaces, have seen average unit sizes shrink by nearly 50 square feet.
So, if you’re apartment hunting and feeling like everything looks a little... cozier these days, you’re definitely not alone.
But keep in mind — with demand shifting and construction trends starting to reverse slightly, bigger apartments might slowly be making a comeback.
Disclaimer: This content is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as financial, tax, legal, or insurance advice.
