Over the past decade, the average size of a newly constructed apartment in the US has shrunk by about the size of a twin bed.

The study conducted by RentCafe on 100 major US cities with active rental markets revealed an average shrinkage of 22 square feet over a decade.

Reported initially by The New York Times, the study highlighted New York City as an exception, where there was actually an increase in average square footage despite its reputation for tiny apartments.

Americans generally prefer larger things such as cars, drinks, and refrigerators. However, the trend in housing has been towards smaller living spaces. RentCafe reported that the average size of a US apartment had decreased to 908 square feet by 2024.

Experts point to, in part, higher demand for studios and one-bedrooms among a growing unmarried, childless professional class. It’s well understood that young people in exciting, happening cities would trade a spacious home for a prime location.

Cities like New York and San Francisco, however, saw some of the most significant rental square footage growth among the metros analyzed.

With an average of 702 square feet, the typical rental in Queens is nothing to write home about, but it’s an improvement from 2015. Rentals in Queens County gained 39 square feet over the past 10 years, RentCafe found, as developers focused on increasing the share of two- and three-bedroom apartments. 

Brooklyn saw a much more modest square footage upsize of 1%, or 6 square feet, since 2015. Kings County rentals currently reach an average of 708 square feet.

Manhattan apartments, along with Queens and Brooklyn, still rank among the smallest in the county nationwide, but at least there’s a little extra room for a side table. Apartments in the borough grew by a modest 4 square feet over the past decade to a current average of 738 square feet.

The RentCafe study attributes the average growth to expanding one- and two-bedroom apartments, “allowing Manhattanites just enough space for a small pet without needing to compromise on that mini fridge.”

New York City and San Francisco — where apartments gained 59 square feet — are exceptions to the rule. Apartment sizes decreased in a majority of the large metros studied, from Chicago to Orlando.

The biggest apartments in the country are concentrated far from New York, in the South. Rentals in Tallahassee and Gainesville, Florida, average 1,120 square feet, according to RentCafe. But apartments in Arlington, Texas saw the greatest loss of square footage of any city studied. Arlington rentals, on average, lost 215 square feet — nearly the size of the average American dorm room.