{"id":128559,"date":"2023-10-23T08:31:21","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T15:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/?p=128559"},"modified":"2025-03-18T00:17:01","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T07:17:01","slug":"us-cities-with-the-least-living-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/us-cities-with-the-least-living-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Living in a City with Scarily Small Home Sizes? Here’s How to Make It Work Beyond Halloween"},"content":{"rendered":"

The specter of shrinking homes is starting to haunt America. Over the past decade, the average size of a home has become increasingly compact, with a chilling 4% decrease in home square footage. Eerily, lot sizes have also withered away, showing an 8% decline from 2013 to 2022. Nationwide, the median size of a new single family home is 2,299 square feet, according to the latest U.S. Census data cited by StorageCafe<\/a>. Apartment sizes<\/a> have followed suit, with a 9.6% drop over the last decade to an average of 849 sq. ft.<\/p>\n

Naturally, home sizes vary significantly depending on location, with some cities making it more difficult to find elbow room than others and increasing the likelihood of cluttered interiors. We wanted to see which places come with the scariest home sizes<\/strong> \u2013 a combination of small yards and limited indoor space.<\/p>\n

Our research examined data related to the sizes of single-family homes, apartments, and lots in the 50 most populous U.S. cities. We then established a combined index to pinpoint the cities where residents have the least space. Surprisingly, 30 of these major cities boast apartment sizes below the national average of 849 sq. ft. Moreover, single family homes provide less than 2,200 sq. ft. in a staggering 48 out of the 50 largest cities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

However, there’s a silver lining to living in a smaller space: Smaller quarters can offer both affordability and sustainability benefits, as long as you think things through. For those pondering a move to a smaller home or already living in one, we’ve also curated insights and tips from individuals who’ve successfully embraced this lifestyle in the second part of the article.<\/p>\n

Without further ado, here’s how much space you can expect when moving to one of the US’s largest hubs.<\/p>\n

Capitals of Small Home Living: Five of the Most Space-Constrained Cities Are on the West Coast<\/h2>\n

You\u2019d be forgiven for thinking that living in a dark, cramped home could feel like something out of a ghost story! It seems that the West Coast is the prime region for such spookiness \u2013 not because of a lack of natural light there, but definitely in terms of space. The West Coast boasts a significant number of urban hubs with the smallest combined home and apartment sizes.<\/p>\n