Apartment Sizes Are inactive Shrinking…Except In These Key Cities

As the 2025 rental season kicks off, square footage is becoming the new currency for renters. After a decade of shrinking apartments, new data from RentCafe shows that average unit sizes grew again in 2024, reaching 908 square feet — a reversal driven largely by market demand for more livable space, according to RentCafe.

In 2024, the average U.S. apartment size grew to 908 square feet, reversing a decade-long trend of shrinking floorplans. Studios, one-bedrooms, and two-bedrooms all expanded slightly, gaining between 4 and 13 square feet. Florida cities Tallahassee and Gainesville topped the list for largest average apartment sizes, while Seattle retained its title for the smallest.

Among major markets, San Francisco led the growth with an average unit increase of 59 square feet over the last decade, followed closely by Queens, New York. Marietta, GA, saw the most dramatic jump overall, with new apartments adding 100 square feet compared to those built before 2015, highlighting a broader market shift toward larger, more livable rental spaces.

Studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units all expanded slightly over the past year, adding between 4 and 13 square feet. Developers, responding to consumer preference, heavily favored one-bedroom units, which made up nearly half of all new apartments built.

The RentCafe report says that Florida cities Tallahassee and Gainesville lead the nation for the largest new apartments, with Tallahassee units averaging 1,130 square feet despite a small decline from older stock. Baton Rouge, Knoxville, and Marietta, GA, round out the top five. In fact, Marietta posted the largest growth overall, with new apartments boasting 100 more square feet compared to those built before 2015.

At the same time, big-city hubs like San Francisco and New York’s Queens are seeing apartments expand after years of contraction. San Francisco units grew by 59 square feet over the last decade, while Queens added 39 square feet. Still, Seattle remains the city with the smallest new apartments, averaging just 649 square feet — a steep 57-square-foot drop compared to a decade ago.

Not every city followed the trend toward larger spaces. Arlington, TX, saw the sharpest decline, with new units shrinking by an average of 215 square feet. Detroit, Memphis, and Birmingham also experienced significant reductions as developers prioritized smaller, more affordable units, the report concludes.

RentCafe’s report, based on Yardi Matrix data, analyzed apartment sizes across the 100 largest U.S. rental markets as of February 2025. The findings reveal a clear shift: where the market allows, renters are demanding — and developers are delivering — more breathing room.