As Apartment Sizes Shrink, Western Cities Challenge The East Coast For The Title Of Tiny Living Capitals

Key takeaways:

• The average apartment size across all existing inventory in the U.S. is now 901 sq. ft.
• Apartment sizes have been trending downward over the last decade, with 2022 marking a record low at 892 sq. ft. Apartments delivered in 2023 have inched higher but remain below historical levels.
• Honolulu, HI, has the smallest apartment size in the nation, offering about 610 square feet of living space.
• Regionally, West Coast cities take the lead in compact living trends, with 8 of the 20 cities offering the tiniest apartments.
• Per capita self storage space in the U.S. is 7.4 square feet, a 4% increase year-over-year.

Sky-high prices and limited options are keeping many people on the sidelines of the homebuying market, making rental communities a more approachable alternative. Apartments, in particular, have become increasingly popular, with developers racing to meet demand and introducing new units at a record pace. But while this surge in options is good news, the question remains: Are we getting enough space?

Currently, the average size of a U.S. apartment stands at 901 square feet across the overall inventory. However, recent trends reveal a shift toward smaller living spaces, with the average apartment shrinking by about 18 square feet over the past decade — roughly the size of a closet. In 2022, new apartment deliveries hit a decade low in size, averaging just 892 square feet. While the average size of new units has slightly increased over the past two years, it still falls short of pre-2020 levels, as developers prioritize efficient space utilization to address urgent housing demands.

This trend toward smaller living spaces reflects rising construction costs, fierce competition in migration hotspots, and a growing emphasis on amenity-rich environments over spacious interiors.

Self storage has become an important factor in adapting to these smaller spaces, stepping in to bridge the gap. “In this tight housing market, storage is getting used more than ever,” says Victor Maghear, StorageCafe’s lead real estate analyst. “Living in a smaller apartment that places you in a prime location while keeping rent in check is a great option — when you have self storage as a backup. It’s a much cheaper alternative to upsizing or buying a home.”

West Coast minimalism or Southern comfort? Apartment sizes across the U.S.

Living with less space—especially in newer apartments—has become the norm over the past decade. With demand for rentals skyrocketing, construction costs rising, and home prices reaching new heights, it’s no wonder apartments are getting smaller. But just how much space you get depends a lot on where you call home.

To see how renters are faring across the country, we analyzed apartment sizes nationwide. We examined rental housing in all 50 states and D.C., then zoomed in on 643 cities to rank them by average apartment size. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the trend of building smaller apartments, 30 states and D.C. have average apartment sizes below the national average of 901 square feet.

Regionally, West Coast cities dominate compact living trends, claiming 8 of the 20 cities with the tiniest apartments. Californian cities lead the way in offering less than 650 square feet of living space, challenged only by Honolulu, HI. Not to be outdone, Seattle, WA, and Portland, OR, have carved out a niche as pioneers of maximizing style and functionality in small spaces.

On the flip side, the South proudly offers some of the nation’s most spacious apartments. Buckeye, Arizona, stands out with an impressive average of 1,409 square feet per unit — more than double the space of a typical rental in Hawthorne, CA. Southern powerhouses like Georgia and Florida also shine, delivering generously sized apartments that offer a refreshing alternative to the space challenges renters face in coastal cities.

Check out how states and their main cities fare in terms of average apartment sizes:

Capitals of small apartment living: Honolulu, Seattle, and San Francisco compete with smaller cities for the tiny home crown

You’d think the smallest living spaces would be confined to major urban hubs. Surprisingly, though, the classic champions of small-space living face stiff competition in unexpected places. While San Francisco is known for its compact apartments, moving just a bit south to escape the crowds leads to an even tighter squeeze — Daly City apartments average just 631 square feet.

Similarly, in New Jersey, apartments in Jersey City and Newark stand in contrast to smaller units in nearby Passaic, Paterson and Clifton, where average apartment sizes dip below 700 square feet.

Honolulu, HI, tops the charts for the smallest apartments in the nation, with units averaging just 610 square feet. That’s roughly 300 square feet less than the typical U.S. apartment, meaning residents forego the space of a large bedroom when renting in Honolulu. Higher population density and soaring building costs are driving this trend, pushing developers to build smaller units to meet the high demand for housing.

West Coast’s Greater LA and San Francisco Bay feel the pinch of small-space living

On the continental U.S., many of the cities with the smallest apartments are clustered on the West Coast, with California leading the way. Twelve cities in California are standouts for small apartment living, with half located in the San Francisco Bay Area and the other half in Greater Los Angeles.

Both regions face construction challenges — San Francisco grapples with limited construction space, while Los Angeles focuses on building densely to meet demand. These constraints have driven developers to prioritize smaller units, resulting in average apartment sizes below 700 square feet, significantly under the national average of 901 square feet.

Only Oakland and San Leandro manage to score apartments with sizes over 700 square feet in the Bay Area, while in Greater LA three places manage to offer residents comparable apartment space, with Burbank apartments averaging 753 square feet. In either of these places, apartments rent for at least $3/sq. ft. and up to $5/sq. ft., much above the national average of $1.94/sq. ft. As for self storage, the service that helps renters better manage their space, rates per square foot can go as low as $1.50 in Lynwood and Norwalk, while Santa Barbara and Santa Monica come with above-average rates, $3.10/sq. ft. and $4.10/sq. ft. respectively. Undersupply relative to population is helping to keep rates higher in these places.

Still on the West Coast, renters in Seattle, WA, and Portland, OR, contend with the challenges of small apartments. You get about 669 square feet in a Seattle apartment, owing in great part to the city welcoming a large share of studios and one-bedrooms. That’s also the case for Portland, where one-bedrooms are hitting the market in larger numbers too. The typical Portland apartment stands at about 712 square feet. It costs about $3.40/sq. ft. to rent an apartment in Seattle, while a Portland apartment costs about $2.50/sq. ft.

NJ cities dominate the East Coast for small apartment sizes

About half of the 50 smallest cities with the smallest apartments are located on the East Coast, with 10 of them concentrated in New Jersey. More than half of them are bedroom communities for New York City and have to contend with higher density, which lends itself to small apartments. In most of these places you’re not likely to enjoy more than 700 square feet. Passaic (645 sq. ft) comes with the smallest apartments, followed by Paterson, with apartments averaging 676 square feet. In Clifton and Union City, apartments average around 690 square feet. Camden (737 sq. ft.) and Bayonne (748 sq. ft.) offer slightly more room, but space is still tight enough to keep that “cramped feel” alive.

Up north on the East Coast, cities in Massachusetts also contend with notoriously small apartments. Factors like zoning regulations and a large stock of historic buildings not designed for high density contribute to this trend. In the Greater Boston area, Lynn apartments average 713 square feet, while in Somerville, renters enjoy just a few more square feet.

With an average of just 721 square feet, New Yorkers don’t get much room in their apartments — but they aren’t alone in facing cramped spaces. In Washington, D.C., apartments are similarly tight, averaging only 742 square feet as the city strives to accommodate an influx of young professionals and students. Apartments rent for about $3.40 per square foot, while a D.C. storage unit rents for $1.80 per square foot, providing a valuable option for those needing extra space.

Chicagoland and Minneapolis put the Midwest on the map for tiny apartments

The Midwest is also getting its fair share of tiny living, with apartments tending to be smaller in nine cities across the region. The Chicago metro area is standing out, with five places where rentals are more modestly sized. Three of them are suburbs, where there are fewer apartments, as single family homes make up most of the housing inventory. Joliet (717 sq. ft.) and Chicago proper (724 sq. ft.) have comparable apartment sizes, while in Evanston you’d get slightly more room, at 742 square feet for the average apartment.

In neighboring Minneapolis, renters are also feeling the squeeze, with apartments sliding to the smaller side. To help make housing more affordable, in the last decade, developers also set their sights on building micro units that have joined the large existing stock of one-bedrooms. Minneapolis apartments average 739 square feet and rent for about $2.20/sq. ft.

Big cities: The West Coast leads in skimpiest apartment living

In America’s largest cities—those with populations over 350,000—apartments fall, on average, short by about the size of a standard bathroom compared to the typical U.S. apartment. Unsurprisingly, the West dominates the list of cities with the smallest rentals, with 19 of the top 50 spots claimed by metros like Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, and Los Angeles, where space is at a premium.

Even Texas, where “everything is bigger,” underdelivers when it comes to apartment sizes. Cities such as El Paso, Arlington, Dallas, Austin, and Houston all report average rental sizes below the national benchmark of 901 square feet.

In fact, space comes at a premium across most major U.S. cities. Only 7 of the nation’s 50 largest urban hubs manage to buck the trend, offering apartments larger than the national average. If you’re unwilling to compromise on space, your best bets lie in the South, with cities like Jacksonville and Tampa in Florida, Charlotte in North Carolina, and Virginia Beach offering roomy rentals well above the average.

Mid-size cities: Coastal Californian cities take the cake for modest apartment living space

Zooming in on mid-size cities with populations between 150K and 350K where apartment living is small-scale, almost half of the top is occupied by western cities. Seventeen of them are from California and are places located in high-density spots along the coast in the Inland Empire, San Francisco, San Diego and LA metro areas. Expect apartment sizes from 780 square feet (Modesto), but no bigger than 851 square feet in Greater LA’s Garden Grove.

Outside of California, Paradise, NV, is another midsize city where apartments come in small sizes, as a result of increased demand for housing as the area experienced a surge of newcomers in the past few years.

Outside of NJ, historical cities with high population density also adopted the cozier pad. That’s the case for Providence, RI — one of the oldest cities in New England, where tiny apartments are coming to answer to the demand for local housing. Other historical cities on the East Coast such as Springfield, MA, Buffalo, NY, and Pittsburgh, PA, are also witnessing more cramped apartment spaces.

Small cities: Greater LA cities get the gold for cramped apartments

For small cities, defined as having populations between 65K and 149K, it’s the West where most cities with small living quarters are located. More specifically, the Greater LA area has 13 cities among the top 50 small cities with the skimpiest apartment sizes.

On the East Coast, a number of cities are also adopting the cozier pad lifestyle, with eight of them located in New Jersey and acting as bedroom communities for New York City. As such, high-density living is one of the factors pushing developers to build smaller to accommodate the existing housing demand. Similarly, in neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut, cities are also faced with the challenges of higher-density living, which ripples into smaller apartments that don’t exceed 800 square feet, on average.

Small-home living offers unique benefits, from encouraging minimalism to lowering utility costs and simplifying daily routines. Yet, as apartment living remains a lasting trend, an airy and uncluttered rental is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. As cities work to enhance the rental experience, the self storage sector is stepping up, offering the extra room needed for belongings that might otherwise crowd the home.

Want to see how your city compares to the rest of the U.S. in terms of living space? Here’s the complete list of 643 cities ranked by average apartment size. We’ve also included information on the existing self storage inventory per person and the price for a 5’x5’ unit that can help you manage your home more effectively.

Methodology

This analysis was done by StorageCafe, an online platform that provides storage unit listings across the nation.

To come up with this report, we analyzed 643 cities with populations between 60K and 8.3M, and we ranked them based on apartment sizes. We also compared apartment sizes in each of three population categories: big cities (350K-plus), midsize cities (150K-350K) and small cities (60K-149K).

Data on self storage comes from Yardi Matrix, StorageCafe’s sister division and a business development and asset management tool for brokers, sponsors, banks and equity sources underwriting investments in the multifamily, office, industrial and self storage sectors.

Fair use and distribution

This study serves as a resource for the general public on issues of common interest and should not be regarded as investment advice. The data is true to the best of our knowledge but may change if amendments to it are made. We agree to the distribution of this content but we do require a mention in return for attribution purposes.