by John Egan
Everything, it seems, is not bigger in Texas.
Among the country’s 15 biggest metro areas, neither Dallas-Fort Worth, TX nor Houston, TX, is home to the largest residential units. Rather, Atlanta, GA, boasts the biggest residential units among the 15 metros.
A review of 2017 data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Housing Survey shows the median size of an occupied residential unit in the Atlanta area — including houses, apartments and mobile homes — is 1,800 square feet. Atlanta edged out Houston, at 1,700 square feet. Tied for third place, with a median size of 1,600 square feet, are Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; and Washington, DC.
Not surprisingly, New York City, NY, has the smallest residential units, with a median square footage of 1,150.
Andrea Morgan, a Realtor with Atlanta Intown Real Estate Services, partly attributes the overall greater size of homes in her region to a relatively low cost of living, enabling people to “afford more house for the money.” She notes that in 2018, she sold a 4,500-square-foot home in the Atlanta suburb of Stone Mountain — complete with a pool and a tennis court — for less than $500,000.
In addition, Morgan says, because Georgia is a business-friendly and homebuilder-friendly state, there aren’t as many development restrictions as there might be in other states.
Another factor propelling bigger homes, she adds, is the Atlanta area’s constantly snarled traffic.
“Once you get home, out of traffic, then you really want your home to be an oasis,” Morgan says, “so adding a man cave, theater room, kids’ play area, home gym, mommy ‘escape nook,’ luxury laundry, mudroom — all those rooms add up to lots of square feet. Throw in outdoor living space, and you need a pretty substantial lot to support your dream-home reality.”
What follows is our rundown of the median square footage of residential units in the biggest metro areas in the U.S., according to 2017 estimates from the American Housing Survey.
1. Atlanta, GA
Median square footage: 1,800
Median property value: $215,100
Estimated cost per sq ft: $119.50
2. Houston, TX
Median square footage: 1,700
Median property value: $192,900
Estimated cost per sq ft: $113.47
3 (tie). Philadelphia, PA
Median square footage: 1,600
Median property value: $250,900
Estimated cost per sq ft: $156.81
3 (tie). Phoenix, AZ
Median square footage: 1,600
Median property value: $246,900
Estimated cost per sq ft: $154.31
3 (tie). Washington, DC
Median square footage: 1,600
Median property value: $424,600
Estimated cost per sq ft: $265.38
6. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Median square footage: 1,586
Median property value: $214,900
Estimated cost per sq ft: $135.50
7 (tie). Riverside-San Bernardino, CA
Median square footage: 1,500
Median property value: $342,300
Estimated cost per sq ft: $228.20
7 (tie). Seattle, WA
Median square footage: 1,500
Median property value: $439,800
Estimated cost per sq ft: $293.20
9. Boston, MA
Median square footage: 1,475
Median property value: $441,400
Estimated cost per sq ft: $299.25
10 (tie). Chicago, IL
Median square footage: 1,400
Median property value: $240,300
Estimated cost per sq ft: $171.64
10 (tie). Detroit, MI
Median square footage: 1,400
Median property value: $171,600
Estimated cost per sq ft: $122.57
12. Miami, FL
Median square footage: 1,369
Median property value: $278,700
Estimated cost per sq ft: $203.58
13 (tie). Los Angeles, CA
Median square footage: 1,250
Median property value: $617,100
Estimated cost per sq ft: $493.68
13 (tie). San Francisco, CA
Median square footage: 1,250
Median property value: $849,500
Estimated cost per sq ft: $679.60
15. New York City, NY
Median square footage: 1,150
Median property value: $440,900
Estimated cost per sq ft: $383.39
Author Bio: John Egan is a freelance writer who covers everything from personal finance to lawn care. His masterful work has been featured in The Huffington Post, Forbes, and The Guardian.
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