As Apartment Sizes Grow, Where are Renters Gaining the Most Space?

Apartment sizes are getting bigger, according to new research by RentCafe that noted apartment sizes increased in 2025 compared to the previous year.

RentCafe said that floor plans currently average 910 square feet nationwide with every unit type having gained additional living space. As apartment sizes expand, RentCafe said, much of that growth is concentrated in Southern markets, where larger floor plans remain a defining feature.

Here are a few takeaways from RentCafe’s report:

• The typical size of apartments in 2025 increased by 13 square feet, reaching 910 square feet.
• All apartment types gained additional square footage with three-bedroom apartments seeing the largest year-over-year increase at 28 square feet.
• Tallahassee, Florida, is home to the largest apartments in the nation, averaging 1,156 square feet.
• Seattle, Washington, has the smallest apartments in the U.S., down 47 square feet compared to 10 years ago.
• Apartments in major cities such as San Francisco and Queens, New York, gained square footage, adding 35 and 16 square feet in 10 years, respectively.
• Among the cities with the most notable increases, Frisco, Texas, and St. Petersburg, Florida, are the biggest standouts: The average apartment in both cities is now 55 square feet larger than it was a decade ago. Meanwhile, RentCafe noted that Tallahassee and Gainesville, Florida, offer some of the nation’s largest apartments, while Seattle and Portland, Oregon, remain home to the smallest.

RentCafe.com said that to determine which cities have seen the biggest changes in rental size during the last decade, it examined the size of apartments across the 100 largest cities in the nation. RentCafe.com looked at the markets with the largest and smallest apartments, as well as those that experienced the most significant changes in square footage since 2016.

More Breathing Room

RentCafe.com said that renters searching for apartments this rental season are more likely to find a place with a bit more breathing room as all units have become larger overall. For example, RentCafe.com said that studio apartments gained six square feet to now average 460 square feet, whereas one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments average 735 and 1,095 square feet, respectively.

RentCafe.com said the most notable increase occurred among three-bedrooms: These units gained 28 square feet year-over-year — the equivalent of a small balcony — and now average 1,355 square feet, which further pushes the national average higher.

Several factors likely contribute to the nationwide increase in average apartment size, RentCafe.com said. First, with new apartments entering the market, developers are offering more square footage to stand out and attract renters.

Meanwhile, more people are moving toward Southern markets — where land is more affordable and apartments tend to be larger.

RentCafe.com noted that the increase suggests that demand for larger living spaces remains strong, especially among renters seeking flexibility for family life, remote work or evolving household needs.

Three Florida cities rank among the top five for largest apartment size, with Tallahassee and Gainesville taking the top spots.

Tallahassee Tops the List

In Tallahassee, new apartments average 1,156 square feet. Although floor plans shrank by 27 square feet compared to 10 years ago — roughly the size of a typical walk-in closet — you’ll still find more living space in Tallahassee than in any other city.

Gainesville ranks second, with units averaging 1,126 square feet — an increase of 29 square feet compared to a decade ago. Then, Baton Rouge, LA, comes in third with new units averaging 1,042 square feet. Apartment sizes there increased by 11 square feet.

In fourth place is Knoxville, Tennessee, where apartments average 1,032 square feet despite shrinking by 44 square feet since 2016. RentCafe said that two- and three-bedrooms make up most of what’s available, keeping overall sizes on the larger side despite the decrease in square footage.

Finally, Fort Myers, FL, takes the fifth spot, also averaging 1,032 square feet. In Fort Myers, the typical apartment size decreased by 13 square feet, which is about the size of a linen closet.

Although apartment sizes have increased across the country since 2016, not all cities have benefited from larger floor plans, RentCafe noted. For example, Seattle now has the smallest new apartments in the nation, averaging 645 square feet after losing 47 square feet.

That reflects the trend of more studios and one-bedrooms being built in recent years, RentCafe said.