This Is the Average Home Size in Every State
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If you’re wondering how big the houses in your state are compared with houses in the other 49, this quick look will let you size up your neighbors.
Just Getting Bigger
Since 1910, home size in the United States has been expanding, by an average of 74 percent nationwide. State by state, however, the picture varies quite a bit. In some congested urban areas, homes are shrinking, while new developments in the South and West are gobbling up land and square footage. So how does your home state stack up? We’ve compiled data from Inman and Realtor.com, and then tossed in a few regional insights, to get a better idea of how big the average American home in each of the 50 states really is.
Alabama
While the average size of the American home has been increasing for decades, regional trends around the nation are also worth tracking. For instance, at 1,800 square feet, the average home size in Alabama puts that state among the top 20 in terms of home size, according to a Realtor.com ranking. The economy in many Southern states has been growing steadily, so it’s not surprising to see home sizes growing apace.
Alaska
Based on 2019 data, Alaskan homes average 1,789 square feet. In Anchorage, homes are a bit larger, at 1,888 square feet. Although Alaska has the lowest population density of any state in the union, home sizes are influenced by a number of factors, including the state’s relatively high cost of living and the expense of heating the great indoors in a frigid climate.
Arizona
Depending on whom you ask, the average home size in Arizona is somewhere between 1,763 and 1,879 square feet. While you may not get as many square feet for your money as you might in neighboring Texas, expectations for a thriving real estate market in Arizona are high, thanks to a growing economy and business-friendly practices.
Arkansas
The average home size in Arkansas is an economical 1,792 square feet, and the housing market itself is small, representing only 1 percent of home addresses in the United States. The state may be a good place for a starter home, though: Home values in Arkansas trend 46 percent below the national median.
California
Average home size in California varies widely, depending on the city. For instance, San Diego boasts homes that average 2,417 square feet, while San Francisco’s are much smaller, at 1,150 square feet. According to data from Realtor.com, the average home in the state hovers around 1,625 square feet, and market analysts predict that house sizes will rise steadily.
Colorado
Near the top of the crop, Colorado has an average house size of 2,126 square feet, among the largest in the nation. From 1910 to 2020, the size of the average home in Colorado grew 67 percent. Several factors have contributed to the trend toward bigger homes across the nation, the foremost of which may be 20th century government policies that fueled the growth of suburbs.
Connecticut
As is often the case with older properties in the Northeast, homes in Connecticut tend to be smaller, particularly in comparison with newer builds in the South and West. That said, average home size in the state is 1,804 square feet, which is above the U.S. average.
Delaware
At 1,800 square feet, the average home size in Delaware is above the national average and relatively large for the East Coast. According to Neighborhood Scout, the highest appreciating cities in the state are the vacation paradises of Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, and Fenwick Island. As of 2019, market analysts deemed the state a seller’s market, although large, high-end homes were selling more slowly.
Florida
The average size of a house in Florida is about 1,694 square feet or less, depending on your source. While this is somewhat lower than the national average of roughly 1,760 square feet, Florida remains a popular real estate market. This year is set to be a seller’s market in Florida, as the number of active listings isn’t keeping up with demand, according to Mashvisor.
Related: 15 Cities Where You Get the Most Bang for Your Real Estate Buck
Georgia
One of the top 10 states for big houses, Georgia’s average home is 1,963 square feet. Your hard-earned money will stretch further in Georgia, because home prices and the cost of living are lower than in other states. For instance, the median house price in Georgia is $186,500, compared with $231,200 nationally.
Hawaii
Perhaps not surprising for a notoriously expensive paradise with limited land, Hawaii comes in dead last in the nation in terms of house size. The average home size of 1,309 square feet may seem tiny, particularly when compared with the average size of new construction nationwide, which is 2,500 square feet and rising, but the beautiful climate and stunning surroundings no doubt compensate for the lack of space. Be prepared to spend a pretty penny, though: Median home costs in Hawaii are upwards of $600,000.
Idaho
In Idaho, potatoes aren’t the only things that are big: The average house is 1,932 square feet, which puts the state in the top 10 for home size in the nation. Why this penchant for bigger homes? Higher incomes and better credit scores have something to do with it, explains Randy Gridley of Idaho’s Silvercreek Realty Group.
Illinois
Keeping up with the Joneses is a real phenomenon in the United States, and that principle may be part of what’s pushing up home sizes nationwide. In Illinois, the average home size is a moderate (by U.S. standards) 1,632 square feet, although new builds are much larger. That said, size alone may not be the primary driver: “For most buyers, the conversation isn’t about square footage. It’s about their room needs,” reports Mary Ellen Podmolik in the Chicago Tribune.
Indiana
With an overall positive outlook for Indiana’s housing market in 2020, there is strong buyer demand—and decreasing supply. Average home size in this state is 1,742 square feet, and house prices continue to surge thanks to a seller’s market. The amount of residential construction is relatively low in Indiana, however, and analysts warn that more affordable family-size homes need to be built.
Iowa
Houses in Iowa average 1,550 square feet, although that relatively low figure may soon be climbing. In Des Moines, the state capital, new zoning laws make it harder to build small houses (less than 1,100 square feet), and easier to build family homes upwards of 1,800 square feet. With the average home in the state capital at a low 1,253 square feet, the new laws aim to protect and increase property prices, and provide larger homes for families.
Related: The Cost of 2,000 Square Feet in America’s Cheapest Cities
Kansas
Kansas homes are pretty close to the national average, coming in at 1,782 square feet for a three-bedroom home. In the Kansas City metro area’s fast-paced real estate market, homes are selling fast—faster than in Dallas, Denver, and Nashville, according to the Kansas City Star. As is the case in many states, high demand and low inventory are driving up housing prices and creating a seller’s market in Kansas.
Kentucky
As of 2017, the average size of a new home in some parts of Kentucky was decreasing, bucking the national trend. Statewide, the average house size of 1,750 square feet is also a bit lower than the national average. As in much of the United States, affordable housing and new construction is not keeping pace with demand in Kentucky. But there may be other factors at work holding average sizes down: “We know that as more and more Baby Boomers retire, they are downsizing their housing accommodations,” notes Tre Pryor of Louisville Home Trends. “This will greatly affect [house size] numbers.”
Related: These are the Best States for Life After Retirement
Louisiana
The average home in Louisiana is a midsize 1,786 square feet, and the real estate market isn’t particularly competitive, which should work to hold down both home sizes and prices. Houses can take more than 100 days to sell and may go for 9 percent less than advertised. That said, new home construction continues to grow in the state, especially in larger cities like Baton Rouge. If you are looking to buy, Louisiana offers affordable options. For example, a 2,500-square-foot home went for an average price of $232,500 in 2019.
Related: Realtors Expect These Neighborhoods to Sell Big in 2020
Maine
Slightly smaller than average, the typical home in Maine is 1,663 square feet, which mirrors sizes in many Northeastern states. Maine’s residents are embracing a trend toward smaller houses in general, in an effort to save electricity and help the planet. The state’s housing market had been going strong until recently, when the global coronavirus pandemic hit the real estate market hard, leaving cancelled open houses and wary buyers in its wake.
Maryland
Homeowners in the Maryland area like a little more space, as evidenced by the average home size of 1,920 square feet. If you have $300,000 to spend on a home, you’ll probably have to settle for something slightly smaller—maybe around 1,820 square feet. But that smaller house would still seem massive in comparison with the average post-WWII suburban home, which came in at 850 square feet.
Massachusetts
With an average size of 1,744 square feet, houses in Massachusetts reflect the Northeastern tendency toward smaller, older houses. While average home sizes have increased 11 percent in Boston since 1910, the city’s population density and limited land have led to its having the smallest homes in the nation.
Michigan
Reports from West Michigan back in 2015 indicate a definite preference for big homes—upwards of 2,000 square feet. This is evidence that, although the average home size in the state is a meager 1,530 square feet, families are looking for more expansive “forever homes,” places where they can put down roots for decades, if not generations.
Minnesota
When the housing bubble burst during the Great Recession of 2008, big houses lost ground to smaller, more affordable units. But by 2014, big was back. Minnesota is part of this trend toward larger homes, with current home sizes averaging 1,828 square feet. “There are people who don’t want really huge houses, but the reality is everybody wants a lot in their home, so they tend to creep up in size,” says Teresa St. Amant, a Twin Cities architectural designer.
Mississippi
Mississippi homes tend to be large—1,879 square feet on average—and relatively inexpensive, giving good value to home buyers. Are you looking for a house of 3,400 or more square feet? In Mississippi, that would set you back about $300,000. Compare this with Hawaii, where $300,000 will get you only 625 square feet.
Missouri
