The average apartment size was 887 square feet in 2022 — a whole 54 square feet less than a decade ago and 30 square feet less than in 2021 — according to a new analysis of Yardi Matrix data by RentCafe. 

"Notably, last year's decrease comes after the two pandemic years, 2020 and 2021, when the average size of new apartments actually increased. Once again, this confirmed the developers' quick response to the need for more space during the pandemic, as they adjusted floorplans in order to accommodate large enough configurations to fit a home office," RentCafe analyst Adina Dragos writes. "Yet, 2022 presented a different story: With one of the highest levels of construction in half a century, the year was marked by the need for more housing all across the country. As such, more studios and one-bedroom apartments were finished in 2022 than ever before."

Geography matters, of course: in the South, renters had an extra 106 square feet compared to the national average last year, while those in the Pacific Northwest had the least amount of space at 776 square feet — 111 less than the average. In California, renters have an average of 876 square feet.