MultifamilyReal Estate

Smallest average apartment units aren’t where you might guess

New York makes the list, but doesn’t top it

Despite almost every pop culture New York apartment appearing massive, the overwhelming stereotype for the average Big Apple apartment is often more akin to a closet.

And with good reason: According to a recent study by Apartmentguide.com, the smallest studio apartments in New York average a mere 444 square feet. 

However, that doesn’t put the city first on the list for the smallest studio apartments in the nation. In fact, it doesn’t even break into the top five, according to the study.

In order to come up with a list of the smallest studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments in the U.S., Apartmentguide.com looked at the 100 most populated cities.

For studio apartments, Ferrelview, Missouri topped the list, with its smallest units averaging 342 square feet. At the time of the study, the rent for these small units came in at $445. Next on the list were Shreveport, Louisiana (354 square feet); Tucson, Arizona (397 square feet); Albuquerque, New Mexico (422 square feet); and Grand Rapids, Michigan (444 square feet). 

Coming in at No. 6, New York matches Grand Rapids’ square footage, but was pushed down a spot due to the units’ triple in price. A Grand Rapids’ studio of that size would run at a little over $1,000 per month, whereas the New York studio was a staggering $3,424. The only city on the list of 50 that topped those prices was San Francisco at $3,837, but that would get a renter 553 square feet of space. 

Topping the list again for single bedroom units, Ferrelview average square footage per unit came in at 588 for only $571. The second-smallest units come at a much higher price: In Brooklyn, New York, a 593 square feet unit will have renters shelling out $3,115. 

Also in the top five were Metairie, Louisiana (601 square feet); Texarkana, Arkansas (605 square feet); and Bentonville, Arkansas (616 square feet). 

Living small in Ferrelview seems to be restricted to units with one bedroom or less, as the city didn’t even make the top 50 for smallest two-bedroom units.

Instead, Essex, Maryland leads the nation with an average two-bedroom unit size of 758 square feet, priced at $1,065. Adding on fewer than 50 square feet yet almost sextupling the price, New York units earned runner up. The smallest average two-bedroom featured 805 square feet of space for $6,013.

The following three on the list include Euclid, Ohio (850 square feet), Morganfield, Kentucky (850 square feet); and Pullman, Washington (852 square feet).

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