Average Apartment Size
The average apartment size in the US is 909 square feet, and the average rented apartment is 872, according to the Energy Information Administration's 2024 survey of apartment units. New rental apartments finished in 2025 had a median of 1,000 square feet (Census Bureau).
To see how a unit you're viewing compares, add up its rooms here.
Average apartment size by bedrooms
Each bedroom adds roughly 140 to 275 square feet: a 2 bedroom averages 1,005, about 70 percent more than a 593 square foot studio.
These are averages for every primary occupied unit in an apartment building of two or more units, rented or owned, and the sizes are what households reported. In square meters, that's about 55, 68, 93 and 115; the square feet to square meters converter does exact figures.
How that space splits into rooms is in average bedroom size and standard room sizes.
New apartments vs older ones
Apartments built from 2020 to 2024 average 989 square feet, against 828 for those built before 1950, though size peaked at 1,013 for units built in the 2000s (EIA).
Of the 484,000 multifamily units completed in 2025, 42 percent had one bedroom and 10 percent had three or more (Census Bureau).
Why other sites quote different averages: EIA's survey counts every occupied apartment, old and new, so it won't match an average built from current listings. Check who measured and what they counted, the same issue how square footage is measured covers for houses.
Apartments compared to houses
The average apartment is about 39 percent of the size of the average detached house, which is 2,313 square feet (EIA).
Bedroom for bedroom the gap shrinks: a 3 bedroom apartment at 1,240 square feet is about two thirds of the 1,914 square foot average for all 3 bedroom homes. Average square footage of a house has the house side.
What a listed size may include
A listed apartment size doesn't say how it was measured, so check these before comparing two units.
Balconies, decks and porches aren't living area under the North Carolina Real Estate Commission's guidelines. See what counts as square footage.
Fannie Mae has appraisers measure condo units in apartment buildings along the interior walls, not by the ANSI Z765 house standard. See gross vs net square footage.
A leasing floor plan describes a unit type. Measure the unit you would actually rent.
Divide rent by area to compare units of different sizes, using the price per square foot calculator. The US average is about $2.08 a month, per our price per square foot statistics.
Rent per sq ft = monthly rent ÷ square feet
Example: a 731 square foot 1 bedroom at $1,600 a month costs $2.19 per square foot. A 1,005 square foot 2 bedroom at $1,800 costs $1.79, so the bigger unit is the better deal per foot.
Measuring your apartment
Add up every room's length times width, closets and hallways included, and keep the balcony separate.
- Measure wall to wall in each room, closet and hallway, in feet and inches.
- Split odd shapes into rectangles; an L-shaped living area is two. Use the irregular shape calculator for curves or cut corners.
- Enter each area in the room calculator, which totals them in square feet, square yards and square meters.
- Note the balcony on its own line so it doesn't inflate your rent per square foot.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average apartment size in the US?
About 909 square feet across all occupied apartment units, per EIA's 2024 survey. Rented apartments average 872 square feet.
What is the average studio apartment size?
A studio averages 593 square feet, about 55 square meters. That's the EIA average for occupied apartment units with no separate bedroom.
How many square feet is a 1 bedroom apartment?
The average 1 bedroom apartment is 731 square feet, about 68 square meters.
How many square feet is a 2 bedroom apartment?
About 1,005 square feet on average, roughly 274 more than a 1 bedroom.
Are new apartments bigger than old ones?
Yes. Apartments built from 2020 to 2024 average 989 square feet against 828 for those built before 1950, and new rental units completed in 2025 had a median of 1,000.
Does an apartment's square footage include the balcony?
It shouldn't be counted as living area, but listings vary, so ask. Real estate measuring guidelines leave balconies, decks and porches out.