As the average size of new apartments are continuing to expand nationwide, some cities such as Philadelphia are an exception.
Philadelphia has the 10th smallest average new apartment size in the nation, according to a new report by RentCafe.
The report found that new Philadelphia apartments are an average of 759-square-feet, which is significantly lower than the national average of 908 square feet.
Philly’s average new apartment size is an 11 percent and 92 square feet decrease from 10 years ago.
The report credits the growing popularity of smaller units, combined with a decline of larger apartment construction as some of the contributing factors to this dynamic.
The city with the smallest average new apartment size is Seattle, Washington, with an average of 649 square feet. Nearby Brooklyn and Manhattan, New York, also made the top 10 list for smallest average new apartment size at fourth and seventh, respectively.
In contrast, Tallahassee, Florida, has the nation’s largest average new apartment size at 1,130 square feet, followed closely by Gainesville, Florida, at 1,122 square feet.
Curious how Philly compares to other major cities—and why developers are building smaller? Click through to read the full breakdown on RentCafe.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on PHILADELPHIA Today in April 2025.
