Apartments Shrinking – Here’s How Pa. Measures Up

Apartment sizes have been shrinking over the last decade, with the average apartment size across all existing inventory at 901 square feet, according to StorageCafe 

In 2022, sizes hit a record low, with the average apartment measuring only 892 square feet. Since then, they’ve inched a bit higher, but sizes remain below historical levels – especially compared to 2018 when the average size of a new unit was 928 square feet. 

Factors contributing to shrinking apartment sizes include: 

• Rising construction costs – Construction costs nearly doubled from 2014 to 2024, reaching $2 billion. 
• Amenity-rich living – More apartment complexes are including shared spaces, eliminating the need for extra space per unit. 
• Rise of coworking – Shared office buildings grew 32% from 2022 to 2024, and 7.5% of U.S. cities now feature coworking spaces as perks in residential communities. 
• Self storage boom – The self storage industry continues to see success, with more people choosing self storage to keep their belongings out of their homes. 
• Minimalism’s popularity – Minimalism and downsizing have trended in recent years, especially in urban, high-cost areas, reducing the need for more space. 

In Pennsylvania, StorageCafe reports the average apartment size is 882 square feet. This is the 22nd largest nationwide, with neighboring states to the west and south seeing similar measurements. However, apartment sizes in New Jersey and New York are significantly smaller – 861 and 833 square feet, respectively. 

Across the commonwealth, the largest cities’ apartments measured: 

• Scranton: 756 square feet 
• Philadelphia: 771 square feet 
• Pittsburgh: 790 square feet 
• Allentown: 825 square feet 
• Reading: 838 square feet 
• Bethlehem: 863 square feet 

Nationwide, Alaska was the state with smallest average apartment size (702 square feet), while Mississippi had the largest (1,008 square feet). By city, Honolulu’s average apartment measured 610 square feet, and the average in Buckeye, Arizona, measured 1,409 square feet.