How Single-Family Home Sizes Have Shifted
According to first quarter 2022 data from the Census Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design and NAHB analysis, median single-family square floor area inched down to 2,310 square feet. Average (mean) square footage for new single-family homes decreased to 2,512.
An expected impact of the virus crisis is a need for more residential space, as people use homes for more purposes, including work.
Since the Great Recession lows (and on a one-year moving average basis), the average size of new single-family homes is now 6.3% higher at 2,537 square feet, while the median size is 10% higher at 2,318 square feet.
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz provides a forecast for changes in home sizes in this Eye on Housing post.
Latest from NAHBNow
Nov 28, 2025
Keep Workers Safe and Warm on Winter JobsitesWith Fall set in across the country and winter rapidly approaching, it is important to know the dangers of cold stress and the best ways to stay safe and warm on your jobsites.
Nov 26, 2025
The No. 1 Factor Driving Home ValuesSquare footage, curb appeal and bedroom count only tell part of the story when it comes to the value of a single-family home. Arguably, the biggest factor is where the home is located.
Latest Economic News
Nov 26, 2025
Property Taxes by State – 2024Nationally, across the 87 million owner-occupied homes in the U.S., the average amount of annual real estate taxes paid in 2024 was $4,271, according to NAHB analysis of the 2024 American Community Survey.
Nov 25, 2025
Share of New Homes with Decks Edges LowerThe share of new homes with decks edged down from 17.6% in 2023 to a new all-time low of 17.4% in 2024, according to NAHB tabulation of data from the HUD/Census Bureau Survey of Construction (SOC).
Nov 25, 2025
Building Material Prices Continued to Rise in SeptemberAggregate residential building material prices rose at their fastest pace since January 2023 in the latest Producer Price Index release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Input energy prices increased for the first time in over a year, while service price growth remained lower than goods.