LendingTree Reveals the Cities with the Biggest Houses in America

Released  October 2, 2018
By Megan Greuling
https://www.lendingtree.com/2018/10/cities-with-the-biggest-houses-in-america/

CHARLOTTE, N.C., October 2, 2018 – LendingTree®, the nation’s leading online loan marketplace, today released its study on the cities with the biggest houses in America, ranking U.S. cities by home size.

To assess the median home size, analysts used LendingTree’s proprietary database of almost all homes in the U.S. to calculate median home sizes for single-family homes for the largest 45 cities in the country. They also calculated median value to get a cost per square foot and reveal where homeowners get the most bang for their buck, at least in terms of living space.

“The Census Bureau reports that the median size of new homes completed in the second quarter was 2,412 square feet,” said Tendayi Kapfidze, Chief Economist at LendingTree. “Home sizes have leveled off the past few years from a peak of 2,488 square feet in the third quarter of 2015, though homes sizes are generally larger today than they were for previous generations. Because only a small proportion of the housing stock is new each year, the median size of all homes is lower given a median house age of 37 years.”
 
Key findings

  • Everything is bigger in Texas. Houston leads the list, with Austin and Dallas also in the top five. Besides having a lot of space, Texas has been adding new residents at a steady pace, with the nation’s largest annual population growth between 2010 and 2016. More new homes means larger homes. 
  • South equals size. Other Southern cities dominate the top 10, with Atlanta, known for its sprawl, at No. 2.
  • Money talks. The Washington, D.C., area, whose suburbs include the three wealthiest counties in the country, comes in third. Boston, another wealthy city, ranks No. 9.  
  • Show me? The Midwest lives up to its unpretentious reputation by having the most cities with the smallest houses. Missouri’s Show Me State nickname clearly does not refer to houses, with its two largest cities both in the bottom 10.
  • Older is smaller. Cities with older housing stock have smaller houses, including Detroit at No. 45 on the list.

 
Cities with the biggest houses in America:

No. 1: Houston
Median size: 1,952 square feet
Median value: $196,000
Cost per square foot: $100

No. 2: Atlanta
Median size: 1,914 square feet
Median value: $196,000
Cost per square foot: $102

No. 3: Washington
Median size: 1,908 square feet
Median value: $446,000
Cost per square foot: $228
 
Cities with the smallest houses in America:

No. 43: Milwaukee
Median size: 1,388 square feet
Median value: $175,000
Cost per square foot: $130

No. 44: Minneapolis
Median size: 1,360 square feet
Median value: $273,000
Cost per square foot: $200

No. 45: Detroit
Median size: 1,333 square feet
Median value: $140,000
Cost per square foot: $108

To view the full report, visit: https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/cities-with-the-biggest-houses-in-america/.

 

Top 45 Cities Ranked by Median Single-Family House Size
Rank Metro  Median Size (Sq.ft)  Median Estimated  Price  Median Price (per sq.ft)
1 Houston                    1,952                 196,000                 102
2 Atlanta                    1,914                 196,000                 102
3 Washington                    1,908                 446,000                 228
4 Dallas                    1,862                 217,000                 117
5 Austin, Texas                    1,861                 283,000                 150
6 Las Vegas                    1,835                 262,000                 143
7 Phoenix                    1,832                 255,000                 144
8 Raleigh, N.C.                    1,795                 215,000                 120
9 Boston                    1,767                 457,000                 262
10 Orlando, Fla.                    1,758                 228,000                 130
11 San Diego                    1,744                 602,000                 348
12 Nashville, Tenn.                    1,731                 236,000                 138
13 Philadelphia                    1,728                 244,000                 142
14 Charlotte, N.C.                    1,722                 188,000                 108
15 Richmond, Va.                    1,716                 224,000                 130
16 Miami                    1,711                 326,000                 185
17 San Jose, Calif.                    1,711             1,185,000                 678
18 Virginia Beach, Va.                    1,708                 227,000                 134
19 New York                    1,704                 427,000                 240
20 San Antonio                    1,694                 189,000                 108
21 Riverside, Calif.                    1,683                 338,000                 193
22 Denver                    1,675                 411,000                 251
23 Indianapolis                    1,674                 132,000                   80
24 Memphis, Tenn.                    1,673                 127,000                   75
25 Jacksonville, Fla.                    1,670                 183,000                 109
26 Sacramento, Calif.                    1,661                 393,000                 229
27 San Francisco                    1,650                 923,000                 548
28 Seattle                    1,650                 477,000                 280
29 Los Angeles                    1,618                 647,000                 400
30 Portland, Ore.                    1,617                 386,000                 232
31 Cincinnati                    1,606                 166,000                 106
32 Oklahoma City                    1,576                 141,000                   90
33 Columbus, Ohio                    1,572                 183,000                 116
34 Tampa, Fla.                    1,545                 202,000                 129
35 Chicago                    1,517                 232,000                 144
36 Cleveland                    1,513                 138,000                   94
37 Baltimore                    1,504                 300,000                 188
38 Louisville, Ky.                    1,482                 157,000                 111
39 Providence, R.I.                    1,456                 283,000                 195
40 Pittsburgh                    1,452                 147,000                 107
41 Kansas City, Mo.                    1,428                 171,000                 119
42 St.Louis                    1,404                 165,000                 118
43 Milwaukee                    1,388                 175,000                 130
44 Minneapolis                    1,360                 273,000                 200
45 Detroit                    1,333                 140,000                 108

 
 
About LendingTree
LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE) is the nation's leading online marketplace that connects consumers with the choices they need to be confident in their financial decisions. LendingTree empowers consumers to shop for financial services the same way they would shop for airline tickets or hotel stays, comparing multiple offers from a nationwide network of over 500 partners in one simple search, and can choose the option that best fits their financial needs. Services include mortgage loans, mortgage refinances, auto loans, personal loans, business loans, student refinances, credit cards and more. Through the My LendingTree platform, consumers receive free credit scores, credit monitoring and recommendations to improve credit health. My LendingTree proactively compares consumers' credit accounts against offers on our network, and notifies consumers when there is an opportunity to save money. In short, LendingTree's purpose is to help simplify financial decisions for life's meaningful moments through choice, education and support. LendingTree, LLC is a subsidiary of LendingTree, Inc. For more information, go to www.lendingtree.com, dial 800-555-TREE, like our Facebook page and/or follow us on Twitter @LendingTree.