Cleveland bucks national trend as new apartments get bigger
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The average size of newly built apartments in Cleveland has grown 7% over the past decade, according to a report by RentCafe, an apartment-search website.
Why it matters: Cleveland is an outlier both regionally and nationally, with most markets experiencing significant shrinkage.
By the numbers: Apartments built in Cleveland between 2015 and 2024 averaged 837 square feet, per the report.
- That puts us 72nd out of the 100 cities analyzed in overall size.
- But we rank third in growth from the previous decade, with a gain of 57 square feet.
Driving the news: In many cities where apartments are downsizing, developers are prioritizing smaller floor plans, RentCafe found.
The other side: In Cleveland, as in other growing markets, developers have built slightly larger one-bedroom units and brought more two- and three-bedroom apartments online.
The big picture: Though new apartments shrank decade-over-decade nationwide, more recent trends point to growth.
- New apartments averaged 908 square feet in 2024 compared to 891 in 2022.
What we're watching: The recent uptick in U.S. apartment size coincided with a building boom that has since cooled.