New Pittsburgh apartments are much smaller
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New apartments in Pittsburgh are 12% smaller than they were in the last decade, RentCafe found.
Why it matters: The size of apartments has shrunk in most of the 100 U.S. cities researchers analyzed, squeezing many renters who already pay steep prices.
- Pittsburgh's apartment size decrease was one of the 10 largest in the U.S.
By the numbers: Newer apartments in Pittsburgh — those built between 2015 and 2024 — averaged 820 square feet, per the report.
- That's a drop of 116 square feet compared with the previous decade (2005-2014), and the 22nd smallest apartment size in the nation among the cities analyzed.
Zoom in: Over two-thirds of apartments built in Pittsburgh in the last decade have been studios or one-bedrooms, according to the RentCafe analysis. That's up from 57% a decade ago.
- This points to a trend of solo living or rising demand for rentals in desirable and walkable areas, like the Strip District — even if it means sacrificing space, said the report.
Yes, but: Though apartments are getting smaller, rents in Pittsburgh are still cheaper than average per square feet.
- The city's median rent per square foot was $1.65, which is below the national median of $1.81.
Zoom out: Nationally, new apartments shrank decade-over-decade but grew slightly larger in recent years — averaging 908 square feet in 2024 compared to 891 in 2022, according to the report.