Portland, Seattle have smallest apartments in the U.S., and they’re getting smaller

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland and Seattle residents live in the smallest apartments in the country, according to a new report by the apartment listing service RentCafe.

Comparing the square footage of apartments built between 2014 and 2023 in 100 U.S. cities, RentCafe determined that Seattle and Portland rank 1st and 2nd, respectively, for the smallest unit sizes in the U.S. The average size of a new apartment is 661 square feet in Seattle and 685 square feet in Portland, the report states.

“Seattle and Portland had the most crammed rentals among the 100 locations we analyzed,” the report reads.

While New York City is better known for its cramped apartment spaces, Portland and Seattle’s units are smaller than those of any New York Borough, including Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

In the last 10 years, Portland apartments have shrunk by 54 square feet on average, ranking 6th in the U.S. for the largest decrease in apartment size. Seattle ranked 12th with an average change of 25 square feet per unit. Other major cities, meanwhile, have seen an increase in apartment space in recent years.

"A surprising trend is emerging from the country's largest urban hubs: The average size of a rental in big cities like Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Boston; Los Angeles; Chicago; and even Manhattan, NY, is inching up," the report states. "In this case, Chicago and San Francisco stood out with some of the largest gains in floor space — 97 and 73 square feet, respectively.”

Based on apartments currently under construction, Portland and Seattle’s tiny apartments are expected to get even smaller. The average apartment that was still under construction in Portland in 2023 was 606 square feet, RentCafe says. Seattle’s average, meanwhile, is a minuscule 430 square feet, nearly tying San Jose, Calif. for the smallest apartments being built in the U.S.

“The average size of units underway in Seattle and San Jose is below 450 square feet, while Angelenos will soon have a fresh stock of small rentals averaging 553 square feet,” the report reads. “Philadelphia and Portland were next on our list, building apartments that span around 600 square feet.”

The top five cities with the largest apartments in the U.S. include Gainesville and Tallahassee. Fla., Baton Rouge, La., Knoxville, Tenn. and Marietta, Ga., according to the report. The cities with the smallest apartment sizes include Seattle, Portland, Queens, Brooklyn and Detroit.