New single-family home size has been generally falling since 2015 as a response to declining affordability conditions. An exception occurred when new home size increased in 2021 as interest rates reached historic lows. However, as interest rates increased in 2022 and 2023, and housing affordability worsened, the demand for home size has trended lower.
According to third quarter 2025 data from the Census Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design and NAHB analysis, median single-family square floor area was 2,176 square feet, a decline from the start of the year. Average (mean) square footage for new single-family homes registered at 2,405 square feet.
On a one-year moving average basis, the average size of a new single-family home was flat at 2,397 square feet, while the median size increased to 2,169 square feet.
The year 2026 could see a leveling off of home size trends as mortgage interest rates approach 6% on a sustained basis.