Austin apartments remain on the small side

Austin's apartments remain the smallest in Texas, despite their average size increasing over the last decade.

Why it matters: Developers nationwide are catering to people who want more space while they postpone house purchases or work from home , according to a recent report from rental listing website RentCafe.

By the numbers: The average size of an Austin apartment built between 2014 and 2023 is 883 square feet, per RentCafe.

• That's 29 square feet more than those built prior to 2014 — or enough room to add a full-sized bed to your apartment.

Yes, but: Apartments under construction in Austin will be smaller than what's available now, at an average of 825 square feet.

• Compared with other Texas cities, Austin's apartments already offer the least space.
• Topping the state ranking is Lubbock with new apartments averaging 1,037 square feet. Close behind are Corpus Christi (992 square feet), Houston (922 square feet) and Plano (919 square feet), per RentCafe.

Zoom out: Nationally, apartment sizes shrank in 2022 to the smallest on average since at least 2014, according to the report.

• The downsizing came as strong rental demand spurred developers to pack more units into buildings, researchers say.

Zoom in: The price of one-bedroom units in Austin grew to $1,570 in May, while two-bedroom units averaged $2,010, or about a 4.7% year-over-year increase, per the rental platform Zumper .