When people think of cities with undersized (and often overpriced) apartments, places such as New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle are at the top of the list. However an analysis released by Apartment Guide on Monday reveals the tiny apartment trend has moved far beyond the coasts.
The analysis, which looked at data from 100 of the most populated cities with at least 20 units available on Apartment Guide’s site, revealed that many of the nation’s smallest studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments are in cities across the Midwest and South.
The typical studio apartment layout | Photo credit: Apartment List
For the studio apartment category, you’ll find the smallest studios in Ferrelview, Missouri; Shreveport, Louisiana; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Tucson, Arizona; and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Although the national average size of a studio apartment is 529 square feet, options in these cities range from 342 to 444 square feet.
Renters in Ferrelview can nab a 342-square-foot studio apartment for only $455, a steal compared to the $1,020 renters in Grand Rapids are paying for only 102 square feet more. Shreveport (345 square feet), Tucson (397 square feet) and Albuquerque (422 square feet) rounded out the list with rents under $800.
The typical layout for a one-bedroom apartment | Photo credit: Apartment List
For the one-bedroom apartment category, you’ll find the smallest options in Ferrelview, Missouri; Brooklyn, New York; Metairie, Louisiana; and Bentonville, Arkansas. Once again, Ferrelview took the top spot for the smallest one-bedroom apartment, clocking in at 588 square feet, 169 square feet smaller than the national average (757 square feet).
While renters in Ferrelview are only paying $571 per month for their petite digs, renters in Brooklyn are shelling out a whopping $3,115 per month for only five square feet more. Metairie (601 square feet), Texarkana, Arkansas (605 square feet) and Bentonville (616 square feet) completed the top five, with an average rent of $808.
A common layout for a two-bedroom apartment | Photo credit: Apartment List
You’ll find the smallest two-bedroom apartments in Essex, Maryland; New York City; Euclid, Ohio; Morganfield, Kentucky; and Pullman, Washington. Essex is home to the tiniest of the two-bedrooms: a 758-square-foot unit going for $1,065 per month.
Unsurprisingly, New York City came in second place with 805-square-foot two-bedroom apartments for a staggering $6,013 — making it far and away the most expensive place to rent on Apartment List’s list.
Euclid (850 square feet), Morganfield (850 square feet) and Pullman (852 square feet) shored up the end of the pack with two-bedroom apartments ranging from $375 to $1,137 per month.