New homes being designed and built in today’s market are significantly larger and offer more amenities than homes built two or three decades ago., according to a report on new home characteristics released by the U.S. Census Department in June. The information provides a snapshot of changing aspects of home design in recent decades, including the continued expansion of new home sizes through last year.
The average floor area in a newly built home last year reached an all-time high of 2,434 square feet. That’s up from an average 2,349 square feet in 2004 and just 1,645 feet in 1975. The Northeast Region had the largest average new home size, with the Midwest reporting the smallest sized new homes.