2017's third quarter saw decline in new, single family home sizes, signaling a reversal of the upward trend caused by builders focusing on high-end markets post-recession.
Median single-family square floor area was slightly lower at 2,378 square feet. The National Association of Home Builders anticipates that as the entry-level market expands, the typical home size will fall as builders add more entry-level homes to the nation's market inventory.
In contrast to single-family patterns, new multifamily apartment size is down compared to the pre-recession period. This is due to the weak for-sale multifamily market and strength for rental demand.