New single-family home sizes continue to trend downward as builders and buyers adjust to prolonged affordability challenges. According to NAHB analysis and Census data, the typical size of a newly built home has generally declined since 2015, with higher interest rates playing a central role in reshaping demand.

 
An exception occurred in 2021, when historically low mortgage rates briefly pushed home sizes higher. That trend reversed sharply as rates climbed in 2022 and 2023, pricing many buyers out of larger homes. As the analysis notes, "as interest rates increased in 2022 and 2023, and housing affordability worsened, the demand for home size has trended lower."

In the third quarter of 2025, the median size of a new single-family home fell to 2,176 square feet, while the average size registered 2,405 square feet. On a one-year moving average basis, average square footage remained flat, signaling stabilization rather than growth.

Looking ahead, NAHB expects the decline to moderate. Home sizes could level off in 2026 if mortgage rates settle near 6%, easing-but not eliminating-affordability pressures shaping the market.

https://www.nahb.org/blog/2026/01/Single-Family-Home-Size-Continues-to-Decline