The Lone Star State has always been known for relatively affordable, big homes and lots — but is that actually still true today?

via StorageCafe

Unsurprisingly, lot sizes have been shrinking around the country as vacant land becomes more scarce. Data shows that the median lot size dropped by nearly 1,000 square feet from 2014 to the present.

StorageCafe analyzed urban metros around the United States to determine which cities currently offer homeowners the most living space for the best price. The South largely came out on top: seven of the 10 cities with the most spacious abodes are in the South, led by Raleigh, N.C.; Atlanta; and Charlotte, N.C., ranking in the top three.

Texas metros also ranked high on StorageCafe’s list of cities with spacious homes: Austin offers a median lot size of 8,620 square feet and a median house size of 2,020 square feet at a price of $586,900. That’s a good 400 square feet more than can be had in homes in comparable cities in California, like San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Houston, on the other hand, offers slightly less space, with a median home size of 1,829 square feet — still well above the square footage of many large U.S. cities. Houston ranked slightly worse for yard size at around 7,022 square feet per lot — No. 28 in the country.

While you can technically get more space in Austin, Houston’s secret is its affordability: The typical home is around $300,000 in Houston, about 54% cheaper than similar homes in Austin.

Even outside large metros, home sizes are shrinking. StorageCafe found that the typical American house is now around 2,299 square feet, 4% smaller than a decade ago. Meanwhile, the typical American lot size fell 8% to 8,891 square feet, while the average home price skyrocketed.

In Houston, however, home sizes appear to be growing: in 2023, the median new home size is 2,228 square feet, 22% higher than the overall inventory.

via StorageCafe