You Think You've Got Cabin Fever?

The average housing unit in the United States has a median of 1,500 square feet of living space, according to the Census Bureau's American Housing Survey. With more than two people in the average household, each of us can lay claim to a median of 700 square feet. Those 700 square feet are feeling pretty cramped these days.

Of course, some of us are packed in tighter than others. Take the residents of the New York metropolitan area, for example. The average housing unit in New York has a median of 1,150 square feet of living space—580 square feet per person. It's even tighter in San Francisco, at 550 square feet per person. For householders under age 25 in San Francisco, per capita living space is just 350 square feet.

Percent distribution of households by square footage of housing unit
Under 1,000: 23%
1,000 to 1,499: 26%
1,500 to 1,999: 21%
2,000 to 2,999: 21%
3,000 or more: 10%

Young adults have the smallest homes. Householders under age 25 live in housing units with a median of just 925 square feet—or 475 square feet per person. Middle-aged and older Americans have the largest homes. Householders ranging in age from 45 to 74 live in homes with a median of 1,600 square feet. On a per capita basis, people aged 65 or older have the most room to roam—a median of more than 900 square feet per person.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the Census Bureau's 2017 American Housing Survey