Where to find the biggest—and smallest—homes in the U.S.

The tiny-home craze, where folks embraced minimalism and downsized living, was gaining steam. Marie Kondo had snagged a Netflix show, tiny-home magazines and conventions were spreading like summertime kudzu, and HGTV had a lineup of shows aimed at the enthusiasts.

Then COVID-19 hit, and the pendulum swung—hard—in the other direction. Suddenly buyers everywhere were looking for more spacious homes where they could live, work, and learn, all under one roof. And they were willing to move far outside of the cities and inner suburbs to snag that extra square footage.

Now, as the pandemic is finally waning—and the real estate market runs the gamut of unprecedented stressors—it’s not clear yet where the pendulum will ultimately settle. But no matter how tight and unpredictable the market gets, first-time homebuyers and downsizing empty nesters will still be on the prowl for smaller places, and those trading up will be jonesing for bigger homes.

But where will they find them?

The Realtor.com® data team decided to examine where homebuyers have the best chance of snagging a giant house—and where they may be forced to Ikea-out their kitchens to maximize storage.

“The places that boast the country’s largest average homes tend to be clustered in higher-priced communities either near bigger economic centers or in outdoors destinations,” says George Ratiu, senior economist and manager of economic research for Realtor.com. “On the flip side of the coin, cities [with] average home sizes [that] skew toward the smaller end are located in geographically constrained locations, where natural boundaries meet high-density development.”

But that’s not all that goes into the equation. Many older communities, such as in the Northeast, that were developed for blue-collar workers tend to be filled with smaller homes. Meanwhile, newer developments geared toward white-collar commuters often offer abodes with more square footage and amenities like open kitchens, which were not popular in the 1950s. You’re more likely to find McMansions in these areas.

To figure it all out, the Realtor.com data whiz kids reviewed all of the active listings in our database in September to determine the cities with the highest median square footage and the lowest. The cities had to have at least 250 active home listings to make the cut. We included only one city per state to give the list some geographic diversity.

Ready? Let’s check out where you’ll have no trouble finding some great, big homes.

Median list price: $3.1 million
Median square footage: 4,857

It should come as no surprise that the famously tony town of Greenwich, a suburb just outside of New York City, would come near the top of the list of the places with the largest homes. Home to two of the nation’s wealthiest ZIP Codes, untold numbers of hedge fund managers and stock option–enriched corporate execs, and even a few celebrities, Greenwich has long been known for its sprawling properties.

In the 1920s, it was hailed as “the richest town per capita in the world,” according to Vanity Fair magazine. Naturally, those folks had to show off their riches with mansions.

“Historically, there’s always been large estates,” says national real estate appraiser Jonathan Miller, of Miller Samuel. “However, there’s been additional new construction in the past decade that tends to skew [even] larger than the norm.”

Those large homes had been hard to sell for the past several years, but during the pandemic, they were snapped up quickly like hard-to-find Purell as wealthy Manhattanites decamped to the greener grasses of the burbs. Giant homes, like this newer 3,767-square-foot, four-bedroom house asking for $3 million and this 1930s 4,584-square-foot, six-bedroom English manor on the market for $6.25 million, became all the rage again.

Median list price: $340,000
Median square footage: 3,888

Cordova offers something unique on this list: larger-than-average homes, for far lower-than-average prices. Though it earned the No. 2 spot for home size—way beyond the national median of 1,875 square feet—the list price per square foot ($118) is a little more than half the national numbers.

This family-friendly suburb about 30 minutes outside of Memphis developed quickly in the late 1990s and early aughts, a time when buyers were mostly interested in large homes on big lots. And that’s generally what you’ll find on the market today.

House hunters can spread out in expansive homes for a steal, including this four-bedroom brick Tudor on an 8,712-square-foot lot asking for $324,900. There’s also this 3,500-square-foot, four-bedroom brick house with a lovely backyard on the market for $399,800.

Median list price: $709,975
Median square footage: 3,635

Located 30 minutes south of Denver, Castle Rock sits on the beautiful Rocky Mountain Front. It’s named after the tower-shaped rock formation near the center of town—and it has plenty of other beautiful natural sights in ready supply. The scenery, close proximity to larger cities (which allows residents to commute), and small-town ambiance have been drawing many newcomers to the area over the past decade, leading to a population that has doubled since 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Much of Castle Rock’s housing inventory is made up of recently built subdivisions. They’re aimed at buyers looking to get away from the city. With a price per square foot of about 40% less than Denver, Castle Rock simply offers proportionally more home for less money.

In Castle Rock, buyers have a choice of large, modern houses, including this 3,696-square-foot, three-bedroom ranch in the desirable Meadows for $600,000 or this 4,636-square-foot, five-bedroom house on a giant lot asking got $795,000.

Median list price: $812,000
Median square footage: 3,347

Like Castle Rock, Prosper is a fairly new suburb about a 40-minute drive from Dallas. The houses here are Texas large, and many are located in master-planned communities with serious amenities.

For example, this 3,108-square-foot, four-bedroom brick house in the Creeks of Legacy neighborhood has access to three pools, tennis and basketball courts, and a state-of-the-art fitness facility. The home, which was built in 2021, is priced at $650,000.

Because the area is still being developed, many buyers are choosing brand-new construction such as this 3,833-square-foot, Tudor-inspired, four-bedroom asking for $1.1 million in the luxe Peninsula at Windsong Ranch. The community has its own 5-acre crystal lagoon with white-sand beaches, stocked ponds, and a cafe.

Median list price: $3.175 million<
Median square footage: 3,293

Big Sky has been known as a primo ski town since the 1970s, but it wasn’t until the early 2000s that it began to blow up. That’s when the private clubs began opening up, attracting a new wave of wealthy second-home shoppers looking for a remote getaway from city life. They sought out massive homes for hosting extended family and friends during the winter ski season and idyllic summer months.

Sure, Big is literally in the town’s name, so maybe it was destined to make this list. But even the condos are oversized here. Take this 2,503-square-foot, three-bedroom condo in a popular vacation rental community, with an asking price of $1,775,000, or this brand-new, 3,344-square-foot, four-bedroom condo that features panoramic views.

“That’s just sort of an ongoing trend in ski homes to have room for people to visit,” says Callie Pecunies, broker/agent with Big Sky Sotheby’s International Realty. “We’re primarily a fly-in destination, so people come with groups of friends.”

Rounding out the list of the places with the largest homes are Southampton, NY (with a median square footage of 3,256); Herriman, UT (3,105); Windermere, FL (3,062); Carmel, IN (3,062); and Overland Park, KS (3,044).

Looking for something a bit more cozy? Ready to move to the smaller side of the housing market?

Median list price: $900,000
Median square footage: 762

For those without deep knowledge of the neighborhoods of the greater New York City area, we’re not talking about that Long Island. This is Long Island City, a dense, decidedly upscale Queens neighborhood situated right across the East River from midtown Manhattan.

LIC is where you’ll find the smallest median homes in the U.S., but these condos and co-ops are also the most expensive per square foot of any place on the list. The median price per square foot is $1,328 here—more than double that of nearby suburban Greenwich. Buyers are going to pay a fortune for what little space they get. Welcome to New York, friends!

Historically, the area was a somewhat grimy, industrial manufacturing district. But then developers began erecting high-rise condos and apartment buildings in the early 2000s geared toward white-collar workers seeking an easy commute to the office, with (initially) lower-than-Manhattan rents and home prices. The area has since taken off with high-end restaurants, boutiques, and glass towers along the water.

This 713-square-foot, one-bedroom loft is on the market for $899,000, and this older 754-square-foot, one-bedroom co-op with an asking price of $580,000 are examples of what home shoppers can expect to find here.

Unlike much of Queens and Brooklyn, which skewed toward wealthy residents or growing families, units in LIC were developed mostly for more transient residents and younger commuters who don’t require as much living space.

“Housing stock that has come onto market has been skewed to … mostly studios and one-bedrooms, which is causing the square footage to be smaller than other areas,” says appraiser Miller.

Median list price: $705,000
Median square footage: 929

It’s no secret that Honolulu is one seriously expensive resort town. The median price per square foot for a home here is $724, which is higher than in the Hedge Fund Capital of the world (i.e., Greenwich). Its desirability and geographic limitations—it’s on an island, after all—are partly why it has so many smaller homes that cost more than in other places. Another contributing factor is that the city has a booming short-term and vacation rental industry with a lot of buildings that cater to these investors.

There are a ton of hotels and condos designed for second-home owners seeking to make some cash on their units. They include this 565-square-foot, one-bedroom condo in the Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach Tower on the market for $700,000, and this $223,000 studio that’s basically a hotel room. The high number of small, rentable units, which are very desirable right now, is a big factor why the median square footage in The Big Pineapple is so much lower than in other U.S. cities.

“Here, land and real estate are forever limited and attract an endless number of buyers desiring a piece of paradise,” says George Krischke, the principal broker at Hawaii Living. “In the Waikiki resort district, one of Honolulu’s densest urban neighborhoods, is where most legal short-term rentals, aka ‘condotels,’ are located. And new legislation curbing illegal short-term rentals is boosting demand.”

Median list price: $654,944
Median square footage: 1,003

Like Honolulu, Miami Beach is a hot resort destination on an island with only so much room to develop.

The city has a fairly large number of condotels, too, such as this stylish, oceanfront one-bedroom in the W Hotel asking for $1.25 million. These kinds of units are popular among investors—and help to skew the homes toward the smaller side.

There’s another reason homes here are more compact than in other places. The resort town, which offers buyers fewer single-family homes, was mostly developed in the 1920s through the ’50s, when hotels and apartments were more petite than what many homebuyers expect today.

Locals who can’t afford the newer units in the pricey high-rises in the South of Fifth Street neighborhood are most likely going to find art deco–era condos like this cute 731-square-foot one-bedroom on the market for $300,000.

Median list price: $475,000
Median square footage: 1,085

Before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel was built in the 1950s and 1960s, Ocean City was mostly a quiet resort town and fishing village. Many of the older homes locals lived in then have been chopped up and converted into condos. They include this 383-square-foot one-bedroom right next to the boardwalk currently on the market for $239,900.

But with easier access to the town’s lovely beaches, tourism exploded in the ’60s and ’70s—and much of the town’s real estate has since been designed to accommodate second-home owners and visitors. (Ocean City’s full-time population is just 6,900, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.)

Because of that, units such as this 1,098-square-foot, two-bedroom condo on the bay available for $399,900 are minuscule compared with most of the primary, full-time residences.

Median list price: $69,900
Median square footage: 1,092

Flint has been in the news a lot over the past several decades for numerous catastrophes like the recent water crisis that still hasn’t been completely remedied and automotive plant closures that decimated the town’s economy, as documented in filmmaker Michael Moore’s 1989 movie “Roger & Me.”

Given its economic woes, there hasn’t been much new home construction in the city since the golden age of the Detroit auto industry. The population has been steadily decreasing, according to U.S. Census Bureau stats. So, most of the homes on the market date to the midcentury when General Motors erected modest tract homes like this three-bedroom now offered for $54,900 and this other three-bedroom asking for $167,900.

“The company brought people in from other areas and put them in these tract homes,” says Douglas Ferrell, an agent with Realty Executives Main Street, who hails from a family of GM workers. “Probably 89% of all the homes were tract homes, and the people who moved out of tract homes moved into similar-sized homes.”

Rounding out the list of places with the smallest homes in the United States is Jersey City, NJ (with a median square footage of 1,094); Des Moines, IA (1,218); Boston (1,249); Long Beach, CA (1,256); and Washington, DC (1,267).

Want more? Here’s a searchable, sortable table you can use to look up median home listing sizes and pricing by city.