Report: Detroit apartments are smaller than they were ten years ago

Detroit has seen an influx in new apartments in the past few years—both renovated and new construction—and it should come as no surprise that they’re smaller than they used to be. A new report from RentCafe and Yardi Matrix shows that the average size of Detroit apartments have gotten considerably smaller.

To note, the report looks at apartments in complexes with 50 units or more, so this leaves out many apartments available in the city.

The report states that in 2008, the average size of a new Detroit apartment was 988 square feet, compared to 720 square feet in 2018. That’s a 27 percent reduction in size.

RentCafe, Yardi Matrix

What comes to mind first? Detroit finally got micro-apartments at 28 Grand, which has 218 apartments at about 260 square feet.

Newer complexes also include the Scott at Brush Park, with 199 apartments; DuCharme Place with 185 apartments; and Orleans Landing, with 270 apartments. These complexes offer a range of sizes and layouts of their apartments, from studios on up.

The report showed that new apartments were shrinking in size all across the country: “The average size of a new apartment completed in 2018 in the U.S. is 941 square feet, 52 sqft less than the size of an apartment built ten years ago.”

While the report didn’t include historical price changes for Detroit, recent local reports show increasing prices in downtown apartments. The closer you get to downtown, the more likely apartment will rent for around $2/square foot or higher, with some luxury apartments asking $3/square foot. Developers were aiming for $2/square foot just a couple years ago.

For those looking for larger apartments, the best bet would be to look for duplexes or smaller multi-family properties in the neighborhoods.