Huntsville ranks 10th nationally for largest apartments + fun facts from my apartment hunt

large apartment in Huntsville — Are you looking for the largest apartments in Huntsville or do you prefer a smaller space? (Providence Place Apartment Homes / Facebook)

It’s seems that everyone is downsizing and becoming minimalists these days. In most cities, apartment sizes have significantly shrunk in the past 10 years.

But that is not the case for Huntsville, ranking 10th in the nation for largest apartments. Read on for all the details, including why I chose a larger apartment over a renovated unit during my hunt.

National apartments sizes are shrinking

Chart showing apartment sizes shrinking — Do you think apartments were too big before or are getting too small now? (RentCafe)

As home prices increase, renting gains traction. Here in Huntsville, we are seeing new complexes being built everyday.

I am currently relocating to the Huntsville area, so I recently went apartment hunting in Madison. In my experience, many of the newer units tend to be smaller than older apartments, likely following the national trends of downsizing.

Check out the national average size of new apartments by unit type in 2022

stylish apartment in Huntsville—10th in the nation for largest apartments — Did you expect Huntsville to be in the nation’s top 10 for largest apartments? (The Kelvin / Facebook)

All: 887 sq. ft. (-30 sq. ft. from 2021)
Studio: 464 sq. ft. (-13 sq. ft. from 2021)
1 bedroom: 727 sq. ft. (-12 sq. ft. from 2021)
2 bedrooms: 1,097 (-12 sq. ft. from 2021)
3 bedrooms: 1,367 sq. ft. (+15 sq. ft. from 2021)

On the national level, most unit types downsized in square footage. However, if we look at average unit size by region, we see that the South and Southeast showcase the largest apartments:

South: 993 sq. ft.
Southeast: 983 sq. ft.
Western: 923 sq. ft.
Southwest: 922 sq. ft.
Northeast: 911 sq. ft.
Midwest: 903 sq. ft.
Mid-Atlantic: 881 sq. ft.
California: 876 sq. ft.
Pacific Northwest: 776 sq. ft.

Huntsville ranks 10th for largest apartments

Chart showing top 15 cities with largest apartments — Huntsville is a great place to live if you’re looking for some of the nation’s largest apartments. (RentCafe)

If you’re like me and looking for more space, Huntsville is one of the best cities you can choose for apartment living.

However, you will need to weigh out the pros and cons of living in the largest apartments vs. having more amenities.

Why I chose a larger apartment over a renovated unit

In my former space, I didn’t have much storage. So, when I started apartment hunting in Madison, storage closets and cabinet capacity were important to me.

In my price range, I could either choose studio apartments that were updated but had less square footage (around 600 sq. ft.) or unrenovated 1-bedroom units that had around 800 sq. ft.

I chose the larger units—I don’t mind missing out on an amenity or two, so I can have more storage and furniture space.

Thank you, Huntsville, for having some for the largest apartments and giving me the space I needed!

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