Have you ever noticed all the big houses in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs? They are a reflection of changing consumer tastes over time, as well as dramatic growth in high-paying professional jobs.
Big houses weren’t always so common. If we look at the data, a noticeable jump in average home sizes happened in the mid-to-late 1980s. This coincided when everything was getting bigger in Dallas — most of today’s high-rise skyline also sprouted up in the ’80s. The size of new homes surged from 2,100 sqft to 2,500 sqft. Sizes have crept up only slightly since then, to about 2,600 sqft on average today.
Even before that, there was a jump in size from the modest homes of the 1940s and 50s, to the larger and more luxurious homes of the ’60s. The size of new homes took off in the 1950s, rising from 1,500 sqft on average to 2,000 sqft by 1965.
Meanwhile, lot sizes for newly built homes seem to be getting smaller.
- After a peak in 1965, lot sizes have been in decline, with a significant drops in the 1980s and again between 1995 and 2005.
- New homes tend to be larger and on smaller plots of land.
- The number of bedrooms in a typical new house surged between 1940 and 1965, and then again between 1980 and 1990.
- The typical new house today has one additional full bedroom, on average, compared to houses from the 1940s.
- Similarly, the number of bathrooms surged from 1950-1965 an then again from 1985-1990.
What might the post-COVID future look like if more people work remotely and demand larger homes that can accommodate home offices? We may see another bump in average sizes soon.
