The going rate for apartment rents often gets most of the attention, but square footage is part of the value equation, too — and North Texas has seen some dramatic shifts over the past decade.
Arlington stands out most. Apartments built there between 2016 and 2025 average 287 square feet less than those built during the previous decade, according to a recent RentCafe report on apartment size.
While the average square footage there was clocked at 908 square feet and just a hair below the national average, Arlington saw the most shrinkage out of any of the 100 biggest cities in the United States by a mile. Birmingham, Alabama, posted the second-largest drop at 156 square feet.
RentCafe attributed Arlington’s decline to changes in both floor plans and the types of apartments being built. Studios and one-bedroom units have become more common and smaller, while two-bedrooms account for a smaller share of new construction…