Seattle’s new apartments are the smallest in the nation, according to a new report from RentCafe.

The average apartment completed between 2015 and 2024 in Seattle is only 649 square feet. That’s about 57 square feet smaller than units built pre-2015.

That means renters have about 9% less space than they had a decade ago.

A recent Zillow analysis showed that many homeowners — millennials, in particular — don’t mind smaller homes, as long as those spaces check other boxes.

It’s not clear if the same can be said of renters, though.

“While the average size of apartments across the nation has been trending upward, Seattle stands out as an exception. This trend reflects a broader pattern in major cities, where limited space is often offset by strong job markets, urban amenities and a high quality of life,” said Adina Dragos, a researcher at RentCafe.

“In Seattle’s case, the city’s status as a thriving tech hub offers renters access to plenty of career opportunities, making many more willing to compromise on square footage in exchange for the benefits of big-city living,” Dragos continued, adding that renters who prioritize space set their sights toward suburban areas, where the size of newly built apartments has actually increased during the last decade.

“Ultimately, these varying apartment sizes cater to the diverse needs of different demographics, whether they prioritize location and urban lifestyle or spacious living,” Dragos said. “For instance, Gen Z renters often target established, as well as emerging, tech job hubs, while millennials, now at a stage where they prioritize space, seek larger living areas as they continue to form households and start families.”