Renters chasing extra elbow room in New York City have exactly one borough to thank.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Queens is the sole district where new apartments have grown over the past decade, according to a fresh analysis from RentCafe<\/a> that tracked square footage across the 100 largest cities in the country.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, Queens lands at fifth nationally for the biggest gains in living space during that span of time.<\/p>\n The typical new Queens apartment now clocks in at 732 square feet, a 16-square-foot bump from where things stood a decade ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n Queens is the only borough in New York City where new apartments have gotten bigger over the past decade. Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/p>\n Queens apartments grew by 16 square feet to an average 732 square feet, according to a new RentCafe report that ranks the borough fifth nationally for the biggest space gains among the 100 largest US cities. VistaBee for Corcoran<\/p>\n That\u2019s part of a broader national trend, with the average US apartment now sitting at 910 square feet after every unit type picked up extra space in 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n Queens\u2019 growth outpaced the national gain of 13 square feet, even as the borough still ranks in the bottom tier for overall size compared to the rest of the country.<\/p>\n Brooklyn and Manhattan haven\u2019t been as lucky: Brooklyn ranks among the country\u2019s smallest markets at 714 square feet, 6 square feet smaller than a decade ago, while Manhattan sits at 735 square feet with barely any change since 2016. Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/p>\n Developers building smaller studios and one-bedrooms to pack more units per building are largely driving the squeeze. Helayne Seidman for the NY Post<\/p>\n Brooklyn and Manhattan did not fare nearly as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n Brooklyn ranks fourth among the country\u2019s smallest markets<\/a>, with apartments averaging 714 square feet, 6 square feet smaller than a decade ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n