Arlington apartment rents remain among the most expensive in the nation, but the units themselves are on the smaller end, according to new data.
The average unit in apartment buildings constructed in Arlington between 2016 and 2025 is 815 square feet. That’s down 8% from the previous decade, when the typical new apartment was 859 square feet.
Figures come from a new analysis by RentCafe, based on data from Yardi.
The decline could be due to a number of factors, ranging from smaller units within each size category to a larger percentage of more modest studio and one-bedroom units in the overall mix of new construction.
Arlington ranked 76th among the nation’s 100 most populated urban areas in the average size of new apartments. Alexandria ranked 63rd, with its 856 square feet essentially unchanged (down 3 square feet) from the 2006-15 period.
The Arlington data is at odds with national trends. The average apartment size in the U.S. rose 13 square feet between 2006-15 and 2016-25, and now stands at 910 square feet.
“That said, smaller apartments are still the most popular among developers,” RentCafe analyst Adina Dragos said, adding:
“One-bedroom apartments and studios continue to dominate, accounting for a combined 52.9% of apartments in 2025. Meanwhile, two- and three-bedroom apartments account for a slightly smaller share than they did a decade ago: Two-bedrooms make up 39.5% of new apartments, while three-bedrooms represent 7.1%.”
Nationwide, all categories have become larger overall. In the RentCafe analysis, studios gained six square feet to now average 460 square feet, while one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments average 735 and 1,095 square feet, respectively.
The most notable increase occurred among three-bedroom units, which gained an average of 28 square feet year-over-year to total 1,355 square feet.
Among the 100 most populated urban areas, Tallahassee has the largest average apartment size in the new data, averaging 1,156 square feet. Gainesville, Fla., ranks second at 1,126 square feet, followed by Baton Rouge, La., at 1,042 square feet.
Seattle reported the smallest apartments in the nation, averaging 645 square feet. Portland, Ore., followed at 665 square feet, while Tacoma, Wash., averaged 684 square feet and Brooklyn reported 714 square feet.
Two areas — Frisco, Texas, and St. Petersburg, Fla — saw the largest increase in size over the past decade, with each increasing 55 square feet. Irvine, Calif., ranked third with an increase of 46 square feet.
While the average size of an Arlington apartment has decreased, prices have rebounded since a significant decline early in the pandemic era.
Arlington’s median apartment rent in July was $2,459 for a one-bedroom unit, $2,971 for two bedrooms and $2,611 for all bedroom sizes, according to Apartment List.
Those rents made Arlington the fifth most expensive jurisdiction nationally, and the most expensive outside California, in the Apartment List data analysis.
Despite the high price, Arlington’s median rental rate in July was down 1.1% from a year before.
Nationally, the median rent in July was $1,220 for a one-bedroom unit, $1,374 for two bedrooms and $1,388 overall, according to the Apartment List data. Arlington’s median rent was 88% higher than the national figure.
Photo via Lisa Anna/Unsplash
