How big is the average American home?

In 2013, the average American home was 2,598 square feet, an increase from the 2003 average of 2,330 square feet. This is part of a general trend toward increasing home size over the course of several decades.

For example, in 1983, the average American home was 1,725 square feet, nearly 1,000 square feet less than the 2013 average. One of the biggest factors in this dramatic change is the fact that the wealthiest people in America are, on the whole, becoming much wealthier, giving them the capital to splash out on extravagant housing, while less wealthy people are increasingly unable to afford homes at all.