Mobile 12 1 — Downtown Mobile, Alabama. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

In a recent study by RentCafe.com surveying average apartment size across the country, data shows that two Alabama cities– Huntsville and Mobile– rank among the top 15 cities with the largest apartments as of 2022.

The post-pandemic apartment market has experienced significant changes from year to year. From the need for more space in 2020 to the need for more homes in 2022, the rising demand for rentals is affecting the size of newly built apartments.

Keep reading for a breakdown of all the numbers.

The South dominates with the largest apartments

Hville — The Eclipse at CityCentre in Huntsville constructed in 2021. (@citycentrehsv on Instagram)

Everything is bigger in the South, including apartment space. In 2022, the average size of an apartment was 993 square feet. Compared to the national average, renters in the South benefited from an extra 106 square feet.

On the other side of the country, data shows that the smallest apartments are located in the Pacific Northwest with an average of only 776 square feet.

Largest new apartments by region:

South: 993 sq. ft.
Southeast: 983 sq. ft.
West: 923 sq. ft.
Southwest: 922 sq. ft.

How Alabama cities ranked

Both Mobile and Huntsville ranked within the top 15 cities with the largest apartments nationally with Mobile at #3 and Huntsville at #11.

In the Rocket City, which came in at #11, the average apartment size was 1,022 square feet– an 11% increase since 2013.

For Mobile renters, the average size of an apartment was 1,080 square feet. This means that in 2022, Mobilians enjoyed 193 square feet of extra space.

The city had the third largest 10-year size increase, expanding by 17% since 2013.