Many Americans like the idea of big, open spaces. So it might not be surprising that houses built in the United States are among the largest worldwide. The size of the average American house is more than 100 percent bigger than it was in the 1950s. In 2019, the National Association of Homebuilders reported that the average size of a new single-family home was 240 square meters. Information from that organization suggests that the size of new homes has gone down a little over the past five years. But over the long term, the average size has generally risen. Louis Hyman is an economic historian and assistant professor at Cornell University in New York State. He says Americans’ strong feelings about their homes may be tied, in part, to the country’s past. “The appeal of the house for Americans, going back into the 20th century, was that it signified autonomy,” Hyman said. He added that home ownership has been a sign of independence.
