Median Lot Size Steadily Lower

The median lot size for new single-family detached homes has continued to decrease, following the record low size of less than 8,600 square feet in 2015.

Census data show that in 2017, the median lot size was 8,560 square feet, roughly the same as in 2016. Nationally, lots are getting smaller, but by region, single-family detached speculatively built home lots (spec homes) started last year in New England were double the size of the national median, the National Association of Home Builders' analysis reveals.

New England is known for strict local zoning regulations that often require very low densities. Therefore, it is not surprising that more than half of single-family detached spec homes started in New England are built on some of the largest lots in the nation, with more than half of the lots exceeding 0.4 acre. The East South Central and Middle Atlantic Divisions are next on the list with the median lot occupying just slightly less than a third of an acre (0.3 acres).

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