Starters, Trade-Ups, And Premium Home Sizes Vary By Metro

For young renters who need space, buying a house in Austin is a good option. A starter house in Texas’s capital has a median square footage of 1,428, the largest in the nation — and bigger than the typical trade-up in Detroit.

Trulia found the metros with the largest, and smallest, starter homes, trade-up homes, and premium homes. Across the board, Texas has houses with the most room. Houston’s starter homes have a median square footage of 1,320, fifth most in the country. Houston, Austin, and Dallas are in the top five of largest trade-ups, and Houston and Dallas have some of the most spacious premium houses.

While Honolulu has the smallest starter homes (713 square feet), Detroit takes the Trifecta, with small starter homes (945 square feet), trade-ups (1,075 square feet), and premiums (1,645).

Trulia has median square footage data for the 100 largest U.S. metro areas.

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