US Census Data showing house size increasing massively since 1973
Do you remember when you were in your parents or grandparents house, perhaps in the 50′s, 60′s or 70′s?
I do. I remember that those houses were really small. They were cozy little 3-6 room houses on modest lots. What they lacked in size, they made up with character, quality, and little touches like porches and outdoor areas.
When rummaging around on the census bureau’s web site recently I ran across census data which showed the US housing markets average house size for new construction since 1973. It was a PDF ( here ) but I took the data which was in chart form and have put it into a chart right here…
Almost 33% increase since 1973
House sizes have jumped almost 1000 square feet (from 1500 square feet to 2500 square feet) in that time.
I can’t help but think that people simply don’t need that much space. I also think it is bad that your kids can literally truly get away to the “other side of the house” in these big modern houses.
I wonder if you could chart drug use, or teen porn viewing and get a strong correlation with this chart.
This is why I don’t mind living a little bit smaller in an RV. I think it teaches you what is really important. Spending time with people you love. Being close to those people. Being careful NOT to have “too much stuff”. This is all good. Maybe not good for the economy – but certainly good for your spirit.
Notice one other thing in the graph – that the AVERAGE is larger than the MEDIAN. To me that means that there are MORE smaller homes being built, but that the bigger homes that are built, are SO MUCH bigger that they drag the average up so much higher than the median.
Enjoy the data and if you like the chart, please Google +1 the article. Thanks!
Marlan
Related posts:
- The Outdoor House
- Outdoor House : The Kitchen
- Outdoor House for the RV : Tying it all Together
- Outdoor House : The Living Room or Great Room
- Outdoor House : The Bathroom
