When you’re buying your first home, it’s easy to get swept up in the dream of a spacious front yard where you can enjoy the outdoors, tackle some lawn care, or set up a perfect spot for weekend barbecues. For many Americans, a large outdoor space is high on the priority list when searching for a new home. But if you’re envisioning a single-family home with a generous lawn, you might be in for a bit of a reality check. In today’s housing market, finding a home with significant yard space is becoming increasingly difficult. Over the years, the average lawn size has been shrinking as more square footage is dedicated to the house itself.
To give you a clearer picture of what’s going on, Today’s Homeowner conducted a comprehensive survey that breaks down the average house, lot, and yard sizes across each state. Whether you’re looking in Georgia, Washington, Montana, or even densely populated areas like San Francisco, you’ll see a similar trend. In this article, I’ll walk you through the findings and explain why small lawns are becoming the norm across the U.S.
Main Findings on Yard Size
If you’re curious about how much yard space you might get with a new home, you’re not alone. The number can swing wildly depending on where you live. In states like Alaska, you could be looking at a sprawling 4.6 acres, while in places like Maryland, your yard might be just over 7,500 square feet. Whether you’re dreaming of a vast outdoor space or something more manageable, knowing the average yard sizes in different states can give you a better idea of what to expect.
- The current national average yard size is 23,301 square feet or half an acre.
- The states with the largest average yards are:
- Alaska at 200,380 square feet or 4.6 acres.
- Maine at 71,463 square feet or 1.64 acres.
- Vermont at 69,281 square feet or 1.59 acres.
- New Hampshire at 47,363 square feet or 1.09 acres.
- Alabama at 29,24 square feet or 0.67 acres.
- The states with the smallest yards are:
- Maryland at 7,599 square feet or 0.17 acres.
- California at 7,811 square feet or 0.18 acres.
- New Jersey at 7,811 square feet or 0.21 acres.
- Hawaii at 9,907 square feet or 0.23 acres.
- New York at 9,933 square feet or 0.23 acres.
Yard Size: National Averages
According to our research, the national yard size average sits around 23,301 square feet or just over half an acre. We used census data to calculate the average lot size per state and the average home size. Using each state’s data, we got a national average for lot size (25,240 square feet) and subtracted from the national average home size (1,940 square feet) to get the national average yard size.
Most states fall comfortably within 15,000 and 25,000 square feet, allowing many homeowners to have decent-sized yards. This amount might seem small to some home-buying veterans, as historically, homes have had much larger yards. But, as studies have shown, American homes have not only gotten larger, but their lot sizes have gotten smaller, resulting in a decrease in yard size over the generations. I recommend adjusting your expectations when shopping for a home to take yard size into account.
What’s Behind the Numbers?
American yards have been shrinking due to several factors linked to the way housing has evolved. Today’s homes are much larger than those built in the past. Back in the late 1970s, the average home was smaller in square footage than the homes built today. This growth in home size, with added bedrooms and bathrooms, has reduced the space available for yards. As developers try to meet high housing demand, they often prioritize building larger homes on smaller lots or creating housing options like townhouses.
Additionally, the rising costs of technology and utilities have pushed homeowners to adjust their priorities. With expenses for plumbing, heating, and electricity climbing, many people want smaller lots to manage these costs better. In addition, land near major job centers is pricey, prompting homeowners to settle for larger homes on smaller properties to stay close to work. This combination of bigger homes and limited land availability has led to a noticeable decrease in yard sizes across the U.S.
Average Yard Size by State
Several factors influence a state’s lot and yard sizes, including the price of land, housing demand, cost of materials, and population density. The map below shows the average yard size in each state.
The state with the largest yards, by a wide margin, is Alaska. Alaska boasts yards of over 200,000 square feet/4.5 acres per property. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s Maryland, where yards only measure up to 7,599 square feet/0.17 acres. If you’re in the market for a spacious yard but don’t want to relocate to the far north, you can check out the other top-ranking states like Maine (1.64 acres), Vermont (1.59 acres), New Hampshire (1.09 acres), and Alabama (0.67 acres).
After conducting the study, two states stood out — Florida and Texas. In recent years, these two states have seen some of the highest numbers of movers relocating to them. You might expect them to have larger yards, especially since people often call Texas the private land state. However, this isn’t the case, as both Texas and Florida fall below the national average for yard size. Texas yards average around 0.34 acres, and Florida has even smaller yards, around 0.25 acres on average.
While most homeowners want larger yards, particularly backyards, some prefer smaller, more manageable properties that have smaller yards that are easier to mow and maintain. If that is the case for you, states like Maryland (0.17 acres), California (0.18 acres), New Jersey (0.21 acres), Hawaii (0.23 acres), or New York (0.23 acres) might be to your liking. The price of land, land availability, population density, and local industry primarily contribute to these states’ smaller-than-average lot and yard sizes, according to most analysts.
Below is a table containing the data on each state’s yard size, organized by state name, yard size in feet, and yard size in acres.
| State | Yard Size (square feet) | Yard Size (acre) |
| Alabama | 29,245 | 0.67 |
| Alaska | 200,380 | 4.6 |
| Arizona | 17,953 | 0.41 |
| Arkansas | 24,348 | 0.56 |
| California | 7,811 | 0.18 |
| Colorado | 14,812 | 0.34 |
| Connecticut | 17,390 | 0.4 |
| Delaware | 12,844 | 0.29 |
| Florida | 11,043 | 0.25 |
| Georgia | 19,640 | 0.45 |
| Hawaii | 9,907 | 0.23 |
| Idaho | 15,137 | 0.35 |
| Illinois | 13,308 | 0.31 |
| Indiana | 13,533 | 0.31 |
| Iowa | 20,690 | 0.47 |
| Kansas | 24,035 | 0.55 |
| Kentucky | 16,905 | 0.39 |
| Louisiana | 16,456 | 0.38 |
| Maine | 71,463 | 1.64 |
| Maryland | 7,599 | 0.17 |
| Massachusetts | 12,693 | 0.29 |
| Michigan | 21,709 | 0.5 |
| Minnesota | 19,145 | 0.44 |
| Mississippi | 28,958 | 0.66 |
| Missouri | 20,593 | 0.47 |
| Montana | 26,433 | 0.61 |
| Nebraska | 13,921 | 0.32 |
| Nevada | 15,086 | 0.35 |
| New Hampshire | 47,363 | 1.09 |
| New Jersey | 8,953 | 0.21 |
| New Mexico | 20,764 | 0.48 |
| New York | 9,933 | 0.23 |
| North Carolina | 14,371 | 0.33 |
| North Dakota | 16,082 | 0.37 |
| Ohio | 15,585 | 0.36 |
| Oklahoma | 28,343 | 0.65 |
| Oregon | 11,821 | 0.27 |
| Pennsylvania | 16,342 | 0.38 |
| Rhode Island | 11,073 | 0.25 |
| South Carolina | 19,522 | 0.45 |
| South Dakota | 18,397 | 0.42 |
| Tennessee | 20,249 | 0.46 |
| Texas | 14,876 | 0.34 |
| Utah | 16,878 | 0.39 |
| Vermont | 69,281 | 1.59 |
| Virginia | 11,228 | 0.26 |
| Washington | 11,285 | 0.26 |
| West Virginia | 18,517 | 0.43 |
| Wisconsin | 20,641 | 0.47 |
| Wyoming | 20,487 | 0.47 |
Final Thoughts on Yard Size by State
The findings on yard size were eye-opening. We expected that states with booming economies would offer properties with more generous yards, but the reality proved different. Even states known for vast privatized lands, like Texas, showed relatively modest yard sizes.
On average, Americans can expect about half an acre of yard space, with exceptions like Alaska offering expansive 4.6-acre yards, while states like Maryland provide just 0.17 acres. If current trends continue, the size of American yards will likely keep shrinking, with each generation seeing smaller outdoor spaces.
As the market evolves, homebuyers should prepare for this shift and adjust their expectations accordingly. Whether you’re looking for a spacious retreat or a more manageable plot, understanding these trends will help you navigate the housing landscape with confidence
Frequently Asked Questions
What is house size vs. lot size?
House size refers to the total square footage of a home, while lot size refers to the size of a parcel or tract of land owned by one or multiple people.
Simply put, lot size refers to the size, in square footage or acres, of land, and house size refers to the size of the home on the lot.
What is a normal lot size?
As of writing this article, the national average lot size in the United States is 25,240 square feet or just over half an acre.
Is one acre big enough for a house?
For most American homes, one acre of land is more than enough space for a single house. Most American homes fit comfortably on lots half that size, providing room to spare for modest yards. Technically, you could fit two or potentially even three homes on a single acre of land.
Why do new homes have small yards?
According to the U.S. Federal Reserve, the size of American yards has been decreasing in size since the 1800s. While there have been some generations where yards have increased in size proportional to houses (namely 1985 through 1990), most properties have decreased in size. The rate at which yards decrease is also proportional to the increase in the size of homes, so, in short, our homes are taking up the space that used to go to yards. Furthermore, home lot sizes have also been decreasing, hitting record lows in 2019.
Methodology and Sources
To find the average yard size in each state, we analyzed the average lot size and the average house size. Then, we subtracted the house size from the lot size. We used data from the U.S. Census Bureau for house size and a proprietary data set for yard size. That dataset included local and federal government data as well as real estate listings.
