What do you think about the fact that in cities like Wichita, KS, you can get six times the space you would get in Manhattan for a fixed imaginary sum – $1,500 in our study.
Editor’s note: The latest housing trends indicate a desire for more living space, especially when people move across the country to get it. NYC has also seen the number of millionaire renters triple since 2015.
Here’s a quick summary of how much living space you can get across New York for this sum:
- Manhattan: 228 square feet — the least space for $1,500.
- Queens: 370 square feet and Brooklyn: 300 square feet are more spacious options within NYC.
- Rochester: 930 square feet — the most space in New York State.
Imagine you have a budget of $1,500 for rent, the experience can vary dramatically depending on where you are in the United States.
In Manhattan, for instance, this budget may not even secure you a studio, with the smallest amount of space available being just 228 square feet. This is the least space you could get in the country for that sum. In contrast, Wichita, Kansas, offers an astonishing 1,359 square feet for the same budget—almost six times more space than what you’d find in Manhattan.
What about the other New York City boroughs?
While Manhattan may be the most notorious for its high rents and limited space, other boroughs in New York City provide more favorable options:
- Queens: Here, $1,500 can get you around 370 square feet, offering a more reasonable choice for renters.
- Brooklyn: Renters can expect approximately 300 square feet for the same budget, still significantly more than Manhattan.
Space Across New York State
- Looking beyond the city, Rochester stands out as the most spacious option in New York State, where $1,500 affords you an impressive 930 square feet — This translates into around 2 bedrooms relative to the apartments in Rochester.
- Buffalo is next with 881 square feet (3 bedrooms, maybe 4 depending on the area), Syracuse with 779 square feet (between 1 and 2 bedrooms) and Yonkers with 480.
For a deeper dive into our findings and to explore interactive maps and graphics of apartment sizes across 200 cities, check out our full report: https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/rental-market/market-snapshots/rental-space-for-1500/
Banner Image: Living space in Manhattan versus Wichita, Kansas. Image Credit – Yardi
