It's widely known that rents in South Florida, especially in Miami, are high compared to most cities, but what's often overlooked is that apartments here are also smaller.
The rent per square foot tends to be especially high in Miami, meaning that residents receive less bang for their buck in terms of living space. That has become a quality of life issue for workers and they look to have families, or even large pets.
More from South Florida Business Journal:
Developer proposes 79 homes in Parkland
Marina properties in Palm Beach County sell for $61M
Waterfront development site in Brickell listed for sale
According to Apartment List, forking over $1,500 in rent in South Florida will secure an apartment of 890 square feet, based on the average price per square foot of $1.68. In Miami, that same $1,500 would secure a unit of just 770 square feet.
The most expensive major city was San Francisco, with a $1,500 payment being enough to rent a tiny 340 square feet. Other pricey cities that weren't far behind included New York (350 square feet), Boston (470 square feet), Washington, D.C., (510 square feet), Los Angeles (560 square feet) and Seattle (620 square feet).
Miami apartments are downright cavernous in comparison to those cities. But there are other major cities that offer much more space per rent dollar.
Just up Interstate 95 in Jacksonville, $1,500 can rent 1,630 square feet. Other affordable cities include Memphis, Tennessee (2,090 square feet), Indianapolis (1,770 square feet), Detroit (1,750 square feet), Las Vegas (1,640 square feet), Phoenix (1,480 square feet), Charlotte, North Carolina (1,430 square feet), Houston (1,220 square feet), Baltimore (1,090 square feet), Philadelphia (1,030 square feet), Dallas (1,020 square feet), Austin, Texas (1,020 square feet) and Atlanta (1,020 square feet).
Chicago, at 890 square feet, is fairly similar to South Florida.
Here are how some other Florida cities compare on how much space $1,500 in rent can lease:
- Port St. Lucie 1,570 square feet
- Homestead 1,410 square feet
- Orlando 1,330 square feet
- Cutler Bay 1,300 square feet
- Royal Palm Beach 1,300 square feet
- Fort Myers 1,260 square feet
- Tampa 1,230 square feet
- Tamarac 1,190 square feet
- Coral Springs 1,180 square feet
- Miramar 1,150 square feet
- Parkland 1,140 square feet
- Coconut Creek 1,130 square feet
- Miami Gardens 1,120 square feet
- Lake Worth 1,110 square feet
- Boynton Beach 1,100 square feet
- Pembroke Pines 1,090 square feet
- Sunrise 1,090 square feet
- Plantation 1,090 square feet
- Davie 1,080 square feet
- Stuart 1,050 square feet
- Hialeah 1,030 square feet
- St. Petersburg 1,030 square feet
- Oakland Park 1,020 square feet
- Miami Lakes 1,010 square feet
- North Miami 980 square feet
- Doral 960 square feet
- Dania Beach 950 square feet
- Hollywood 950 square feet
- Pompano Beach 940 square feet
- Boca Raton 910 square feet
- Fort Lauderdale 910 square feet
- Riviera Beach 910 square feet
- Lighthouse Point 900 square feet
- Deerfield Beach 890 square feet
- North Miami Beach 870 square feet
- Palm Beach Gardens 860 square feet
- Delray Beach 810 square feet
- Aventura 800 square feet
- Bay Harbor Islands 780 square feet
- North Bay Village 720 square feet
- Naples 710 square feet
- Coral Gables 690 square feet
- Surfside 670 square feet
- Juno Beach 630 square feet
- Key Largo 620 square feet
- Sunny Isles Beach 560 square feet
- Miami Beach 520 square feet
- Key Biscayne 470 square feet
- Town of Palm Beach 440 square feet
- Key West 430 square feet
- Bal Harbour 420 square fee
WATCH: Inside the Miami mansion where Rihanna filmed a music video
