Price Per Square Foot by US City

Median price per square foot for major US metros in 2026. Compare cities and calculate any home against the local benchmark.

Browse US Cities

Explore median price per square foot across major US metropolitan areas.

Persistent Comparison Engine

Side-by-Side Benchmark Comparison

Compare 2 to 3 cities or property types simultaneously. Adjust your budget in real time to visualize purchasing power and save persistent views.

🏙️ Compare US Cities

Quick Presets:

Slot 1Anchor Benchmark

Slot 2

Slot 3

Adjust Target Homebuyer Budget:

$500,000

$150k$500k (US Median)$1M$2M

Slot 1

San Francisco

CA Metro Area

Median Benchmark

$1,050

per square foot

+377% vs US Median ($220)

Space for $500,000:476 sq ft

2,000 sq ft Home:$2,100,000

1,200 sq ft Starter:$1,260,000

View San Francisco City Hub →

Slot 2

Austin

TX Metro Area

Median Benchmark

$410

per square foot

+86% vs US Median ($220)

Space for $500,000:1,220 sq ft

2,000 sq ft Home:$820,000

1,200 sq ft Starter:$492,000

Delta vs San Francisco:-61% ($-$640/ft)

View Austin City Hub →

Takeaway: Austin is 61% cheaper per square foot than San Francisco. For a $500,000 budget, you gain an extra 744 sq ft of livable space.

Understanding City Benchmarks

🏙️

City Purchasing Power Comparator

Compare real housing square footage purchased for your budget across 52 US metros

Interactive Tool

1. Benchmark City A

2. Comparison City B

3. Target Purchase Budget ($)

San Jose Space639 sq ft@ $783/sq ft

Austin Space1,220 sq ft@ $410/sq ft

Square Footage Delta+581 sq ft+91% more space in Austin

Price Spread Per Foot$373/sq ftSan Jose is pricier

Relative Purchasing Power for $500,000Living Space Comparison

San Jose, CA639 sq ft

Austin, TX1,220 sq ft

Tier 1: Coastal Superstars

$650 – $1,050/sq ft

San Francisco ($1,050), San Jose ($783), Honolulu ($750), San Diego ($720), and NYC ($542). Characterized by severe geographical barriers (bays, mountains, oceans), restrictive zoning codes, and top-tier tech/finance wage concentrations.

Land ConstraintSevere

Median Home$1.2M – $1.8M

Tier 2: High-Growth Sunbelt

$300 – $500/sq ft

Austin ($410), Denver ($390), Miami ($480), Nashville ($330), Phoenix ($310), and Dallas ($280). Influx markets driven by corporate tax relocations, strong net migration, and extensive master-planned suburban construction.

Supply VelocityRapid Expansion

Median Home$480k – $750k

Tier 3: Value Heartland

$150 – $250/sq ft

Chicago ($207), Cleveland ($180), Detroit ($169), Houston ($230), and Oklahoma City ($150). Abundant flat land, flexible municipal zoning, and historic housing stock create the highest purchasing power per dollar in North America.

AffordabilityHigh Ratio

Median Home$225k – $380k

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Rule of Thumb: Median vs Average in City Benchmarks

Always negotiate against the median price per square foot rather than the average. In metros with ultra-luxury enclaves (e.g. Bel Air in Los Angeles or Paradise Valley in Phoenix), eight-figure mega-estates heavily pull the mathematical average upward, creating an artificially elevated perception of normal neighborhood pricing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about city pricing benchmarks

What is 'price per square foot' and how is it calculated?

Price per square foot is a benchmark metric calculated by dividing a property's total sale or listing price by its total livable square footage. It helps to quickly gauge how a property's value compares to others in the same city or neighborhood.

What counts as livable square footage?

Generally, only finished interior spaces like bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, and kitchens are included. Unfinished basements, attics, garages, patios, and decks are almost always excluded from official square footage calculations.

Is price per square foot a reliable way to compare home values?

It is a useful starting point, but it should not be the only metric you use. It ignores critical factors like location desirability, property condition, lot size, school districts, and unique architectural features that significantly drive up a home's value.

Why do smaller homes sometimes have a higher price per square foot?

Smaller homes often have a higher price per square foot due to economies of scale. The most expensive rooms to build are kitchens and bathrooms. In a smaller home, these high-cost areas make up a larger percentage of the total footprint compared to a massive house.

Should I use average or median price per square foot for my city?

Real estate professionals prefer using the median rather than the average. The median represents the exact middle point of all data, which prevents the final number from being skewed by a few ultra-luxury mansions or extremely distressed properties.

All Tracked US Metro Benchmarks

Direct access to local median price per square foot calculations and market benchmarks across all 50+ tracked US metropolitan regions.

San Francisco, CA$1050/sqft San Jose, CA$783/sqft Honolulu, HI$750/sqft San Diego, CA$720/sqft Los Angeles, CA$655/sqft Seattle, WA$610/sqft New York Metro$542/sqft Washington, D.C.$520/sqft Miami, FL$480/sqft Boston, MA$461/sqft Portland, OR$420/sqft Austin, TX$410/sqft Denver, CO$390/sqft Sacramento, CA$375/sqft Riverside, CA$365/sqft Raleigh, NC$340/sqft Charlotte, NC$335/sqft Nashville, TN$330/sqft Boise, ID$320/sqft Phoenix, AZ$310/sqft Las Vegas, NV$290/sqft Dallas, TX$280/sqft Tampa, FL$275/sqft Orlando, FL$270/sqft Atlanta, GA$260/sqft Salt Lake City, UT$260/sqft Anchorage, AK$240/sqft Philadelphia, PA$240/sqft Minneapolis, MN$230/sqft Houston, TX$230/sqft San Antonio, TX$220/sqft New Orleans, LA$220/sqft Richmond, VA$218/sqft Savannah, GA$214/sqft Columbus, OH$210/sqft Chicago, IL$207/sqft Indianapolis, IN$195/sqft Louisville, KY$195/sqft Pittsburgh, PA$190/sqft Cincinnati, OH$185/sqft Omaha, NE$185/sqft Cleveland, OH$180/sqft Des Moines, IA$180/sqft Kansas City, MO$175/sqft St. Louis, MO$172/sqft Birmingham, AL$170/sqft Detroit, MI$169/sqft Milwaukee, WI$165/sqft Baltimore, MD$160/sqft Memphis, TN$155/sqft Oklahoma City, OK$150/sqft Tulsa, OK$145/sqft