Does Hawaii Have the Smallest Homes for Sale in the Country?

I recently came across an ordered ranking of median size of homes for sale by state. The study looked at all homes for sale in September 2011 — this means single family, multi-family, condos and vacant land were all mashed up in the same data group, so take it with a HUGE grain of salt. However, it’s still an interesting list to kick around.

What state would you expect to be at the top? If you guessed Utah, you’re correct. The median home for sale in Utah this past September was 2,305 sqft, according to the study. In fact, most of the states at the top of list are in the Midwest — Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Texas round out the top 5. And really, this is not much of a surprise. Picture those large ranches or farmhouses on large parcels of land out in the wilderness. Any Silverado fans?

At the other end, can you guess the smallest? What if I told you the list included our nation’s capital? Ok, it’s not a state, but Washington, D.C. is at the bottom, with an average home for sale of just 1,000 sqft. As a former resident of the Maryland and Virginia suburbs (my home before moving to Honolulu), I can tell you that there are many neighborhoods in D.C. with streets of rowhouses one after the other.

However, among actual states, our very own island home Hawaii was ranked #50 with a median size of just 1308 sqft. The next biggest was Michigan at 1530 sqft, so we don’t really have much company at the bottom. Remembering that the data included all types of property for sale, Hawaii’s significant percentage of condos and townhouses compared to most other states can be expected to give us the (next to) last spot. From Honolulu to Makakilo, Lahaina to Kihei, Kona and other areas, Hawaii packs ’em in.

What does this mean about Hawaii real estate and our expectations? Would it be fair to say that we’re content with smaller homes here? That having the smallest homes is a worthwhile tradeoff for the climate, resources and other perks of living in what most of the world considers a paradise? Maybe it depends on how much time you spend in the house versus at the beach or in the water! But really, it’s just different strokes for different folks. Some people would much rather have that big house at the base of the Rockies with a view of the snow-capped mountains, while others will trade that in an instant for a smaller home with a 5-minute drive to the beach and sunshine year-round.

How important is home size to you when buying a house or deciding where to live?