When Less Isn’t More: Lubbock Apartments Are Shrinking In Square Feet

Are you feeling a little cramped inside Lubbock apartments? This time it isn't you- it's them. Lubbock apartments are, on average, considerably smaller than they once were.

Are New Apartments In Lubbock Small?

According to Rent Cafe, an average new Lubbock apartment is considerably smaller than ones built pre-2015.

New Lubbock apartments are on average 995 square feet (or 25' X 40'), which is 84 square feet less than before. That's a shrinkage of 8% of floorspace.

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Trying to imagine 995 square feet? It's a little less than half a regulation tennis court, according to Rent.com. That feels...cramped.

Why Are Lubbock Apartments Getting Smaller?

There are probably several reasons for this, and I can only (hopefully intelligently) speculate. Here are a few potential reasons:

More Students- Texas Tech (WRECK 'EM) has grown significantly over recent years. As a former student myself, I valued lower overhead over breathing room. If you are a builder, especially near campus, it makes sense to build smaller, more economical apartments that students (or their parents) can afford.

Market Forces- Construction costs are way up and will likely stay that way. Taking a gamble on a ton of building materials might not be wise if folks in the area can't afford to pay the difference in rent.

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Downtown Remodels- This really is guesswork on my part, but Lubbock has seen some older buildings extensively remodeled to become apartment spaces. And while some of the apartments are massive and oh-so-chic condos, many were constructed to accommodate lower incomes and are proportionately smaller.

How To Get More Square Feet In Lubbock

This is pretty simple- look for older apartments to rent a unit at (although that will come with its own potential drawbacks), or consider renting a house or duplex/ townhouse.

If you are flexible about the neighborhood, you may be able to get more space for your buck, but if you have to live in Southwest Lubbock, expect to pay a premium per square foot.