These 2 NC cities top a list of places with ‘spacious homes’ & ‘nicely sized yards’

Two North Carolina cities ranked highly on recent lists of urban environments with spacious homes with nicely sized yards.

Raleigh was deemed the city with the most generous space at home in a July report by StorageCafe, an online publication that conducts research reports, including housing and migration trends.

Charlotte was ranked #3 on their list of the 50 largest cities across America.

StorageCafe use data from PropertyShark, the U.S. Census, Zillow, the FBI and Yardi Matrix to determine their findings. You can read the report at storagecafe.com/blog.

These cities “provide a breath of fresh air, allowing residents to indulge in the luxury of larger yards, gardens and open spaces that seem like a rarity in densely populated areas,” Work + Money wrote in a recent report also naming Raleigh and Charlotte well-spaced cities with large homes.

Raleigh, NC has the most home space, report says

North Carolina’s capital city ranked #1 in StorageCafe’s report for its “spacious living in an urban environment.”

Raleigh has gone against the national trend, actually gaining home square footage in recent years.

Other characteristics of the city — such as safe neighborhoods, a solid home-price-to-income ratio and commuting time — have made Raleigh one of the most desirable places to move to, StorageCafe said.

A Raleigh home generally takes up about 18% of the lot, the report said, leaving a sizable backyard for gardening, entertaining and family playtime.

Here are some median Raleigh living stats, based on a StorageCafe analysis:

• Lot size is 10,450 square feet

• Home size is 1,950 square feet

• Single family house price is $436,100

• Income is $73,000

• Commuting time is 24 minutes

• Crime rate is 26 per 1,000 people

Raleigh has 5th-biggest homes in USA

Of the 50 largest cities in the nation, Raleigh was ranked #5 on the list of cities with the biggest homes.

Charlotte also made the top 10 list.

Here’s are the 10 cities with the largest homes with median home sizes:

1. Milwaukee, WI with 2,450 square feet

2. Omaha, NE with 2,430 square feet

3. Austin, TX with 2,020 square feet

4. Miami, FL with 2,010 square feet

5. Raleigh, NC with 1,950 square feet

6. Atlanta, GA with 1,950 square feet

7. New York City, NY with 1,920 square feet

8. Bakersfield, CA with 1,910 square feet

9. Charlotte, NC with 1,900 square feet

10. Fresno, CA with 1,870 square feet

Charlotte, NC among cities with big homes, yards

The Queen City “offers great perks for those who value space both indoors and outdoors,” StorageCafe wrote.

Charlotte homes also take up about 18% of their lots, giving homeowners large backyards.

Here are some median Charlotte living stats from StorageCafe’s analysis:

• Lot size is 10,600 square feet

• Home size is 1,900 square feet

• Single family house price is $393,000

• Commuting time is about 25 minutes

• Crime rate is 39 per 1,000 people

This story was originally published December 4, 2023 at 2:37 PM.

Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska

The News & Observer

919-419-6630

Kimberly Tutuska (she/her) is the editor of North Carolina’s service journalism team.