A new analysis of data collected by RealtyTrac shows the size of the average American home increased 43 percent between 1900 and 2015. In fact, the data shows the footprint of the median U.S. home grew from 1,612 square feet to 2,312 square feet over the past 115 years. By comparison, the average American man only grew four inches to 5’10” during the same period. The data – which looked at the size of millions of homes in each decade – shows home size accelerated after around 1980. Average square footage hovered around 1,500 square feet for much of the first half of the 20^th century, actually falling to 1,340 square feet between 1940 and 1949. However, after 1980 home sizes began to grow larger and larger. For example, the average home was 1,831 square feet between 1980 and 1989, just over 200 square feet larger than it was 80 years earlier. But, in the 35 years since, average square footage jumped nearly 500 square feet, growing by almost 200 square feet per decade. More here.