Where can you be a city dweller in a house with a nice big yard? With mortgage interest rates decreasing — aka more financial bandwidth to buy a bigger property — LawnStarter ranked 2024′s Cities With the Biggest and Smallest Yards.
We compared the 2,000 biggest U.S. cities based on the average yard sizes of single-family homes from the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Plan your next move with our ranking and see the Top 20 below. To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology.
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Is having a big yard a blessing or a burden? We also conducted a survey of U.S. homeowners to find out. After perusing our ranking, explore the results of our Yard Size Survey.
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Key Insights of City Rankings
Only the top 150 cities in our 2,000-city ranking enjoy lawns larger than the national average of half an acre.
Small-city living offers the most yard space: Each of our top 10 cities has a population below 50,000. Unsurprisingly, congested cities like New York (No. 1,993) and San Francisco (No. 1,998) tumbled to the bottom of our ranking with some of the smallest plots.
North Carolina and Texas tied with the most cities — 15 each — in the top 150. Most cities in other Southern states like Arkansas, Georgia, and Tennessee finished in the top half of our ranking.
Highlights
- The average yard size among the bottom 97 cities is less than 0.1 acres (or less than 1/10th of an acre), while only the top 2 cities — Carney, Maryland (No. 1) and Linton Hall, Virginia (No. 2) — boast averages over 1 acre.
- Every city representing Mississippi, New Hampshire, and South Dakota scored in the top half of our ranking.
- Those looking for a big-city lifestyle and big backyards should house-hunt in places like Charlotte, North Carolina (No. 722), Jacksonville, Florida (No. 761), and Oklahoma City (No. 784) — each with over 680,000 residents.
- Many Western urbanites go without spacious yards. One California city — Fallbrook (No. 5) — landed in the top 10, while 255 Golden State cities shrank into the bottom half of our ranking.
Methodology
First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the Cities With the Biggest Yards. We then gathered the average yard acreage for each of the 2,000 biggest U.S. cities from the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank. The highest Overall Score ranked "Biggest" (No. 1) and the lowest "Smallest" (No. 2,000).
Note: Population data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau for reference purposes only.
Final Thoughts: Find the Perfect Plot
With mortgage loan limits increasing this year and lower interest rates on the horizon, homeowners may be able to put more money toward a home with their dream backyard in 2024.
Whether it's for gardening, playing with Fido, or cornhole competitions with the kids, having green space to escape to is beneficial for the body and mind.
Make the most of your large lawn with our tips and tricks below.
- Keep an eye out for lawn diseases.
- Get the best lawn mower for a big yard.
- Decrease your chore list (and water bill) with xeriscaping.
- Add some glamour with a small backyard pond or cozy outdoor fireplace.
- Install a fence for even more privacy.
- Set out some fun backyard games like pickleball.
If your yard is on the smaller side, you can still take steps to improve your space.
- Use landscaping to enhance front yard curb appeal.
- Get the right mower for a small property.
- Buy a robotic lawn mower to keep the grass in check.
- Add balance to the backyard with creative landscape design.
This story was produced by LawnStarter and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.