The size of the American dream is shrinking

Perhaps Americans are finally learning that bigger isn’t always better – especially when it comes to home size.

The U.S. Census Bureau American Housing Survey reports that the median new home size fell to 2,135 square feet in 2009 after reaching more than 2,300 square feet earlier in the decade.

Apparently home buyers are cutting back on options as well as size, asking for multi-use rooms instead of rooms devoted to single purposes, according to CNNMoney.com. The most common number of bedrooms in today’s new home is three – half of a home’s total number of rooms. The average number of bathrooms in today’s new home is two or more, and they aren’t as big as they once were.

However, Americans may give up size but they are not giving up certain appliances: 90 percent of new homes are built with central air conditioning already installed, and 63 percent of all homes now have AC. That’s a significant increase compared with only 52 percent of owner-occupied homes – nonrental properties or second homes – that boasted of central air 10 years ago. More than 75 percent of all homes now have dishwashers, up from 65 percent in 2000.

The survey also showed that of the more than 76 million owner-occupied homes in 2009, 63 million were traditional detached, single-family residences. And many more homeowners live in the suburbs than in cities.