Peak Sprawl Shrinks Home Sizes in Southern California

"Faced with a dearth of developable land, home builders across Southern California are cramming more houses into less space," observes Conor Dougherty. "Many are dispensing with the single-family homes that have defined the region's development for half a century (Exhibit A: 'The Brady Bunch'). In their place they are building somewhat smaller structures in the form of townhouses or pairs of homes that share one wall."

"Rising home and land prices are driving the shift toward attached houses, but they aren't the only factors," he continues. "Many home buyers are willing to trade a smaller structure for a shorter commute to work."