π Price Per Square Foot Calculator
Compare homes by what each square foot costs.
Home A price per square foot
Estimates for planning only, not financial advice.
Price per square foot divides a home's price by its living area, letting you compare houses of different sizes on equal footing. A $450,000 home with 1,800 square feet costs $250 per square foot; a $475,000 home with 2,000 square feet costs $237.50. The bigger, pricier house is actually the better value per foot. Headline prices mislead; per-foot prices compare.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter price and square footage for one home, or two to compare. Use above-grade living area consistently: finished basements and garages are usually excluded from the official figure, and mixing them in corrupts the comparison.
Enter each home's price and living-area square footage from the listing.
Read the per-foot prices. The lower number is the better value per square foot.
Adjust for condition and lot before deciding. Our home affordability calculator checks what you can carry.
The Price Per Square Foot Formula
Simple division, but the inputs need care. Living area should be heated, finished, above-grade space measured to consistent standards (ANSI in the US). Lot size, garages, and unfinished basements add value but do not belong in the denominator. Two listings measured differently can show a false gap.
Worked Example
Home A: $450,000 / 1,800 sq ft = $250.00 per sq ft. Home B: $475,000 / 2,000 sq ft = $237.50 per sq ft. Home B costs $25,000 more overall but $12.50 less per foot: you get 200 extra square feet for $25,000, or $125 per marginal foot, well below either home's average. If the extra space is usable, B is the value.
Reading Your Result
Per-foot price is a comparison tool, not a valuation. Location dominates: $250 per foot is cheap in San Francisco and dear in Tulsa. Condition, lot, layout, and schools all shift fair value per foot. Use the metric to rank similar homes in the same area, then judge the winner on everything the number cannot see.
My rule: beware the small-home premium. Small homes almost always show higher per-foot prices because kitchens, baths, and systems cost nearly the same regardless of size. Do not reject a small home for a high per-foot figure alone; judge total price against your needs and budget. And verify the square footage: inflated listings are common, and county records are the check. For the monthly cost behind any price, our mortgage payment calculator translates price to payment.
Per-foot pricing breaks down at the extremes. Tiny homes and studios show sky-high per-foot prices because kitchens and bathrooms cost the same whatever the size; sprawling estates show low per-foot prices because the fifth bedroom adds little. Compare within size bands, or the metric punishes exactly the homes you are considering.
Appraisers never rely on per-foot alone: they adjust comparable sales for condition, upgrades, lot, and location, then reconcile. Do the same informally. A $250/ft home needing $60,000 of work is really a $283/ft home on 1,800 feet. The ratio is a starting line for comparison, not a verdict on value.
When markets move fast, per-foot data lags: closed sales are months old by the time they publish. Pair the ratio with active listing prices and days-on-market for the current picture.
Estimates for planning only, not financial advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate price per square foot?
Divide the home's price by its living-area square footage. $450,000 / 1,800 sq ft = $250 per sq ft. Use above-grade finished living area consistently for both homes you compare. Appraisers measure to ANSI standards: your tape measure and theirs may disagree.
What is a good price per square foot?
It is entirely local. National medians mean little; compare within the neighborhood and property type. A good price per foot is below recent comparable sales per foot for similar condition homes nearby. New construction commands a premium per foot: compare new to new, resale to resale.
Does price per square foot include the lot?
No. The denominator is the home's living area, not lot size. Lot value shows up in the numerator (price) but not the denominator, which is why homes on big lots show higher per-foot prices. Acreage gets valued separately in rural appraisals: per-foot math breaks down on land-heavy parcels.
Are garages counted in square footage?
Generally no. Standard measurement counts heated, finished, above-grade living area. Garages, unfinished basements, and porches are excluded, though finished below-grade space is sometimes listed separately. Finished basements count in some markets and not others: ask how the MLS defines it locally.
Why do smaller homes cost more per square foot?
Fixed costs: kitchens, bathrooms, HVAC, and roofing cost similar amounts regardless of size, so they spread over fewer feet. This is normal and not a sign of overpricing. Developers know this: studios carry the highest per-foot prices in any building.
Can price per square foot be manipulated?
Yes, by inflating the square footage with garages, porches, or unfinished space. Verify against county assessor records and the appraisal, which measure to professional standards. Tax records lag renovations: a flipper's new addition may not appear for a year, so verify with the listing agent.
Should I use price per square foot to make an offer?
As one input. Find comparable sales per foot for similar homes, adjust for condition and upgrades, and anchor your offer there. Then confirm the total price fits your budget and the home fits your life. Offer per foot, but negotiate total dollars: sellers think in totals, not ratios.
Does renovation raise price per square foot?
It raises the numerator (price) without changing the denominator (size), so yes, mathematically. Whether the market pays for the renovation per foot depends on the quality and the neighborhood's ceiling. Over-improving past the neighborhood ceiling rarely returns its cost per foot.
How does price per square foot differ for condos?
Same formula, but compare only to other condos: shared walls, HOA dues, and amenities shift value per foot versus single-family homes. Always add HOA dues to the monthly cost comparison. HOA dues of $500/month equal $6,000 a year: capitalize that into your value comparison.
Is price per square foot or total price more important?
Total price determines what you pay and can afford; per-foot price determines relative value. Use per-foot to choose between options, total price to decide if you should buy at all. A $50,000 cheaper home at a higher per-foot price is still $50,000 cheaper.