If you're considering moving to Los Angeles, get comfortable with close quarters — the typical family in this southern California city can afford a mere 757 square feet of living space.
That's according to NerdWallet's recent report estimating how much space a family earning the area's median income can afford in the 100 most populated US metros.
Pulling data on debt, housing costs, and home prices, NerdWallet assessed how much a "married couple family" (two adults with zero to four children, according to the BLS) with median income could afford to spend on a home while remaining within reasonable budget parameters. This recommended home price was then divided by Zillow's 2014 median price per square foot to calculate how big of a space the typical family can afford.
(Read the full methodology in the report.)
Below, we included the following data for the 15 biggest metro areas in the US:
• The median family income, which NerdWallet determined by collaborating with the Bureau of Labor Statistics to project 2013 numbers into 2015
• NerdWallet's suggested amount to spend on a home
• The total affordable square feet for a typical family, ranked from highest square footage to lowest
SEE ALSO: How much you have to save per day to put a down payment on a house in 19 major US cities
15. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Georgia
Population: 5,524,700
Median family income: $84,896
Suggested amount to spend on a home: $287,607
Total affordable square feet: 3,032
14. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Michigan
Population: 4,295,000
Median family income: $85,835
Suggested amount to spend on a home: $297,141
Total affordable square feet: 3,024
13. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania
Population: 6,034,700
Median family income: $102,002
Suggested amount to spend on a home: $366,891
Total affordable square feet: 2,837
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