What Is the Average Price Per Square Foot for a Home—and Why Does It Matter?

If you’re hoping to buy a house, the very first dollar figure you’ll want to know is the home’s price, of course. But a close second is its cost for each square foot—and the average cost for each square foot for a home in that neighborhood (or the median cost for a square foot of home space, which is actually a better representative of the middle ground of the market than the average). Here’s what you should know about these numbers, and how to use them to your advantage as you shop for a home.