According to Census.gov, the two most crowded (densest) states in the U.S. are Washington D.C. and New Jersey. Washington D.C. is a beautiful area, full of gorgeous cherry blossoms, spectacular museums, sights, and countless activities. In addition to beautiful sights, Washington D.C. has a population well over 630,000. In fact, there are approximately 10,000 people living within every square mile – that is a ton of people in one area! There are up to an average of two people per rental unit¹. If you are moving to Washington, D.C., renting is definitely the way to go. The median cost for rent in D.C. is a decent $1,135, especially if you find an apartment with easy access to public transportation. In D.C., 37.5% use public transportation to get to work, which makes sense because the average commute is around 30 minutes.
The second densest state is New Jersey, where over 8.8 million people were living in 2012. Fortunately, there are only 1,205 people living per square mile – approximately 9k less people than in Washington, D.C.! The rent is a median of $1,131. The average commute to work in Jersey is 30 minutes with only 10.7% of the population using public transportation². There are a few perks to living in New Jersey including access to great beaches, fresh produce (hence why it is called the ‘Garden State’) – plus there is a gas attendant at every gas station!
Whether you live in Washington, D.C., New Jersey, or you are just starting to feel a tight squeeze in your city, ForRent.com has several tips to help maximize your small living space, especially when living in highly populated cities.
- Declutter Your Space – Every inch matters! Eliminating excess clutter can be highly beneficial. Consider selling your unneeded belongings online, purge, or donate your items to open up space.
- Get Creative with Storage – Storage is extremely important for small spaces. Get creative by using storage behind your doors, under your bed, or take advantage of vertical space such as stacking or placing a shelf over your door frame. If possible, go for multifunctional furniture pieces that also provide storage. Browse more organization ideas to make the most of your space.
- Create a Proportionate Room – Replace large or oversized furniture. Your room will appear and feel much more spacious with smaller and proportional furniture.
Make the most of your situation. Looking for more tips or curious to see what other people have done with their small spaces? Check out ApartmentTherapy.com’s Best Small Space Living Roundups.
You can also discover great ideas on how you can effectively decorate a small apartment and maximize your apartment space on blog.forrent.com.
¹ 2010 General Population and Housing Characteristics, Washington, D.C.
² 2007-2011 Economic Characteristics, New Jersey