How big is the average U.S. hospital?

If you want to understand the size and reach of a hospital, there are a few key metrics to consider: how many beds it staffs, the annual patient discharges, the number of operating rooms, and average daily census, for example. But just how large are these facilities in terms of physical space?

Using data from more than 5,800 hospitals in the Definitive Healthcare HospitalView product, this Healthcare Insight reviews the average hospital facility square footage and compares results by bed count and hospital location. The figure is aggregated from the most recent 12-month interval tracked in our database.

Real estate and construction companies use this type of data from HospitalView to understand geographical demographics, analyze clinical trends, and target healthcare systems planning to build new facilities.

How is total hospital square footage calculated?

Total hospital facility area is sourced from the Medicare Cost Report (MCR) and includes the total square footage of buildings and fixtures on which depreciation was taken.

What is the average size of a U.S. hospital in square feet?

Based on hospital facility area for over 5,890 hospitals across the United States, the average hospital square footage as of December 2025 is 355,000 square feet.

Average hospital square footage by facility type

Children’s hospitals have the largest average square footage of 861,269 sq. ft., reflecting the specialized needs of pediatric care, which often requires substantial space for both medical and child-friendly environments. Religious non-medical health care institutions are the smallest, with just 32,127 sq. ft., reflecting their more limited scope of service.

Average hospital square feet by number of beds

Fig. 1 Data is from the Definitive Healthcare HospitalView product and is aggregated from the most recent 12-month interval tracked in our database. Accessed December 2025.

Average hospital square footage by bed count

Very small hospitals (fewer than 25 beds) average just under 80,000 square feet, but space requirements increase rapidly as bed size grows. Mid-sized hospitals with 100–249 beds average more than 430,000 square feet, while large hospitals expand into the millions of square feet—nearly 1.9 million for facilities with 500–999 beds and more than 3.2 million square feet for hospitals with 1,000 beds or more. This pattern reflects how larger hospitals require disproportionately more space to support additional services, specialized care, and operational complexity beyond inpatient beds alone.

Square footage per bed

Using square footage per bed as a benchmark reveals interesting patterns in hospital design. Very small hospitals (25 beds) allocate over 6,300 sq. ft. per bed, reflecting support spaces and operational inefficiencies inherent to smaller facilities. Once hospitals reach 50 beds or more, the per-bed square footage stabilizes around 2,400–2,600 sq. ft., indicating more efficient use of space even as overall facility size grows dramatically. This metric provides a useful reference for comparing hospital layouts, planning expansions, or evaluating operational efficiency across different hospital sizes.

Average hospital square feet by region

Fig. 2 Data is from the Definitive Healthcare HospitalView product and is aggregated from the most recent 12-month interval tracked in our database. Accessed December 2025.

How does hospital size differ by location?

The data shows significant regional variation in hospital size, highlighting the differences in healthcare infrastructure, population density, and access to specialized care across the U.S. Understanding these trends can guide regional healthcare development, ensuring that resources are allocated appropriately to meet the needs of diverse populations.

Hospitals in the Northeast are the largest on average at 599,584 sq. ft., likely due to a high concentration of major teaching hospitals, specialized medical centers, and dense urban infrastructure in cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia.

The Southeast and Midwest follow with averages of 343,270 sq. ft. and 336,162 sq. ft., respectively, reflecting a mix of large urban hospitals and smaller regional facilities serving suburban and rural populations.

Hospitals in the West average 304,223 sq. ft., while those in the Southwest are smaller at 264,475 sq. ft., likely influenced by more dispersed populations and a combination of urban and rural facilities.

Hospitals in U.S. territories are the smallest on average at 198,227 sq. ft., reflecting smaller facilities adapted to local populations and healthcare needs.

Implications for health systems, builders, and vendors

Square footage metrics reveal more than facility size; they highlight operational pressures, growth opportunities, and capacity constraints. Health systems can identify where space is underutilized or overstretched, guiding expansion or renovation decisions. Builders can gain clarity on the structural and design requirements that match hospital needs, while vendors can target facilities primed for equipment or service upgrades.

The value of these insights depends on current, accurate hospital data. Outdated estimates or anecdotal benchmarks, often lacking transparency or detail at the hospital level, can mislead planning and strategy. Leveraging granular, up-to-date metrics ensures more informed capital allocation and a tangible strategic advantage.

Learn more

Want even more U.S. hospital lists and insights? Read about where healthcare construction projects are taking place and learn about how that type of information is tracked. Then, see how our clients use healthcare intelligence from Definitive Healthcare to expand and optimize facility footprints or watch our webinar about using contextualized data from HospitalView to make more intelligent real estate investments and win more business.

Start a free trial with Definitive Healthcare now and get access to the latest healthcare commercial intelligence on hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers.