This Small Illinois Town Has Some of the Biggest Yards in America

Which would you rather have - a huge house with a limited lawn, or a humble abode with a massive yard? If you think your neighbors are a little too close for comfort and you're looking for a little more backyard breathing room, this list might be the perfect resource.

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LawnStarter compiled a list of 2,000 U.S. cities, ranking them from smallest to largest, based on the average yard sizes of single-family homes from the Federal Housing Finance Agency. I'm not exactly sure what I expected - because it's not something I've ever thought about comparing - but I was surprised by the results.

This Small Illinois Town Has Some of the Country's BIGGEST Yards

With a population of just over 22,000 people, CARBONDALE, IL is #1,981 on the list (#1 being the smallest) with an average yard size of .732 acres, which is well above the national average of half an acre.

Big Cities Equal Small Lawns

The top of this list (the smallest yards) is full of larger cities in populated metro areas, which makes sense. Cities like Philadelphia, Boston, and New York aren't known for their sprawling landscapes and wide open spaces. It's really no surprise that only one of the 30 cities with the biggest lawns has a population higher than 50,000.

Head South for Bigger Yards (for the Most Part)

The data shows that North Carolina and Texas have the most cities ranked with the 150 largest lawns. Other Southern states like Arkansas, Georgia, and Tennessee also rank among the biggest. Having said that, the six cities with the biggest average lawns in America are really nowhere near the South, and they might surprise you...