Accompanying this report are tables and charts based on RSMeans’ measures of dollar-per-square-foot construction costs. The results for 25 major cities are shown for four types of educational facilities. Means has updated specifications with regard to its building cost models for an elementary school. For this reason, it is not valid to directly compare this year’s figures with last year’s in that one category. That is why the percentage change column reads “not applicable”. Specifications for the other three school categories are comparable and percentage changes, year over year, are shown. 

Ranking by Expense − Really not much Difference between the Four Types

Among the four categories of schools shown in the table and graphs, it is most expensive to build a junior high school. The second-most expensive is an elementary school. Third spot goes to a high school. In last position, but really not that much less expensive to build than the other categories, is a vocational school. While ranked here, there is no huge difference in the square-foot cost of construction of the four school types. For example, in New York, which has the biggest spread, it amounts to only $10 per square foot.    

New York is the Most Expensive; Cities in the South are least expensive

New York has the highest dollar-per-square-foot construction costs in the country. San Francisco, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia round out the top five. Relatively low-cost cities are mainly in the southeast and southwest, including Miami, Atlanta, Phoenix, Houston and Dallas.

The nation’s capital, Washington, is in the low mid-range for construction costs among the 25 cities considered in the table and graphs. The same holds true for Pittsburgh and Denver. Seattle, Detroit and St. Louis are in the upper mid-range. In California, dollar-per-square foot construction costs in Los Angeles and San Diego are between 12% and 15% lower than in San Francisco.

Some City Comparisons

It is interesting to make some regional comparisons. It now costs about 28% more to build in Chicago than in Atlanta. The relationship is about the same (26%) between higher-cost Philadelphia and lower-cost Miami. The mark-up in New York, the most expensive city among the 25 shown, and Winston Salem, the least expensive, is slightly more than two-thirds or 70%.

Percentage Changes Restrained by Recession

The year-over-year percentage change calculation is valid in the three categories for which specifications have been kept the same. The 25-city average is +2.6% for a junior high school, +1.7% for a high school and +2.9% for a vocational school. With the economy struggling, construction costs are being restrained as well. Note that the latest change in the Consumer Price Index, for August 2009 versus August 2008, was -1.5%.