Acre, hectare, square feet and square metres: how do they compare?
Compare property sizes, convert between units and understand what the numbers mean.
Four units for measuring area
All four units measure area. Square feet and square metres are commonly used for homes and individual lots. Acres and hectares make larger land parcels easier to describe.
| Unit | Common labels | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Square foot | sq ft, sqft, ft² | A square 1 ft × 1 ft |
| Square metre | m², sq m, sqm | A square 1 m × 1 m |
| Acre | acre, ac | Exactly 43,560 sq ft |
| Hectare | hectare, ha | Exactly 10,000 m² |
Feet and metres measure length. Square feet and square metres measure area. For a rectangle, area = length × width. Use the same unit for both measurements.
How big is one acre or one hectare?
The illustration shows a one-hectare square: 100 m × 100 m. The acre inside it is approximately 63.6 m × 63.6 m, covering about 40.47% of the hectare.
One hectare is about 2.47 acres. The squares show the scale. A parcel measuring one acre or one hectare can have any shape.
Key conversions
| Area | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 sq ft | 0.09290304 m² |
| 1 m² | ≈ 10.7639 sq ft |
| 1 acre | 43,560 sq ft ≈ 4,046.86 m² ≈ 0.4047 hectares |
| 1 hectare | 10,000 m² ≈ 107,639.10 sq ft ≈ 2.4711 acres |
≈ means approximately. To convert an area from square feet to m², multiply by 0.09290304. To convert from m² to square feet, divide by the same number. Multiply an area in acres by 43,560 to get square feet, or an area in hectares by 10,000 to get m².
Keep the original area and round only the final result. Conversions use the international foot: see NIST's conversion tables and the BIPM SI Brochure.
Property examples
| Example | Square feet | Square metres |
|---|---|---|
| Room measuring 10 ft × 10 ft | 100 | ≈ 9.29 |
| Condominium unit listed at 1,000 sq ft | 1,000 | ≈ 92.90 |
| Terrace lot measuring 20 ft × 70 ft | 1,400 | ≈ 130.06 |
| Half-acre land parcel | 21,780 | ≈ 2,023.43 |
These are worked examples, not standard property sizes. Changing the unit changes the number, not the space: 100 m² and approximately 1,076.39 sq ft describe the same area.
Compare using the same unit and area basis
Price per square foot (PSF) = price ÷ area in square feet. A property priced at RM500,000 with an area of 100 m² costs RM5,000 per m², or approximately RM464.52 psf. Convert to the same unit before comparing rates.
Also check whether the size refers to land area or floor area. Converting units does not change what was measured. Compare land area with land area, and floor area with floor area. See floor area vs land area and how List.my chooses transaction size.
Common questions
How many square feet are in one acre?
One acre is exactly 43,560 sq ft, or approximately 4,046.86 m².
Is a hectare bigger than an acre?
Yes. One hectare is 10,000 m², or approximately 2.47 acres.
Are sqft, sq ft and ft² the same?
Yes. All three mean square feet. Similarly, sqm, sq m and m² mean square metres.
Is 100 square metres the same as 100 metres square?
No. A 10 m × 10 m square covers 100 m². A square 100 m on each side covers 10,000 m², or one hectare. Use square metres or m² to describe area clearly.
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