Zoning designation

What Is R-5 Zoning? High-Density Multifamily Residential Districts Explained

What R-5 zoning usually allows, why it is a high-density apartment district in Phoenix and Los Angeles but a two-family district in Atlanta, how New York, Detroit, and Baltimore define it, and what you can typically build.

By Nathan Robinson, Founder, Plotzy Published 5 min read

R-5 usually sits at or near the top of a city's residential ladder: the district for the densest apartment buildings the code allows outside downtown and mixed-use zones. That is the meaning in Phoenix and Los Angeles. It is not the meaning everywhere. In Atlanta, R-5 is a two-family district, and in New York and Baltimore it sits in the lower-middle of the range. The number tells you the rung, and cities build ladders of different lengths.

What R-5 usually allows

  • Apartment buildings at the highest density and height the residential districts allow, from mid-rise to high-rise depending on the city.
  • Townhouses, duplexes, and single-family homes, which usually remain permitted.
  • Senior housing, assisted living, and group living, permitted or conditional.
  • In some cities, a limited set of non-residential uses: professional offices, lodging, or ground-floor retail that serves residents.

What the code usually requires

  • Density: units per acre, lot area per unit, or floor area ratio. Where R-5 is the top multifamily district it commonly allows 40 units per acre or more; where it is a house or rowhouse district the figure is far lower.
  • Height: commonly four stories and up in the multifamily version. Some codes set no story limit and control bulk through floor area ratio and setbacks instead.
  • Parking: per-unit ratios, often reduced near transit.
  • Open space, setbacks, and step-downs next to lower-density districts.

How real cities define R-5

  • Phoenix: R-5 is the Multifamily Residence District, Restricted Commercial (Zoning Ordinance Section 618), the highest-density district in the city's R-2 through R-5 multiple-family range. See our Phoenix zoning guide.
  • Los Angeles: R5 is the last of the city's Multiple Dwelling Zones (R3, R4, R5), set out in Los Angeles Municipal Code section 12.12. It allows any R4 use plus uses such as retirement hotels, clubs and lodges, and hospitals, with a minimum lot area of 200 square feet per dwelling unit.
  • New York City: R5 is the top of the city's lower-density group (R1 through R5) on a ladder that runs to R12. The Department of City Planning describes R5 districts as allowing attached townhouses, multi-family apartment buildings, and detached or semi-detached residences at a higher density than R4. R5A, R5B, and R5D are variants.
  • Detroit: R5 is the Medium Density Residential District, covering a range from single-family houses to medium-density multiple-family buildings, with rental apartments as the primary use. R6 (High Density Residential) sits above it. See our Detroit zoning guide.
  • Baltimore: R-5 is the Transitional Residential District, the first of the city's rowhouse and multi-family districts (R-5 through R-10). It is intended as a transition from single-family neighborhoods, allowing detached and semi-detached houses, rowhouses, and limited low-rise garden apartments at moderate density.
  • Atlanta: R-5 is the Two-Family Residential District, where the permitted dwellings are single-family and two-family houses.
  • Austin does not use R-5; its multifamily districts run MF-1 through MF-6. See our Austin zoning guide.

The spread runs from duplexes to the densest apartments in the code.

What you can typically build

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In the common version, mid-rise and high-rise apartment buildings, senior housing, and dense townhouse projects, sometimes with offices or ground-floor commercial. Because the unit yield is the highest the residential code offers, small R-5 sites can support projects that would need several acres in R-3, and the land is usually priced accordingly. In the lower-density versions (Atlanta, Baltimore, New York), expect duplexes, rowhouses, townhouses, and small apartment buildings. Our multifamily site selection guide explains how to turn a unit count into an acreage target and search for it.

How to check a specific parcel

Confirm the district on the city's official zoning map, then read the density, height, and floor area standards and the list of non-residential uses. Check for overlays that reduce height near single-family neighbors. In Plotzy, filter a market to R-5 and equivalent designations by lot size, and ask Zoning AI "What density and height does R-5 allow here, and are offices permitted?" for an answer with the section cited.

Frequently asked questions

What does R-5 zoning mean?

In many cities R-5 is the highest-density multifamily residential district, allowing large apartment buildings by right. In others it is a rowhouse and small-apartment district (New York City, Baltimore) or a two-family district (Atlanta). The local code decides.

How many units can I build on R-5 land?

It depends on the city's density standard, written as units per acre, lot area per unit, or floor area ratio. Height, setbacks, parking, and open space often cap the yield before the density number does.

Can I put offices or retail on R-5 property?

Sometimes. Los Angeles's R5 allows clubs, lodges, and hospitals, and Phoenix's R-5 carries Restricted Commercial in its official name. Many other codes keep R-5 residential only. Read the district's use list.

What is the difference between R-4 and R-5?

Where both are multifamily districts, R-5 allows more units per acre and usually more height than R-4. See our R-4 explainer.

Sources

District names and standards on this page were checked against each jurisdiction's own code or planning documents on October 4, 2026. Codes are amended often, so confirm the current text before relying on any detail.

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