U.S. Single family homes - statistics & facts

Everyone wants to feel like the king or queen of their own castle, and there is no other type of home that makes one feel this way more than a single-family house. In the United States, the majority of housing units are single-family houses – about 82 million out of the total 129 million occupied units in 2021. These homes are mostly owner-occupied, but a small share is rented. Most of the sales are of existing homes and just a small share is of newly built homes. In 2022, 5.8 million existing home sales took place, versus 644,000 newly built home sales.

Fewer single-family homes in the future?

The prices of single-family homes spiked in 2022 - the culmination of a decade-long upward trend. That is widely attributed to construction struggling to meet the demand coming from the formation of new households and leading to a chronic shortage of newly built housing. Despite having grown steadily in recent years, the number of permits for the construction of new single-family homes has not recovered since plummeting in 2005. Like many other industries, the challenges facing the construction industry are many: inflation, surging construction costs, and mortgage rates. Another major limitation is that single-family homes require space, and this space is often not available where it is needed. Lately, zoning reform has been the talk of the town. Zoning is criticized for inhibiting construction by limiting housing density through minimum lot sizes, height limits, and the restriction on different building types. Oregon, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine are some of the states that have already taken action, by eliminating single-family zoning, changing parking requirements, or updating the state’s land use law. On a local level, Minneapolis, Raleigh, and Spokane have also made progress with the reform. How far these efforts go and what it means for single-family homes and housing affordability, only time will tell.

The typical American single-family home

American homes have gotten larger over the years. In 1975, a new home had an average floor area of about 1,660 square feet. By 2021, this figure had increased by about 825 square feet. Owning a house that is big enough is especially important for families with children, but the price tag coming with a large property can be a discouraging factor. That is possibly the reason why the age group most likely to buy a home bigger than the average was 42 to 56-year-olds. Outdoor features such as porches, patios, and decks are a popular addition to newly built homes. In 2021, about 330,000 new houses came with a patio and porch, making it the leading outdoor feature in the United States. Only about 87,000 new homes were built with no outdoor features.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

Total home sales in the U.S.: 5.8m

Median price of existing homes in the U.S.: 391.5k USD

Number of households renting single family homes in the U.S.: 14.1m

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Total home sales in the United States from 2011 to 2021 with a forecast until 2023 (in millions)

Residential Real Estate

Total home sales in the U.S. 2011-2021 with forecast until 2023

Median size of single family housing unit in the United States from 2000 to 2021 (in square feet)

Houses

Median size of single family house in the U.S. 2000-2021

Residential Real Estate

Average price per square foot in new single-family houses U.S. 2000-2021

Recommended statistics

Overview

Premium Statistic Total home sales in the U.S. 2011-2021 with forecast until 2023
Total home sales in the U.S. 2011-2021 with forecast until 2023
Total home sales in the United States from 2011 to 2021 with a forecast until 2023 (in millions)
Premium Statistic Median sale price of existing homes sold in the U.S. 2017-2022 with forecast for 2023
Median sale price of existing homes sold in the U.S. 2017-2022 with forecast for 2023
Median price of existing homes in the United States from 3rd quarter 2017 to 3rd quarter 2022 with forecast until 2023 (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Median size of single family house in the U.S. 2000-2021
Median size of single family house in the U.S. 2000-2021
Median size of single family housing unit in the United States from 2000 to 2021 (in square feet)
Premium Statistic Single-family vs multifamily homes in the U.S. 2021
Single-family vs multifamily homes in the U.S. 2021
Number of homes in the United States in 2021, by type (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Number of owner occupied houses in the U.S. 2021, by units in structure
Number of owner occupied houses in the U.S. 2021, by units in structure
Number of owner occupied houses in the United States 2021, by units in structure (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Metros with the highest housing shortage in the U.S. 2022
Metros with the highest housing shortage in the U.S. 2022
Housing shortage in the largest metros in the United States in 2022, based on new job openings per one building permit

Construction

Premium Statistic Single-family housing starts in the U.S. 1980-2021, with 2022 and 2023 forecasts
Single-family housing starts in the U.S. 1980-2021, with 2022 and 2023 forecasts
Volume of new single family home construction in the United States from 1980 to 2021, with forecasts for 2022 and 2023 (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Value single family construction put in place U.S. 2005-2021 with forecasts to 2026
Value single family construction put in place U.S. 2005-2021 with forecasts to 2026
New single family construction spending in the United States from 2005 to 2021, with forecasts from 2022 to 2026 (in billion current U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Number of single family building permits in the U.S. 2000-2021
Number of single family building permits in the U.S. 2000-2021
Number of single family building permits in the United States from 2000 to 2021 (in thousands)
Premium Statistic Lot inventory for new home construction in 30 cities in the U.S. 2020-2022
Lot inventory for new home construction in 30 cities in the U.S. 2020-2022
Lot supply index for new single-family housing across 30 different cities in the United States from 1st quarter of 2020 to 3rd quarter of 2022
Premium Statistic Size of floor area in new single-family homes in the U.S. 1975-2021
Size of floor area in new single-family homes in the U.S. 1975-2021
Average size of floor area in new single-family houses built for sale in the United States from 1975 to 2021 (in square feet)
Premium Statistic Residential construction costs in the U.S. Q3 2022, by city
Residential construction costs in the U.S. Q3 2022, by city
Average construction costs of single-family and multifamily residential buildings in the United States in the 3rd quarter 2022, by city (in U.S. dollars per square foot)

Home sales

Premium Statistic Sales price of existing single-family houses in the U.S. 2000-2022
Sales price of existing single-family houses in the U.S. 2000-2022
Median sales price of existing single-family homes in the United States from 2000 to 2022 (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Median sales price of new homes sold in the U.S. 1965-2022
Median sales price of new homes sold in the U.S. 1965-2022
Median sales price of new homes sold in the United States from 1965 to 2022 (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Typical price of single-family homes in the U.S. 2019-2023, by state
Typical price of single-family homes in the U.S. 2019-2023, by state
Typical price of single-family homes the United States from 2019 to 2023, by state (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Median sales price of existing single-family homes in the U.S. by metro 2020-2022
Median sales price of existing single-family homes in the U.S. by metro 2020-2022
Median sales price of existing single-family homes in the United States from 2020 to 2022, by metropolitan area (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Average price per square foot in new single-family houses U.S. 2000-2021
Average price per square foot in new single-family houses U.S. 2000-2021
Average price per square foot of floor space in new single-family houses in the United States from 2000 to 2021 (in U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Annual home price appreciation in the 50 U.S. states as of Q3 2022
Annual home price appreciation in the 50 U.S. states as of Q3 2022
Percentage change from previous year of single-family housing prices in the different states of the United States as of 3rd quarter 2022
Premium Statistic Median sales price of luxury single family homes in selected markets in the U.S. 2022
Median sales price of luxury single family homes in selected markets in the U.S. 2022
Median sales price of luxury single family homes in the United States as of March 2022, by selected market (in million U.S. dollars)
Premium Statistic Cost breakdown of the sales price of single-family homes in the U.S. 2017-2022
Cost breakdown of the sales price of single-family homes in the U.S. 2017-2022
Cost breakdown of the sales price of single-family homes in the United States from 2017 to 2022

Outdoor features

Premium Statistic Number of single-family homes built with outdoor features U.S. 2010-2021
Number of single-family homes built with outdoor features U.S. 2010-2021
Number of single-family houses built with outdoor features in the United States from 2010 to 2021 (in thousands)
Premium Statistic Number of single-family homes built with outdoor features U.S. 2021, by feature
Number of single-family homes built with outdoor features U.S. 2021, by feature
Number of single-family houses built with outdoor features in the United States in 2021, by feature (in thousands)
Premium Statistic Number of single-family homes built without outdoor features U.S. 2010-2021
Number of single-family homes built without outdoor features U.S. 2010-2021
Number of single-family houses built with no outdoor features in the United States from 2010 to 2021 (in thousands)
Premium Statistic Number of single-family homes built with decks U.S. 2010-2021
Number of single-family homes built with decks U.S. 2010-2021
Number of single-family houses built with a deck only in the United States from 2010 to 2021 (in thousands)
Premium Statistic Number of single-family homes built with decks and porches U.S. 2010-2021
Number of single-family homes built with decks and porches U.S. 2010-2021
Number of single-family houses built with a deck and a porch in the United States from 2010 to 2021 (in thousands)
Premium Statistic Number of single-family homes built with decks, porches and patios U.S. 2010-2021
Number of single-family homes built with decks, porches and patios U.S. 2010-2021
Number of single-family houses built with a deck, a porch and a patio in the United States from 2010 to 2021 (in thousands)

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Key figures

The most important key figures provide you with a compact summary of the topic of "Single family homes in the U.S." and take you straight to the corresponding statistics.

Number of single family housing starts in the U.S.
1123,000
Detailed statistics
Single-family housing starts in the U.S. 1980-2021, with 2022 and 2023 forecasts
Multifamily housing starts in the U.S.
474,000
Detailed statistics
Multifamily house starts in the U.S. 1980-2021, with 2022 and 2023 forecasts
U.S. metro with highest home construction value
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Detailed statistics
Metropolitan areas with highest value of new home construction in the U.S. 2021