What Size Yards Do Americans Want in 2024?

For many Americans, having yard space is a must, and about 66% want a big (over a half-acre) yard, according to a recent survey conducted by LawnStarter.

Demographically, the survey found that the desire for a large yard decreases with age, as people 18-24 are over twice as likely to want a big yard than people older than 65. Additionally, non-Hispanic white respondents had the biggest preference for smaller-than-average yards, followed by Asian respondents.

Of those surveyed, 75.5% reported having a yard currently and 24.5% said they did not. For those with a yard, the large majority (51.5%) had one that was a quarter-acre or less, 21.6% had half an acre, 13.0% had one acre, 4.2% had two acres, 5.6% had three to five acres, 1.2% had six to 10 acres and 1.4% had over 10 acres.

Black respondents (2.2%) were most likely to have over 10 acres of yard space, followed by non-Hispanic white respondents (1.2%).

While 10.9% of respondents said they had no preference when it came to yard size, the largest percentage (20.3%) agreed that one acre was the ideal size. However, 13.9% preferred a quarter-acre or less, 14.1% preferred half an acre, 10.5% preferred two acres and 10.0% preferred three to five acres.

Demographically, more men (7.4%) than women (4.2%) said they preferred a yard larger than 10 acres. Adults over age 65 were also most likely to prefer a yard of a quarter-acre or less (28.2%). This makes sense considering the amount of upkeep required with larger yards.

But what do Americans want most in their dream backyards? The most popular responses were:

• Fire pit (66.8%)
• Garden (66.5%)
• Pool (54.1%)
• Outdoor dining area (47.0%)
• Hot tub (43.5%)
• Outdoor kitchen (38.1%)
• Outdoor living space (35.5%)
• Greenhouse (31.7%)
• Treehouse (22.9%)
• Playground (20.3%)
• Accessory dwelling unit (14.8%)