How many households are in the U.S.?

In 2023, there were 131.43 million households in the United States. This is a significant increase from 1960, when there were 52.8 million households in the U.S.

What counts as a household?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a household is considered to be all persons living within one housing unit. This includes apartments, houses, or single rooms, and consists of both related and unrelated people living together. For example, two roommates who share a living space but are not related would be considered a household in the eyes of the Census. It should be noted that group living quarters, such as college dorms, are not counted as households in the Census.

Household changes

While the population of the United States has been increasing, the average size of households in the U.S. has decreased since 1960. In 1960, there was an average of 3.33 people per household, but in 2023, this figure had decreased to 2.51 people per household. Additionally, two person households make up the majority of American households, followed closely by single-person households.

Housing Starts in the United States decreased to 1256 Thousand units in May from 1392 Thousand units in April of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Housing Starts - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Following a period of stagnation over most of the 2010s, the number of owner occupied housing units in the United States started to grow in 2017. In 2023, there were over 86 million owner-occupied homes. Owner-occupied housing is where the person who owns a property – either outright or through a mortgage – also resides in the property. Excluded are therefore rental properties, employer-provided housing and social housing. Homeownership sentiment in the U.S. Though homeownership is still a cornerstone of the American dream, an increasing share of people see themselves as lifelong renters. Millennials have been notoriously late to enter the housing market, with one in four reporting that they would probably continue to always rent in the future, a 2022 survey found. In 2017, just five years before that, this share stood at about 13 percent. How many renter households are there? Renter households are roughly half as few as owner-occupied households in the U.S. In 2023, the number of renter occupied housing units amounted to almost 45 million. Climbing on the property ladder for renters is not always easy, as it requires prospective homebuyers to save up for a down payment and qualify for a mortgage. In many metros, the median household income is insufficient to qualify for the median-priced home.

United States Number of Housing Unit: Northeast data was reported at 24,343.000 Unit th in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 24,317.000 Unit th for Jun 2018. United States Number of Housing Unit: Northeast data is updated quarterly, averaging 22,883.000 Unit th from Mar 1992 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 107 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 24,343.000 Unit th in Sep 2018 and a record low of 21,842.000 Unit th in Mar 1992. United States Number of Housing Unit: Northeast data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EB011: Number of Housing Units.

The number of existing homes for sale in the United States decreased overall since 2013, while the number of newly built homes for sale followed the opposite trend. As of June 2024, there were over *** million existing and ******* newly built housing units for sale. Unlike new homes, the existing housing inventory typically increased in the second and third quarters of the year when the housing market is more active.

No of Housing Unit: Georgia data was reported at 4,282,106.000 Unit in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 4,236,284.000 Unit for 2016. No of Housing Unit: Georgia data is updated yearly, averaging 4,049,890.000 Unit from Jun 2000 (Median) to 2017, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,282,106.000 Unit in 2017 and a record low of 3,305,925.000 Unit in 2000. No of Housing Unit: Georgia data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.EB012: Number of Housing Units: By States.

Graph and download economic data for Housing Inventory Estimate: Occupied Housing Units in the United States (EOCCUSQ176N) from Q2 2000 to Q1 2025 about inventories, housing, and USA.

United States Number of Housing Unit: Florida data was reported at 9,441,153.000 Unit in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 9,338,805.000 Unit for 2016. United States Number of Housing Unit: Florida data is updated yearly, averaging 8,832,484.000 Unit from Jun 2000 (Median) to 2017, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9,441,153.000 Unit in 2017 and a record low of 7,340,246.000 Unit in 2000. United States Number of Housing Unit: Florida data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.EB012: Number of Housing Units: By States.

The number of new houses sold in the United States took a big hit during the financial crisis, dropping from a high of around *** million houses sold in 2005 to a low of *** thousand homes sold in 2011 – around a ** percent decrease. While the economy has largely recovered since the crisis, consumers remained hesitant when it comes to buying homes. In 2020, demand for housing surged and house sales volumes spiked to *******. Housing construction remains suppressed One of the main challenges in the U.S. housing market is the insufficient number of new homes built. During the financial crisis, construction slowed dramatically, and has still struggled to recover. Construction costs, on the other hand, have risen notably, making homeownership increasingly pricier. House prices on the rise Unsurprisingly, the median sales price of new homes has risen substantially. In 2024, the U.S. Case Shiller National Home Price Index, reached *** index points, suggesting the price of a home tripled since 2000, the base year of the index.

United States Number of Housing Unit data was reported at 138,585.000 Unit th in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 138,313.000 Unit th for Jun 2018. United States Number of Housing Unit data is updated quarterly, averaging 107,569.000 Unit th from Mar 1965 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 215 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 138,585.000 Unit th in Sep 2018 and a record low of 63,668.000 Unit th in Mar 1965. United States Number of Housing Unit data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EB011: Number of Housing Units. Series Remarks Data for 1979 Q1 to Q4 was revised to reflect changes made in 1980. Data for 1989 Q1 to Q4 was revised to include year-round vacant mobile homes. Data for 1993 Q1 to Q4 was revised based on the 1990 Census. Data for 2002 Q1 to Q4 was revised based on the 2000 Census.

Graph and download economic data for Homeownership Rate in the United States (RHORUSQ156N) from Q1 1965 to Q1 2025 about homeownership, housing, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Housing Inventory: Median Days on Market in the United States (MEDDAYONMARUS) from Jul 2016 to Jun 2025 about median and USA.

United States Number of Housing Unit: Vacant: Year Round: For Rent data was reported at 3,343.000 Unit th in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,206.000 Unit th for Jun 2018. United States Number of Housing Unit: Vacant: Year Round: For Rent data is updated quarterly, averaging 2,802.000 Unit th from Mar 1965 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 215 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,588.000 Unit th in Sep 2009 and a record low of 1,120.000 Unit th in Dec 1969. United States Number of Housing Unit: Vacant: Year Round: For Rent data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EB011: Number of Housing Units. Series Remarks Data for 1979 Q1 to Q4 was revised to reflect changes made in 1980. Data for 1989 Q1 to Q4 was revised to include year-round vacant mobile homes. Data for 1993 Q1 to Q4 was revised based on the 1990 Census. Data for 2002 Q1 to Q4 was revised based on the 2000 Census.

Graph and download economic data for Median Number of Months on Sales Market for Newly Completed Homes (MNMFS) from Jan 1975 to May 2025 about sales, median, housing, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for New One Family Homes for Sale in the United States (HNFSEPUSSA) from Jan 1963 to May 2025 about 1-unit structures, family, new, sales, housing, and USA.

The average American household consisted of 2.51 people in 2023.

Households in the U.S.

As shown in the statistic, the number of people per household has decreased over the past decades.

The U.S. Census Bureau defines a household as follows: “a household includes all the persons who occupy a housing unit as their usual place of residence. A housing unit is a house, an apartment, a mobile home, a group of rooms, or a single room that is occupied (or if vacant, is intended for occupancy) as separate living quarters. Separate living quarters are those in which the occupants live and eat separately from any other persons in the building and which have direct access from outside the building or through a common hall. The occupants may be a single family, one person living alone, two or more families living together, or any other group of related or unrelated persons who share living arrangements. (People not living in households are classified as living in group quarters.).”

The population of the United States has been growing steadily for decades. Since 1960, the number of households more than doubled from 53 million to over 131 million households in 2023.

Most of these households, about 34 percent, are two-person households. The distribution of U.S. households has changed over the years though. The percentage of single-person households has been on the rise since 1970 and made up the second largest proportion of households in the U.S. in 2022, at 28.88 percent.

In concordance with the rise of single-person households, the percentage of family households with own children living in the household has declined since 1970 from 56 percent to 40.26 percent in 2022.

United States Number of Housing Unit: Vacant: Year Round data was reported at 13,220.000 Unit th in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 13,103.000 Unit th for Jun 2018. United States Number of Housing Unit: Vacant: Year Round data is updated quarterly, averaging 9,099.000 Unit th from Mar 1965 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 215 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14,491.000 Unit th in Jun 2010 and a record low of 4,255.000 Unit th in Dec 1970. United States Number of Housing Unit: Vacant: Year Round data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EB011: Number of Housing Units. Series Remarks Data for 1979 Q1 to Q4 was revised to reflect changes made in 1980. Data for 1989 Q1 to Q4 was revised to include year-round vacant mobile homes. Data for 1993 Q1 to Q4 was revised based on the 1990 Census. Data for 2002 Q1 to Q4 was revised based on the 2000 Census.

United States Number of Housing Unit: Minnesota data was reported at 2,437,711.000 Unit in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,419,560.000 Unit for 2016. United States Number of Housing Unit: Minnesota data is updated yearly, averaging 2,329,371.500 Unit from Jun 2000 (Median) to 2017, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,437,711.000 Unit in 2017 and a record low of 2,073,863.000 Unit in 2000. United States Number of Housing Unit: Minnesota data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EB012: Number of Housing Units: By States.

Graph and download economic data for Number of New Private Nonfarm Housing Units Started, One-Family for United States (A0201AUSA176NNBR) from 1900 to 1959 about housing starts, 1-unit structures, nonfarm, family, new, private, housing, and USA.

In 2024, there were approximately **** million housing units occupied by renters in the United States. This number has been gradually increasing since 2010 as part of a long-term upward swing since 1975. Meanwhile, the number of unoccupied rental housing units has followed a downward trend, suggesting a growing demand and supply failing to catch up. Why are rental homes in such high demand? This high demand for rental homes is related to the shortage of affordable housing. Climbing the property ladder for renters is not always easy, as it requires prospective homebuyers to save up for a down payment and qualify for a mortgage. In many metros, the median household income is insufficient to qualify for the median-priced home. How many owner occupied homes are there in the U.S.? In 2023, there were over ** million owner occupied homes. Owner occupied housing is when the person who owns a property – either outright or through a mortgage – also resides in the property. Excluded are therefore rental properties, employer-provided housing and social housing.