Outdoor‑living spending climbs

U.S. spending on outdoor furniture and kitchens is nearing $9 billion as homeowners put living-room comforts, cooking gear and wellness features in the backyard. (researchandmarkets.com) ResearchAndMarkets said the U.S. outdoor furniture and kitchen market totaled $8.77 billion in 2024 and projects it will reach $16.92 billion by 2033, with annual growth of 7.59% from 2025 through 2033. A separate April 14, 2026 industry release said infrared saunas and cold-plunge tubs are among the fastest-growing pieces of that mix. (researchandmarkets.com) (usatoday.com) Builders are still putting those spaces into new homes even as houses get smaller. The National Association of Home Builders said the median new-home size fell to 2,150 square feet in 2024, while 68% of new homes included porches and 64% included patios. (nahb.org) Patios also got bigger. The National Association of Home Builders said the average new-home patio measured about 320 square feet in its 2025 Builder Practices Survey, with averages above 400 square feet in parts of the Midwest and South. (nahb.org) Architects say outdoor living remains one of the most requested special-use spaces in homes. The American Institute of Architects said outdoor living spaces and blended indoor-outdoor areas continued to top exterior-feature demand in its 2025 Home Design Trends Survey, and 24% of firms named outdoor living as the most popular special-function room in the third quarter of 2025. (hdts.aia.org 1) (hdts.aia.org 2) Homeowners are still spending on renovations more broadly, which helps explain why backyard projects keep finding buyers. Houzz said 54% of homeowners undertook renovation projects in 2024, and its 2025 U.S. Houzz & Home study surveyed 21,889 users, including 10,981 renovating U.S. homeowners. (houzz.com) The backyard push is also lining up with a larger outdoor economy. The Bureau of Economic Analysis said outdoor recreation accounted for 2.4% of U.S. gross domestic product in 2024, or $696.7 billion, with employment in the sector rising 1.1% that year. (bea.gov) Retailers and product makers are leaning into the idea that a patio is no longer separate from the house. Trex said in its 2025 outdoor living forecast that homeowners were moving beyond “a patio and a grill” toward private outdoor spaces built for comfort, design and longer daily use. (trex.com) Surveys show that demand is not just about entertaining guests. Talker Research said 41% of homeowners wanted to create “backyard sanctuaries” in 2025, 38% wanted fire pits or outdoor heating, and 67% planned to spend more time outdoors than in previous years. (talkerresearch.com) That leaves the outdoor-living boom looking less like a pandemic aftereffect and more like a permanent line item in home spending. The products are changing fastest at the high end, but the square footage, survey data and builder plans all point in the same direction. (nahb.org) (researchandmarkets.com)