More than three-quarters of Americans who have a yard (76%) say the space is one of the most important parts of their home, according to a new poll commissioned by the TurfMutt Foundation and conducted online by The Harris Poll. In addition, 72% of Americans say a spacious yard would be at the top of their wish list if they were looking for a new home.
People are enjoying extra time outside, too, according to the survey. Nearly a quarter of Americans who have a yard (24%) are spending more time there now than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Roughly 63% say they have enjoyed doing more activities in their yard since the pandemic began as well.
“What we are seeing with Americans is greater reliance on the backyard as an extension of the home. It’s not just a place that looks pretty—it’s a place to live and do daily activities such as working, dining, and relaxing,” says Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the TurfMutt Foundation. “They’ve discovered that ‘backyarding’ is a better way to live, and there’s no turning back.”
See additional findings from the survey below:
- Thirty-two percent of adults aged 35 to 44 who have a yard are spending more time in that space now compared with pre-pandemic, while 30% of parents of children younger than 18 are spending more time out in their yard now compared with pre-pandemic and are more likely than those without children younger than under 18 to say they are doing so (21%).
- The outdoor office trend is here to stay with many Americans using their yards as makeshift offices. Nearly 2 in 5 Americans who have a yard (58%) say they have spent time doing work for their job there during the pandemic.
- The yard has also become a place to de-stress, with more than two-thirds of Americans who have a yard (69%) saying doing yard work, such as mowing, trimming, or planting, is one of the ways they like to de-stress.
- A vast majority of Americans who have a yard (84%) plan to invest in the space in 2022, including 67% who say they will purchase plants, 39% who report they will purchase items to maintain or improve their grassy areas, and 23% who say they will install or update hardscaping themselves.
- About a third (33%) of those with a yard plan to hire a professional to do landscaping or hardscaping in 2022. Other yard improvements include installing a fence (19%) or a shed (15%) and adding a swimming pool (10%).
