Home improvement decisions begin with useful context. This page collects national figures from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Housing Survey. Every statistic is linked to its original source and dated so readers can understand what it measures.
01
49 million
U.S. homeowners made improvements
That was 59% of homeowners in the 2021 American Housing Survey.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey, 202102
$5,000
Median homeowner improvement spending
The reported median covered home improvements made in 2021.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey, 202103
$6,000
Median kitchen remodeling spending
Kitchen remodeling was the highest listed median among the selected project types reported by Census.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey, 202104
$3,500
Median bathroom remodeling spending
This is the reported median for bathroom remodeling, not a current local project quote.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey, 202105
39%
Of home improvement projects were DIY
Households did most of the work on 53 million of the 135 million projects reported in the survey.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey, 202106
135 million
Home improvement projects were reported
The Census survey counted projects completed by U.S. homeowners during 2021.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey, 2021How to read these numbers
These figures describe homeowner-reported activity in the American Housing Survey. National medians and survey results are useful context, not a substitute for a project-specific scope, selections, site conditions, or estimate.
Sources and methodology
This reference uses the U.S. Census Bureau's American Housing Survey for homeowner activity and spending. The Census article was published June 29, 2023 and reports 2021 survey results. Source dates are shown with each statistic. This page was last updated September 16, 2026.
Cite this page
Remidy Renovations. “Home Improvement Statistics: 6 U.S. Census Numbers.” Updated September 16, 2026. https://remidy-renovations.vizboost.com/remodeling-statistics