America’s households are downsizing, entering the ‘golden age’ of guest bedrooms

Families across the country are getting ready to play host for the holidays, and many will have plenty of room to spare for guests.

Both the total number of guest bedrooms in America and the share of homes with guest bedrooms are at record levels, according to a new analysis from the Realtor.com economic research team.

Last year, the total number of additional bedrooms in the US reached 31.9 million, up from 31.3 million a year earlier and more than four times the 7 million in 1980.

Taking into account the fact that there are now more homes than ever, the study also found that the share of all bedrooms that can be considered guest rooms is also at a record high of 8.8%, up from 8.7% previously . year and more than double the 3.5% rate in 1980.

“During the holidays we often feel the need for more space, especially for guests. However, we are in a golden age of the extra bedroom,” says Realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale.

“Since the 1980s we have seen the average number of bedrooms per house increase, and perhaps more importantly, the number of people per household has declined, creating an environment where we see the largest number of additional bedrooms and the share larger additional rooms. bedrooms, even with Americans using spare rooms as offices.â€

Shrinking families drive the trend

The study defined spare rooms as bedrooms more than the number of occupants in a home plus one, to account for the possibility that a bedroom could be used as a home office. The study found that the increase in the number of spare bedrooms was driven by an increase in the number of bedrooms per house and by a decrease in the number of people per household.

The average number of bedrooms per home rose from 2.5 in 1970 to 2.8 in 2013. However, it has remained flat over the previous decade and was still 2.8 as of last year.

The most significant factor is the decline in the number of persons per household, which has fallen from a peak of 3.1 persons per household in 1970 to a record low of 2.5 in 2023.

The decline reflects demographic trends, with baby boomers now empty-handed, and millennials, the nation’s largest generation of adults, marrying later and having fewer children than previous generations.

West Mountain and South Mountain have more guest bedrooms

The study found that the trend of excess bedrooms was more pronounced in the Western and Southern Mountains, where building space is more abundant and homes are often built with more rooms and square footage.

Meanwhile, homes in densely populated urban areas, where land is limited and square footage is at a premium, tend to have fewer spare bedrooms.

Of the nation’s 100 largest metro areas, Miami had the fewest spare bedrooms, with only 5.9% of all bedrooms there classified as potential guest bedrooms.

Sarasota, FL, New York City and Los Angeles also ranked lowest in terms of spare room allocation.

On the other end of the spectrum, Ogden, UT, ranks as the guest bedroom capital of the nation, with 12.2% of all bedrooms there classified as potential spare rooms.