The number of people living in the average American home is shrinking, according to a report from Realtor.com, leaving many homes with more bedrooms than they need.
Analyzing U.S. Census Bureau data from 1970 through 2023, as well as data on the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas, researchers found that the number and share of “excess bedrooms” reached a record high in 2023. To determine the amount of excess bedrooms, researchers subtracted the total number of household members from the number of bedrooms in a given metro area. They then subtracted one from that number, acknowledging that a spare bedroom is often used as an office or storage space.
In 2023, the number of empty bedrooms nationwide reached 31.9 million, up slightly from 31.3 million in 2022. But back in 1970, the number was a little over 4 million. The share of excess bedrooms among all bedrooms has also ballooned over the decades, from 2.7 percent in 1970 to 8.8 percent in 2023.
Why so many empty bedrooms? Researchers attributed the increase both to “declining household sizes and an increase in the number of bedrooms per home.” However, the increase in the number of bedrooms per home has been minor, so it’s mostly the declining number of people per household that accounts for the change. According to the report, there were 3.1 people per household in 1970 and a record low of 2.5 people in 2023.
So where can one find the highest share of empty bedrooms? Look in the mountainous West, or the South: Ogden, Utah, led the way, with 12.2 percent of all bedrooms unoccupied, followed by Colorado Springs (12.1 percent). In the South, Memphis (11.8 percent) and Atlanta (11.6 percent) were high on the list.
The report also pointed to a “loose but noticeable” correlation between median home value and the share of excess bedrooms. Because an extra bedroom is more affordable in a cheaper city, markets with smaller shares of excess bedrooms were often in pricier areas: Miami (5.9 percent), North Port, Fla. (6.4 percent) and New York City (6.5 percent).
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