Here are some interesting home gardening statistics; including gardening’s impact on wellbeing and recent trends in gardening participation.
Demographics
55% of all US households were engaged in gardening activities and another 20% were planning to do so in the near future, according to research by Scotts Miracle-Gro and Wakefield in 2020.
This means an estimated 72 million gardening households were gardening at the time of this research, according to census data.
Gardening participation increased by 18.3 million people in 2021 according to the National Gardening Association.
Data from 2022 provided by an Axiom report highlights gardener demographics in the US. Here is a breakdown of that data:
Age
| Age | Percentage % |
|---|---|
| 19-25 | 11.6 |
| 26-40 | 29.3 |
| 41-57 | 32.5 |
| 58+ | 26.6 |
Gender
| Gender | Percentage % |
|---|---|
| Male | 47.1 |
| Female | 52.9 |
Income
| Income | Percentage % |
|---|---|
| Less than $50,000 | 25 |
| $50,000 – $74,999 | 23.4 |
| $75,000 – $100,000 | 19 |
| $100,000 – $199,999 | 26.4 |
| $200,000 + | 6.4 |
Home Type
| Home Type | Percentage % |
|---|---|
| Urban | 27.9 |
| Suburban | 51.7 |
| Small Town – Non Suburban | 5.6 |
| Rural | 14.8 |
Garden Type
| Garden Type | Percentage % |
|---|---|
| In-ground | 35 |
| Patio Pot/Container Garden | 21 |
| Raised Bed | 13 |
| Deck | 9 |
| Balcony | 9 |
| Window Box | 7 |
| Indoor Garden | 6 |
Professional Gardener Demographics
Zippia provides us some gardening statistics on professional gardeners employed in the US:
- 29,356 gardeners employed in the United States.
- 43.6% women, 56.4% men.
- The average age of an employed gardener is 41 years old.
Sources: GardenCenterMag.com, Axiom, Zippia, National Gardening Association
Check Out Our Infographic on 2022 Gardener Demographics
Gardening Market & the Covid Pandemic
During the Pandemic
The gardening industry saw large market growth during the pandemic. There were 18.3 million new gardeners in 2021, according to data from the National Gardening Association.
An industry report of local garden centers by garden center magazine, found that from 2020 to 2021, independent garden centers in US & Canada saw massively increased customer levels:
| Customer Demographic | Percentage Increase 2020 – 2021 % |
|---|---|
| Millennials | 65 |
| Generation Z | 44 |
| Generation X | 33 |
| Baby Boomers | 17 |
| Men | 19 |
| Women | 17 |
| No Change | 12 |
The 2022 Axiom Market insights report found that in 2021 60% of respondents had an increased interest in gardening due to the pandemic, with this rising to 74% in Millennials.
They also found that 92% of respondents spent more on garden products due to the pandemic.
Brecks report that garden retail sales revenue increased by 8.6% between Spring 2019 and Spring 2020.
Sources: State of The Industry Report, National Gardening Association, Brecks, Axiom (2022), Axiom (2023)
Gardening Trends After the Pandemic
Data From the US
Axiom research found that several demographics were intending to spend more time and money gardening in 2023. They found this was especially true for newer gardeners, younger age groups and the male demographic.
| Generation Z (19-25) % | Generation Y (26-40) % | Generation Z (41-57) % | Baby Boomer (58+) % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes, and I will plant more and expand my garden | 34.5 | 38.8 | 32.5 | 12.8 |
| Yes, and I will plant more | 25.9 | 28.6 | 27 | 12 |
| Yes, and I will plant the same amount | 22.4 | 24.5 | 28.8 | 45.9 |
| Yes, but I will have a smaller garden | 8.6 | 4.2 | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| Yes, but I will plant less | 3.5 | 0 | 3.7 | 11.3 |
| No | 3.5 | 0.7 | 0 | 1.5 |
When asked what gardening projects home gardeners were likely to complete in 2023, the 3 most popular were:
- Creating vegetable gardens (37.5%)
- Planting more flowering shrubs (27.2%)
- Growing new kinds of vegetables and fruits (24.4%).
Source: Axiom
Data from the UK
Data from the HTA October 2022 Market update report in the UK suggests that post pandemic, the gardening covid bounce is plummeting back to earth.
They found that garden center sales in September 2022 were down 20% compared to September 2021. And, although vs September 2019 sales numbers are still up %13, they attribute this to inflationary goods prices. Sales volumes were down 9% on lawn and garden supplies and 23% on non gardening goods.
Gardeners spent more, but bought less, compared to before the pandemic. This is because what they are buying is more expensive. Total nationwide spend increased due to inflationary pressure on gardening supplies.
Here is a snapshot they provide of price increases in the UK from September 2021 to 2022.
Source: HTA Market Update October 2022
Best US States for Gardening
An objective measure we can use to determine which states are the best for gardening is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, found here: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/. This map divides states into zones based on the average winter temperatures there.
States in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones classifications 8-10 would be considered the best states for gardening by this measure. Meaning better growing seasons and milder winters.
These states are (ordered alphabetically):
Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington.
Which areas in the US have the most of gardens?
According to the Axiom insights report, the Southeast of America has the most gardens, with 27.3%. This is the breakdown of gardens per geographical location.
| Area | Percentage of Gardens % |
|---|---|
| West | 22 |
| Midwest | 18 |
| Northeast | 20 |
| Southeast | 12.4 |
| Southwest | 27.3 |
Source: Axiom
Gardening & Wellbeing
Gardening improves the wellbeing of an average home gardener. Several studies have linked gardening and being around nature to a variety to health benefits:
- Improved physical health. Research has found that something as simple as looking out of a window into a garden, rather than a brick wall, was linked to quicker recovery in patients after surgery.
- Improved mental health and emotional well being. Reduced negative emotions; stress, fear, anger, sadness and anxiety.
- Reduced blood pressure, pulse rate and muscle tension
- Increased physical activity & reduced BMI
- Increased longevity and cardiovascular health
- Increased sunlight, lowering blood pressure and increasing vitamin D levels in the summer.
Sources: Science.org, Clinical Medicine, University of Exeter
Top Reasons People Garden
In 2021, the main reasons people said they were interested in gardening were health, wellbeing and family.
| Reason | Percentage % |
|---|---|
| Lower Stress | 20 |
| Family Time | 19 |
| Create Beautiful Space | 15 |
| Grow Food | 15 |
| Time at Home due to Covid | 19 |
| Other | 12 |
Source: Axiom
Most Popular Types of Gardening
Growing flowers and vegetable gardens are by far the most popular types of Americans gardens.
Here is data from Axiom showing the different kinds of growing people do in their home gardening:
| Gardening Type | Percentage Selected % |
|---|---|
| Flowers | 72 |
| Vegetables | 66 |
| Houseplants | 41 |
| Perennials | 39 |
| Container Gardening | 33 |
| Shrubs | 32 |
| Indoor | 28 |
| Fruit Trees | 26 |
| Berries | 19 |
| Other | 2 |
Growing vegetables appears consistently across multiple data sources as one the most popular outdoor plants to grow for the average household.
Source: Axiom
Where People Learn About Plants and Gardening?
74% of gardeners get their gardening information from podcasts or webinars, which was by far the most popular source of learning in 2022.
| Information Source | Percentage Chosen % |
|---|---|
| Podcasts & Webinars | 74 |
| 48 | |
| Garden Centers | 48 |
| Social Media | 45 |
| TV | 34 |
| Garden Websites | 30 |
| Magazines | 27 |
| Home Depot | 27 |
| Newspaper | 25 |
| Friends & Family | 21 |
| University Extension Service | 17 |
| Lowe’s | 17 |
| Advertisements | 11 |
| Blogs | 10 |
| Walmart | 9 |
| Farm Stores | 6 |
| Influence/Taste Leaders | 0 |
Source: Axiom
Social Media
Most gardeners that use a social medium for information used YouTube (39%).
| Social Media | Percentage Used % |
|---|---|
| YouTube | 39 |
| 21 | |
| Other / Don’t Use | 15 |
| 12 | |
| 8 | |
| TikTok | 3 |
| 1 |
Source: Axiom
Food Gardening Statistics
The average size of a vegetable garden in the US is 600 sq ft and the median is 96 sq ft.
There is at least 36 million american gardeners growing edible plants. Here is a breakdown of where people grow food:
| Location | Number of People (US) | Percentage % |
|---|---|---|
| Food Gardens at Home | 33 Million | 91 |
| Food Gardens at Family or Friends | 2 Million | 5 |
| Growing Food in a Community Garden | 1 Million | 3 |
| Food Gardens Elsewhere | <1 Million | 1 |
Top Home Grown Vegetables
| Vegetable | Percentage of Gardens % |
|---|---|
| Tomatoes | 86 |
| Cucumbers | 47 |
| Sweet Peppers | 46 |
| Beans | 39 |
| Carrots | 34 |
| Summer Squash | 32 |
| Onions | 32 |
| Hot Peppers | 31 |
| Lettuce | 28 |
| Peas | 24 |
How Expensive is Growing Your Own Food?
The National Gardening Association estimated that in average household in the US:
- Gardeners spent an average of $70 on maintaining their food garden.
- The average garden yields $600 worth of produce (roughly $1 per square foot)
- This provides an average of $530 return on investment (757%) after the year one costs.
So the average household spent $70 and made $600. Impressive numbers for the average gardener and a great reason to grow edible plants. Vegetable gardening is only expected to increase in popularity as food prices increase.
Source: National Gardening Association