Do people want more 2, 3 or 4 bedroom homes?

Ironic that people are having fewer children but need more bedrooms. On the other hand, more people are working remotely and own dogs (which need their own bedroom).

The bedroom boom

Nearly half of all newly constructed homes in 2022 boasted at least 4 bedrooms, according to the latest data from the US Census Bureau, as homebuilders work to keep up with demand for extra rooms. This surge has dethroned the long-standing foundation of America’s housing stock, the 3 bedroom house, which accounted for only 43% of the ~1 million new single-family homes that were built last year.

Snooze and zoom

The more bedrooms trend has been slowly developing for decades. As recently as the early 1980s, less than 20% of newly built single-family homes in the US had space for 4 bedrooms. As the country’s economy has grown, it seems intuitive that more families would be able to afford larger homes. More recently, the rise of remote work has given the trend newfound momentum — amid the workspace shift, these "bedrooms" might not always sport a bed, but a desk.

Interestingly, more recent data shows that the total floor area for new houses has fallen below pre-pandemic levels, suggesting perhaps a small reversal of the longer-term “bigger homes” trend — if it’s a toss-up between a slightly bigger living space or a spare bedroom or home office, homeowners increasingly seem to opt for the latter.