A new analysis from Realtor.com’s economic research team reveals that the total number of guest bedrooms in the US has reached a record high, with 31.9 million extra bedrooms available for guests. The share of homes with guest bedrooms also stands at an all-time high of 8.8%, up from 3.5% in 1980.
The trend is largely driven by shrinking households and increasing average number of bedrooms per home. According to the study, the number of persons per household has fallen from a peak of 3.1 people per household in 1970 to a record low of 2.5 in 2023.
Regional differences are also notable, with homes in the Mountain West and South having significantly more guest bedrooms than those in densely populated urban areas. States like Utah and Colorado top the list for spare bedroom share, while cities like New York and Los Angeles rank lowest.
Source: https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/households-shrinking-spare-rooms