Top Gardening Statistics and Trends (2024)
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Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants, usually outdoors in a home garden or yard. It’s an enjoyable hobby for many people that allows them to connect with nature, focus on their well-being, and grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. This article will explore top home gardening statistics, gardening industry trends for 2023, gardener demographics and trends among different age groups, and popular gardening projects.
Gardening Facts and Statistics
- The average household spent $616 on lawn and gardening activities in 2022, based on the 2023 National Gardening Survey.¹
- Eighty percent of American households participated in a gardening project in 2022.¹
- As of January 2023, more than 42,000 plant and flower-growing businesses were in the U.S.²
- Lettuce, onions, carrots, tomatoes, and pumpkins were the top five fresh-market vegetables in 2022.³
- Tomatoes are the most common home garden crop, grown by 86% of homeowners with a vegetable garden.⁴
- Tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, beans, and carrots are the top five homegrown vegetables.⁴
- Americans spent an average of $125.04 on gardening supplies in 2021.⁵
- Americans spent an average of $82.19 on indoor plants and fresh flowers in 2021.⁵
Gardening Market and Industry Outlook in 2023
The gardening market is a thriving industry encompassing various sectors such as plant and flower growing, landscaping, and gardening supplies. It has experienced significant growth post-pandemic, and 2023 trends include increased popularity for home gardening and sustainable living practices. Some home gardening behaviors are more likely to change than others.
- Gardening supplies and equipment sales are expected to grow to $127 billion in 2024.⁶
- More than 38% of U.S. households plan on spending more money on gardening projects in 2023 compared to 2022.⁷
- More males (44%) plan to spend more on gardening in 2023 compared to 33% of females.⁷
- The majority (81.2%) of households say they will spend more or the same amount of money on gardening in 2023 as they did in 2022.⁷
- Millennials and Gen Z plan to spend more money and time on gardening compared to older generations in 2023.⁷
- People who have been gardening for two to four years will likely spend more money and time on gardening.⁷
- More than one-third of gardeners want to grow more and a newer variety of plants in 2023.⁷
- A market report indicates that the most popular gardening trends for 2023 will be creating veggie gardens, planting flower shrubs, and growing new types of fruits and vegetables. ⁷
- Sixty-nine percent of surveyed gardeners said that inflation is an important factor when planning participation in gardening activities in 2023 compared to 2022, according to the National Gardening Survey.¹
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Gardening Labor and Demographics Facts
Gardening encompasses various tasks, including planting, watering, mulching, and lawn care. Gardening labor can be performed by professional gardeners or individuals who tend to their own gardens as a hobby. Certain people are more likely to be interested in gardening than others.
- As of January 2023, 165,753 people work in the plant and flower growing industry.²
- Nearly 7,900 landscapers and groundskeepers worked as lawn and gardening supply retailers as of May 2022.⁸
- More than half (56.4%) of employed gardeners are men.₉
- Most (53%) of American gardeners are above the age of 40.₉
- Twenty-seven percent of high-income households reported gardening interest in 2022, compared to 21% of low-income households.¹⁰
Gardening Projects and Trends
Gardening can take many forms, including a small container garden on an apartment balcony, a backyard oasis, or a large community garden. People garden for many reasons, such as growing their own food, feeling accomplished, improving mental health, and supporting environmental sustainability. Here are some gardening trends from projects in 2022:
- Almost 36% of households participated in indoor houseplant gardening last year.¹
- Buying plants on sale, using water wisely, and growing plants from seeds were the most common gardening tactics to combat inflation in U.S. households.¹
- The Home Depot was the most popular store to buy garden plants.₇
- Gardeners learned the most about new plants through podcasts and webinars.₇
- The most popular social media platform gardeners used to learn about new plants and gardening supplies was YouTube.₇
- Focusing on home improvement projects was the main reason people spent less time gardening in 2022.₇
- The most popular types of gardens were in-ground (35%) and patio pot/container gardens (21%).₇
Our Conclusion
Gardening is growing in popularity in America, and that’s not expected to slow down any time soon. While factors such as inflation and shifting focus to other home projects had some gardeners taking a step back in 2022, many report plans to dedicate more time and money to their hobby in 2023. Plus, with a growing interest from millennials and Gen Z, we anticipate the gardening industry will continue to boom in the coming years.
Sources
- “2023 National Gardening Survey.” The National Gardening Association. April 28, 2023. https://gardenresearch.com/view/national-gardening-survey-2023-edition/
- “Plant & Flower Growing in the US – Industry Data, Trends, Stats.” IBISWorld. January 10, 2023. https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/plant-flower-growing-industry/
- “Value-Added Greenhouse and Nursery Crops.” United States Department of Agriculture. April 2023. https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/cj82k729x/pn89fk86d/3f463k190/VGS-370.pdf
- “The Top Five Homegrown Vegetables.” The National Gardening Association. 2023. https://garden.org/learn/articles/view/3850/The-Top-Five-Homegrown-Vegetables/
- “Consumer Expenditure Surveys Tables (CEX).” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2021. https://www.bls.gov/cex/tables/calendar-year/mean/cu-all-detail-2021.pdf
- “Global Gardening Sales Value 2024.” Statista. March 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1220222/global-gardening-sales-value/
- “2023 Gardening Insights Survey Report.” Axiom Market Insights. December 15, 2022. https://axiomcom.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Axiom-Market-Insights-2023-Gardening-Survey-Report.pdf
- “Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers.” Occupational Employment and Wages, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. April 23, 2023. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes373011.htm
- “Gardener Jobs: Demographics.” Zippia. May 2023, https://www.zippia.com/gardener-jobs/demographics/
- “Share Of Americans Who Were Interested In Gardening In 2022.” Statista. March 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/242580/number-of-days-american-affluent-household-members-participated-in-gardening/
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