Home growing has moved well beyond a pandemic-era hobby.
Americans are spending more on their gardens than ever before, renters are out-purchasing homeowners in vegetable and herb seed, and younger households are reshaping what gardening looks like entirely. At the same time, rising food prices are making even small-scale edible growing feel increasingly relevant to everyday household life.
This report draws on publicly available U.S. gardening research, federal food price data, housing figures, and consumer surveys to examine how home growing is evolving β who is doing it, what they are growing, and what is driving the shift.
Key Highlights
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U.S. garden spending reached $79.0 billion in 2025 β the highest level ever recorded
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Average garden spending per household reached $740 in 2025, up 18.3% from the previous year
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Around 55% of U.S. households participate in gardening β approximately 71.5 million households and 185.9 million people
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Around 30% of U.S. adults in one national study reported growing edible plants in a home garden
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Public summaries suggest over 43% of Americans are now growing some kind of food at home
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Retail fresh vegetable prices were 11.9% higher in May 2026 than in May 2025
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USDA forecast fresh vegetable prices to rise 7.7% in 2026
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Renters out-purchase homeowners in vegetable seed (43.5% vs. 36.6%) and herb seed (32.7% vs. 22.0%)
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47.6% of gardeners spent more time gardening in 2025 than the year before β the highest level since 2022
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Under-35 households are converting lawns into natural or wildflower landscapes at nearly four times the rate of the 65+ cohort
Gardening Is a Large and Growing Part of American Life
Home gardening remains one of the most widely practiced household activities in the United States.
Around 55% of U.S. households participate in gardening β equal to approximately 71.5 million gardening households and 185.9 million people, according to public summaries of National Gardening Association data.
The 2026 National Gardening Survey shows a market that has matured from its pandemic-era expansion. Around 4.5 million households left gardening in 2025 β yet total spending still reached an all-time high of $79.0 billion, up 13.5% from 2024.
Average spending per remaining household reached a record $740, up 18.3% year-over-year.
The picture is one of a smaller but more committed gardening audience β one that is spending more, engaging more deeply, and treating gardening as a genuine household priority rather than a passing interest.
Food Growing Is Central to the Home Growing Trend
Within the broader gardening market, edible growing β herbs, vegetables, fruits, and other food plants β is one of the most significant and fastest-growing segments.
A national U.S. study published in Public Health Nutrition found that approximately 30% of respondents reported growing edible plants in a home garden. The same study found that home gardeners were more likely to meet national recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake.
More recent data suggests that figure has grown. Public summaries citing current gardening data indicate that over 43% of Americans are now growing some kind of food at home β up from earlier household-level estimates of around 35%.
Around 55% of gardeners grow vegetables, making edible growing one of the most practical ways home gardening connects to everyday household life.
Rising Food Prices Are Making Home Growing More Relevant
A timely cost-of-living angle sits behind the home growing trend: food prices are rising, and edible home growing is becoming a more practical response.
USDA ERS reported that retail fresh vegetable prices were 11.9% higher in May 2026 than in May 2025. From April to May 2026 alone, retail fresh vegetable prices increased 0.7%.
USDA also forecast that fresh vegetable prices would rise 7.7% in 2026, with a prediction interval of 4.5% to 11.1%.
The data does not suggest home growing can fully offset grocery inflation. But it does give small-scale growing of herbs, vegetables, and edible plants a concrete and timely cost-of-living relevance β particularly for households already feeling pressure on their food budgets.
Renters Are Driving Small-Space Growing
One of the most important findings in the home growing data is that gardening is not limited to homeowners with large outdoor spaces.
There were 46.4 million renter-occupied housing units in the U.S. in Q1 2026, according to U.S. Census Bureau data via FRED. Tens of millions of households are navigating home growing without access to a yard, a garden bed, or significant outdoor space.
And yet renters are actively growing. Gardening data suggests renters out-purchase homeowners in vegetable seed, at 43.5% versus 36.6%, and herb seed, at 32.7% versus 22.0%.
That gap is significant. It points to strong demand for smaller, more flexible forms of home growing β container gardening, indoor growing, balcony gardening, and windowsill herbs β that fit within the constraints of rented and small-space living.
Active Gardeners Are Going Deeper
While the overall number of gardening households fell in 2025, those who remained active increased both their time and their spending.
A 2026 Green Profit summary found that 47.6% of respondents spent more time gardening in 2025 than the previous year β the highest level reported since 2022. Gardeners who spent 50% more time in the garden increased by 27% versus 2024. Those who spent 100% more time rose by 41%.
Nearly half of respondents also spent more money on their gardens in 2025, representing an 11.5% increase versus 2024.
The gardening audience has become more selective β but more engaged. Those who remain active are investing more meaningfully in the hobby, suggesting a shift from casual participation toward genuine commitment.
Newer Gardeners Are Still Engaged
New and novice gardeners β those who started within the previous four years β also remain in the market, though their approach has become more measured.
Axiom's 2025 Annual New and Novice Gardener Survey found that 70% of newer gardeners felt successful or highly successful in their 2024 gardening activities, and 82.1% were satisfied with the quality of their flowers and vegetables.
54.6% planned to keep their gardening spending the same in 2025, while 34.8% planned to spend more β a 13.5 percentage-point decline in the share planning to increase spending compared with the previous year.
The data suggests newer gardeners are settling into sustainable routines rather than scaling up aggressively. Lower-barrier, more manageable formats β herbs, small containers, indoor growing kits β are well-positioned for this audience.
Younger Gardeners Are Reshaping the Format
The generational data reveals a meaningful shift in how younger Americans approach home growing.
Under-35 households are converting lawns into natural or wildflower landscapes at 19% β nearly four times the rate of the 65 and older cohort, at 5%.
This points to a broader cultural shift among younger gardeners: less attachment to traditional lawn-first habits, and more openness to flexible, practical, and lifestyle-led forms of planting. Edible plants, herbs, pollinators, container growing, and indoor formats are all aligned with how this cohort approaches the activity.
Gardening Has a Wellness Dimension Too
Beyond food and cost, gardening is also connected to broader wellness and lifestyle trends.
A meta-analysis published in Preventive Medicine Reports found that gardening was associated with reductions in depression, anxiety, and BMI, alongside increases in life satisfaction.
The same national study that found 30% of Americans grow edible plants also found that home gardeners were more likely to meet fruit and vegetable intake recommendations β reinforcing the connection between growing food at home and healthier eating habits.
For many people, home growing sits at the intersection of practical everyday utility, financial awareness, and personal wellbeing β a combination that continues to drive growing participation across a wide range of household types.
