What's the Average Number of Bathrooms in New Homes?

When it comes to new-home construction, a two-bath house is by far the most prevalent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest Survey of Construction report.

The findings show that in 2017, 4% of new single-family homes started had one full bathroom or less, 60% had 2 full bathrooms, 27% had 3 full bathrooms, and 9% had four full bathrooms or more.

In the post-recession era (starting in 2009) there was a steady rise in the share of new single-family homes with three or more full bathrooms and a decline in the share with 2 full bathrooms or less.

Since 2013, however, the shares of new homes by each bathroom grouping have been essentially flat. While the number of full bathrooms in new homes has been fairly stable, it is most likely the case that the size of these bathrooms has decreased, as the average square footage of new homes has declined since 2013.

In this Eye on Housing blog post, NAHB economist Carmel Ford provides additional analysis and a regional breakdown on the number of full bathrooms in new homes.