Nearly 8 billion
gallons a day
go to watering U.S. home landscapes
The EPA says most residential outdoor water is used for landscape irrigation.
Source: EPA WaterSense, June 2021 ↗Backyard Buddy field reference
U.S. backyard & garden statistics for 2026
A practical, sourced snapshot of how Americans use water, welcome wildlife, handle yard waste and buy plants. Built for anyone writing, planning or talking about the spaces just outside the back door.
Use it with care
Every number keeps its real date.
Good backyard decisions start with a clear picture. These figures come from primary public sources, and each keeps the data year attached. That matters: a useful reference does not pretend a 2018 waste estimate is a 2026 forecast.
Water at home
The biggest backyard resource
Water choices shape a yard’s cost, resilience and day-to-day care.
Up to 50%
of outdoor water
may be wasted
Evaporation, wind and runoff from inefficient irrigation can send a substantial share of outdoor water away from the plants it was meant to serve.
Source: EPA WaterSense, June 2021 ↗50,500
gallons a year
is the estimated outdoor use for an average American home
Irrigation is the main reason outdoor water use adds up so quickly across a year.
Source: EPA WaterSense, December 2021 ↗Up to 15,000
gallons a year
can be saved with a smart irrigation controller
The EPA says a WaterSense-labelled controller can save this much at an average home when it replaces a clock-based controller.
Source: EPA WaterSense, published 2017 ↗Wildlife at home
A yard can be part of the view.
What happens in a backyard shapes the small everyday encounters people value most.
146.5 million
people
watched wildlife around home in 2022
Watching wildlife around the home was one of the most widely enjoyed wildlife activities in the United States.
Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2022 survey, released 2023 ↗91.1 million
people
watched wild birds around home in 2022
Birdwatching is an everyday backyard connection, not just a destination activity.
Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2022 survey, released 2023 ↗Yard waste
What leaves the yard matters too.
Compost, mulch and material choices can keep more garden matter working in the landscape.
35.4 million
tons
of yard trimmings were generated in 2018
The EPA estimated yard trimmings represented 12.1% of U.S. municipal solid-waste generation that year.
Source: EPA, 2018 data ↗22.3 million
tons
of yard trimmings were composted or mulched in 2018
That equals a 63% composting rate for yard trimmings in the EPA's 2018 materials estimate.
Source: EPA, 2018 data ↗10.5 million
tons
of yard trimmings still went to landfill in 2018
Composting and mulching made a difference, but the amount sent to landfill was still substantial.
Source: EPA, 2018 data ↗Plants and the people behind them
A living industry at work.
The latest federal horticulture census puts the scale of American plant production in focus.
$18.3 billion
in sales
came from U.S. horticultural operations in 2024
The latest Census of Horticultural Specialties shows the scale of the plants and products behind the yards people enjoy.
Source: USDA NASS, 2024 Census, released February 2026 ↗$5.34 billion
in sales
came from nursery stock in 2024
Nursery stock was the largest reported horticultural category in the 2024 census.
Source: USDA NASS, 2024 Census, released February 2026 ↗Method and sources
Built to be cited, not skimmed and forgotten.
This page brings together the latest relevant primary-source figures available when it was updated. The statistics are not Backyard Buddy survey results, and they are not forecasts. Follow the source link beside each figure for its full context and methodology.
Suggested citation: Backyard Buddy. “U.S. Backyard & Garden Statistics for 2026.” Updated November 4, 2026. https://backyardbuddy.app/garden-statistics.
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