For new single-family completions in 2021, 67% of homes offered a two-car garage according to NAHB analysis of 2021 Census Bureau Survey of Construction data. Another 19% of homes possessed a garage large enough to hold three or more cars. Just 6% of newly-built homes had a one-car garage, and only 1% possessed a carport. Another 7% of new homes had no garage or carport.
The 2021 data indicates that as the size of a completed home increases, the share of 1-car garages or “other” declines. At the same time, the share of completed homes with 2 or more garages increased as the square footage of the house increased. The “other” category is the largest for homes with less than 1,200 square feet at 75%, but as the square footage of the home increases, the share of homes with “other” parking options, declines to 4% in homes larger than 5,000 square feet. The percentage of completed homes with a 1-car garage is at 16% for homes between 1,200-1,599 square feet, the highest share in its category. The proportion of completed homes with a 1-car garage is the lowest at 1% for homes larger than 5,000 square feet.
As house size increases, 2-car garages become the desired parking option. The share of 2-car garages is at 73% for completed homes between 1,600-1,999 square feet and it increases to 83% for homes between 2,000-2,399 square feet. For homes between 2,400-2,999 square feet, the share of 2-car garages drops to 75% and continues to decline as the home size increase from there. Three-car garages are only 3% of the homes less than 1,200 square feet but continues to increase as the square footage of the completed home increases. For completed homes larger than 5,000 square feet, 3-cars or more parking option becomes the most likely setup, at 66%.
BY DANUSHKA NANAYAKKARA-SKILLINGTON
This post was originally published on NAHB’s Eye on Housing blog, where NAHB’s economists discuss the latest housing data and policy.
