U.S. Cities Investing the Most in Home Improvements

Note: This is the most recent release of our U.S. Cities Investing the Most in Home Improvements study. To see data from previous years, please visit the Full Results section below.

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, homeowners nationwide used their spare time to tackle overdue home projects. As the year continued, a combination of factors, including low interest rates and rising home prices, helped fuel a surge in home renovations, improvements, and remodels.

These trends continued into 2022, but recent data from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University suggests the home improvement boom might finally be over. According to its July 2023 report, a combination of higher interest rates, lower home prices, and a slower pace of home sales will likely lead to a 5.9% drop in residential improvement and maintenance spending through Q2 in the coming year.

U.S. Home Improvement Spending Over Time

Home improvement spending surged over the past 10 years

Home improvement spending has surged over the past 10 years
Source: Construction Coverage analysis of U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis & U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data | Image Credit: Construction Coverage

After falling by an inflation-adjusted 24% from a high in 2006 to a low in 2011 as a result of the Great Recession, home improvement spending growth got back on track between 2012 and 2019 as the housing market recovered. However, spending then grew sharply during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic before plateauing in 2022. According to loan-level data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the number of single-family home improvement loans originated climbed to nearly 750,000 in 2022, up from approximately 550,000 in 2021.

Typically, home improvement spending falls during economic downturns; however, the COVID-19 recession proved to be an exception to the rule. One key reason is that the early stages of the pandemic disproportionately impacted lower-wage workers who were less likely to own homes. Meanwhile, higher-income homeowners didn’t suffer the same level of job losses or reduced wages but benefited from reduced spending on things like eating out and travel, which freed up funds for other expenses. With many of these homeowners spending more time at home, they were eager to create home offices, gyms, and backyard oases featuring decks, outdoor kitchens, and pools.


RELATED

If you operate a business out of your home, you might need commercial property insurance. This is because homeowners policies often have clauses that exclude properties used for commercial purposes.


Home Improvement Loan Approvals by Location

Utah residents invested most in home improvements in 2022

Utah residents invested most in home improvements in 2022
Source: Construction Coverage analysis of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data | Image Credit: Construction Coverage

Investing in home improvements varies by location due to factors such as cost of living, local economic conditions, and the housing market. Notably, the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, and New England stand out for their high spending in 2022. 

At the state level, homeowners in Utah and Idaho—two of the top 10 fastest-growing states—took out the most home improvement loans per capita, at 26.0 and 18.9 loans per 1,000 homeowners, respectively. Other top states include neighboring Colorado, Washington, and Oregon, as well as Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont in New England. At the other end of the spectrum, homeowners in Alaska took out the fewest home improvement loans, at just 1.6 loans per 1,000 homeowners.

Similar trends hold at the local level where fast-growing parts of Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon claim many of the top spots for home improvement spending. The Salt Lake City metro ranks first among large metros, Provo, UT claims the top spot among midsize metros, and Coeur d’Alene, ID sits at the top of the small metros list followed closely by Logan, UT.

The tables below contain statistics for all major U.S. metropolitan areas and all 50 states. The research was conducted by Construction Coverage using the latest data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act.

Large Metros Investing Most in Home Improvements

Top MetrosLoans*
1. Salt Lake City-Murray, UT24.8
2. Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO19.1
3. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA18.1
4. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA17.8
5. Raleigh-Cary, NC17.2
6. Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI16.6
7. Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI16.3
8. Providence-Warwick, RI-MA15.6
9. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA15.1
10. Columbus, OH14.3
11. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH14.3
12. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ14.3
13. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC13.0
14. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA12.2
15. Pittsburgh, PA12.2
Bottom MetrosLoans*
1. New Orleans-Metairie, LA2.5
2. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX2.8
3. San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX4.2
4. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX4.6
5. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN5.5
6. Oklahoma City, OK5.9
7. Tucson, AZ6.3
8. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX6.5
9. Memphis, TN-MS-AR6.9
10. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ7.1
11. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD7.1
12. Fresno, CA7.6
13. St. Louis, MO-IL7.8
14. Richmond, VA7.8
15. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL7.8

FOR CONSTRUCTION BUSINESSES

Whether your business focuses on remodels or new construction, having the right software can make every step of the process easier. We recommend construction estimating and takeoff software to improve the bid process. For managing ongoing projects and finances, we recommend construction accounting software and construction management software.


Midsize Metros Investing Most in Home Improvements

Top MetrosLoans*
1. Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT29.4
2. Ogden, UT28.2
3. Boise City, ID21.2
4. Colorado Springs, CO20.6
5. Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA19.8
6. Fort Collins-Loveland, CO18.6
7. Eugene-Springfield, OR17.7
8. Manchester-Nashua, NH15.8
9. Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA15.8
10. Lancaster, PA15.7
11. Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY15.6
12. Greeley, CO15.5
13. Salem, OR15.1
14. York-Hanover, PA14.0
15. Lexington-Fayette, KY14.0
Bottom MetrosLoans*
1. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX0.7
2. Brownsville-Harlingen, TX0.8
3. Salisbury, MD1.0
4. Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX1.6
5. Lafayette, LA1.8
6. Anchorage, AK1.8
7. Corpus Christi, TX1.9
8. Killeen-Temple, TX2.1
9. El Paso, TX2.2
10. Baton Rouge, LA2.3
11. Shreveport-Bossier City, LA2.5
12. Gulfport-Biloxi, MS2.5
13. Fayetteville, NC2.9
14. Montgomery, AL3.0
15. Jackson, MS3.3

Small Metros Investing Most in Home Improvements

Top MetrosLoans*
1. Coeur d’Alene, ID26.2
2. Logan, UT-ID24.7
3. St. George, UT23.5
4. Bend, OR20.9
5. Barnstable Town, MA20.6
6. Longview-Kelso, WA20.5
7. Boulder, CO19.3
8. Idaho Falls, ID19.1
9. Wilmington, NC18.2
10. Missoula, MT16.8
11. Twin Falls, ID16.7
12. Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA16.5
13. Niles, MI16.0
14. Burlington-South Burlington, VT15.7
15. Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA15.2
Bottom MetrosLoans*
1. Odessa, TX0.5
2. Laredo, TX0.6
3. Midland, TX0.8
4. Carbondale, IL0.9
5. Farmington, NM1.0
6. Sumter, SC1.1
7. Wichita Falls, TX1.1
8. Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA1.1
9. Hammond, LA1.5
10. Monroe, LA1.6
11. San Angelo, TX1.6
12. Amarillo, TX1.6
13. Lubbock, TX1.6
14. Alexandria, LA1.7
15. Texarkana, TX-AR1.7

States Investing Most in Home Improvements

Top StatesLoans*
1. Utah26.0
2. Idaho18.9
3. Colorado17.0
4. Washington16.2
5. Rhode Island15.9
6. New Hampshire15.6
7. Oregon15.0
8. Massachusetts13.7
9. Hawaii12.6
10. Vermont11.8
11. Pennsylvania11.5
12. Arizona11.4
13. Wisconsin10.9
14. North Carolina10.9
15. Ohio10.6
Bottom StatesLoans*
1. Alaska1.6
2. Louisiana2.3
3. Mississippi2.6
4. New Mexico3.3
5. Texas3.3
6. West Virginia4.1
7. Wyoming4.2
8. Illinois4.7
9. Arkansas5.3
10. North Dakota5.5
11. Oklahoma5.5
12. Alabama5.7
13. South Carolina5.8
14. Kansas6.3
15. Missouri6.6

*Home improvement loans per 1K owner-occupied households

Methodology

To find the locations investing the most in home improvements, researchers at Construction Coverage analyzed the latest data from the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s 2022 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey, and Zillow’s Zillow Home Value Index. The researchers ranked metros according to the number of home improvement loans per 1,000 owner-occupied households. In the event of a tie, the metro with the larger number of total annual home improvement loans was ranked higher. Researchers also calculated the median loan amount, median interest rate, and median home price.

Only conventional, single-family home improvement loans that were originated in 2022 were considered in the analysis. To improve relevance, only metropolitan areas with at least 100,000 residents and all available data were included in the analysis. Additionally, metro areas were grouped into the following cohorts based on population size:

  • Small metros: 100,000-349,999
  • Midsize metros: 350,000-999,999
  • Large metros: 1,000,000 or more

References

  1. Baker, K. (2021, March 25). Despite Devastating Effects on the Broader Economy, Pandemic Has Been a Boon for U.S. Home Improvement. Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/despite-devastating-effects-broader-economy-pandemic-has-been-boon-us-home-improvement
  2. Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. (2023, July 20). Further Softening Expected for Homeowner Remodeling. https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/press-releases/further-softening-expected-homeowner-remodeling
  3. Bateman, N. and Ross, M. (2021, July 28). The pandemic hurt low-wage workers the most—and so far, the recovery has helped them the least. The Brookings Institute. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-pandemic-hurt-low-wage-workers-the-most-and-so-far-the-recovery-has-helped-them-the-least/
  4. Aladangady, A et al. (2022, October 21). FEDS Notes: Excess Savings during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/excess-savings-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-20221021.html
  5. McKinsey Global Institute. (2021, March 17). The consumer demand recovery and lasting effects of COVID-19. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/the-consumer-demand-recovery-and-lasting-effects-of-covid-19
  6. U.S. Census Bureau. (2022, December 22). Growth in U.S. Population Shows Early Indication of Recovery Amid COVID-19 Pandemic. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/2022-population-estimates.html
  7. U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (2022). Home Mortgage Disclosure Act [Data set]. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/hmda/
  8. U.S. Census Bureau. (2022). American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates [Data set]. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  9. Zillow. (2023, August). Zillow Home Value Index [Data set]. https://www.zillow.com/research/zhvi-methodology/

Final Results

Each company featured in our guides has been independently selected and reviewed by our research team. If you select one of these companies and click on a link, we may earn a commission.

By clicking on these links, you may be taken to one of our insurance partners. The specific company listed here may or may not be included in our partner’s network at this time.