Quick answer
Somewhere between 3.4% and 6% of American school age children are homeschooled in 2026, depending on how you count. Federal survey data puts it at 3.4%, while the National Home Education Research Institute estimates about 3.4 million students, or roughly 6%.
- Growth slowed sharply in 2025 to 2026: 1.5% across 22 reporting states, down from 6.3% a year earlier.
- Montana grew fastest at 27.7%. Minnesota fell the most at 10.8%.
- The top reason parents give is the school environment (83%).
- Homeschool families spend about $600 per student a year.
Homeschooling stopped being a pandemic experiment a while ago. In 2026 it is a settled choice for millions of families, including plenty of the backyard chicken and garden families who read this blog. We pulled the newest numbers from Johns Hopkins, federal surveys and national research groups so you can see where homeschooling really stands this year.
Every figure below links to its source. Where two sources disagree, we say so and explain why.
Key numbers at a glance
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Students homeschooled, 2022 to 2023 school year | 3.4% | Pew Research |
| Estimated homeschool students, 2024 to 2025 | 3.408 million (about 6%) | NHERI |
| Average growth, 22 reporting states, 2025 to 2026 | 1.5% | Johns Hopkins |
| Reporting states that grew, 2025 to 2026 | 17 of 22 (77%) | Johns Hopkins |
| Fastest growing state, 2025 to 2026 | Montana, up 27.7% | Johns Hopkins |
| Parents citing school environment | 83% | Pew Research |
| Families planning to keep homeschooling | 86% | FLVS survey |
| Average yearly spend per homeschool student | About $600 | NHERI |
How many kids are homeschooled in the US in 2026?
The most reliable federal figure says 3.4% of students in kindergarten through 12th grade were homeschooled in the 2022 to 2023 school year, up from 2.8% before the pandemic, according to the National Center for Education Statistics survey reported by Pew Research. That is the newest federal count available in 2026.
Other researchers count higher. The National Home Education Research Institute estimates 3.408 million homeschool students in the 2024 to 2025 school year, about 6.3% of school age children, up from 2.5 million in spring 2019 (NHERI). EdChoice also describes homeschooling as roughly doubling from about 3% to about 6% since before the pandemic (EdChoice).
Why the gap? The federal survey does not count students enrolled in full time virtual schools as homeschooled, even when they learn at the kitchen table. In 2022 to 2023 that group was another 1.8% of students (Pew Research). Add the two together and you land close to the higher estimates.
Is homeschooling still growing in 2026?
Yes, but much more slowly. Across the 22 states that had reported 2025 to 2026 numbers by September 2026, homeschool enrollment grew an average of 1.5%, down from 6.3% in the same states a year earlier, according to the Johns Hopkins Homeschool Hub.
In raw numbers, those 22 states added about 9,000 homeschool students in 2025 to 2026, compared with about 38,000 the year before (Johns Hopkins). The researchers call every count a minimum, since not every family reports.
Growth is still widespread. Seventeen of the 22 reporting states (77%) saw more homeschoolers in 2025 to 2026, down from 80% of states in 2024 to 2025 and 90% in 2023 to 2024 (Johns Hopkins).
Six states hit record highs this year: Arkansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wisconsin. That is 27% of reporting states, down from 36% a year earlier (Johns Hopkins).
Which states have the fastest homeschool growth?
Montana led the country with 27.7% growth in 2025 to 2026, followed by North Dakota at 18.8% and Arkansas at 14%. Minnesota had the steepest drop at 10.8%, and North Carolina fell 7.5% (Johns Hopkins).
The year before told a different story. In 2024 to 2025, South Carolina grew 21.5%, Vermont 17%, Ohio 15% and New Hampshire 14.5% (Johns Hopkins 2025). New Hampshire has since swung to a 4% decline, which shows how quickly local conditions can change.
Only 30 states, counting Washington DC, publish annual homeschool counts at all. The other 21 do not, so national totals are always estimates (Johns Hopkins 2025).
Why do parents choose to homeschool?
Concern about the school environment is the most common reason. In the latest federal survey, 83% of homeschooling parents named safety, drugs or negative peer pressure at school as a reason, according to Pew Research. Parents could pick more than one reason, so the numbers add up to more than 100%.
When parents had to pick just one main reason, 25% chose the school environment, 15% chose dissatisfaction with academics and 13% chose religious instruction, based on earlier federal data from NCES.
Plenty of parents are at least thinking about it. In an Outschool survey of more than 1,000 parents, 35% of public school parents said they would homeschool or were considering it (EdSource).
Who homeschools in 2026?
Homeschooling is more diverse than its old reputation. About 41% of homeschool students are not White and non Hispanic, according to NHERI, citing US Department of Education data.
Family setup matters a lot. In federal data, 6.6% of children in two parent homes with one parent in the workforce were homeschooled, compared with 1.6% where both parents worked (NCES). Having one adult home during the day is still the single biggest enabler.
Politics are more mixed than many people assume. In an EdChoice survey, 44% of homeschooling parents identified as Republican and 29% as Democrats (EdChoice).
| Group | Share homeschooled |
|---|---|
| White students | 4.0% |
| Students of two or more races | 2.7% |
| Hispanic students | 1.9% |
| Black students | 1.2% |
| Two parents, one working | 6.6% |
| No parent working | 3.1% |
| Two parents, both working | 1.6% |
| One parent, working | 1.2% |
How much does homeschooling cost per child?
Homeschool families spend an average of about $600 per student a year, while public schools spend about $18,853 per pupil, according to NHERI, which cites National Education Association figures for the public school number. Your own cost depends heavily on curriculum, co op fees and activities.
| Cost measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average spent per homeschool student each year | About $600 | NHERI |
| Public school spending per pupil each year | $18,853 | NHERI (NEA data) |
| Estimated taxpayer savings, 2024 to 2025 | Over $64 billion | NHERI estimate |
The biggest real cost is usually time and income, not books. Many families keep costs low with library cards, free online lessons and hands on projects at home. We have reviewed a couple of paid options, including Raddish Kids and Osmo for young kids.
Do homeschooled kids do better academically?
Research leans positive, but most of it comes from homeschool focused groups and is not based on random samples. NHERI reports that homeschoolers typically score 15 to 25 percentile points above public school students on standardized tests, and its 2026 review found 62% of peer reviewed achievement studies favored homeschoolers (NHERI).
Treat those numbers as encouraging rather than proof. Families who choose to homeschool and volunteer for testing are not a typical cross section, so results can look better than the average homeschooler’s.
Do families stick with homeschooling?
Most do. In a Florida Virtual School survey of 1,424 homeschooling parents, 86% planned to keep homeschooling: 49% indefinitely and 37% for the foreseeable future (FLVS survey).
The same survey found only 31% started because of COVID school closures. Another 36% were already homeschooling before the pandemic, and 33% started afterward for other reasons (FLVS survey).
How does homeschooling fit with a backyard homestead?
Really well. A small flock or a garden turns science, math and responsibility into daily chores kids can see and touch. Watching the chicken life cycle, tracking egg counts, or measuring how fast seedlings grow all make easy lessons.
If you are just starting, our backyard chicken guide and vegetable garden statistics are good places to begin a homestead unit study.
How we gathered these numbers
We used the newest release from each source as of October 2026: the Johns Hopkins Homeschool Hub state counts published in September 2026, federal NCES survey data, NHERI estimates and recent parent surveys. Federal and advocacy estimates measure homeschooling differently, so we show both and link every figure.
Choosing a curriculum? Compare the best homeschool programs, with prices and what Reddit parents say.
Keep reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of US kids are homeschooled in 2026?
Between about 3.4% and 6%, depending on the source. The latest federal NCES survey found 3.4% of students were homeschooled in the 2022 to 2023 school year, as reported by Pew Research. NHERI estimates 3.4 million homeschool students in 2024 to 2025, about 6% of school age children, partly because it counts families that federal surveys leave out.
Is homeschooling still growing or slowing down?
It is still growing, but slowly. The Johns Hopkins Homeschool Hub found average growth of 1.5% across 22 reporting states in 2025 to 2026, down from 6.3% in the same states the year before. Seventeen of those 22 states still added homeschoolers, and six reached record highs.
Which state has the most homeschool growth?
Montana had the fastest homeschool growth in 2025 to 2026 at 27.7%, followed by North Dakota at 18.8% and Arkansas at 14%, according to the Johns Hopkins Homeschool Hub. Minnesota saw the largest decline at 10.8%. Only 30 states publish yearly counts, so other states may be growing quickly without reporting it.
What is the most common reason parents homeschool?
Concern about the school environment, including safety, drugs and negative peer pressure. In the latest federal survey reported by Pew Research, 83% of homeschooling parents named it as a reason. Moral instruction at 75% and dissatisfaction with academics at 72% came next.
How much does it cost to homeschool one child per year?
About $600 per student per year on average, according to NHERI, compared with roughly $18,853 per pupil in public schools. Costs vary widely with curriculum, classes and activities, and the $600 figure does not include income a parent may give up to teach at home.
