15 Surprising Vegetable Garden Statistics

Vegetable gardening has become a prevalent trend. Not only are these gardens established to save money, but people, in general, are much more health-conscious when it comes to food.

We no longer grab anything in the supermarket without having a look at the contents.

More often than not, there are too many unwanted extras mentioned on the package in our hands. The numbers of people who have gone over to the organic side are growing every day. People are much more aware of what they put into their bodies and much more concerned about Mother Earth’s condition and health.

Axiom’s 2026 Gardening Outlook found that 63.6% of gardeners plan to plant more and expand their gardens in 2026, up from 55.9% the year before. Creating vegetable gardens is the number two project on their list, named by 50.3%.

In the same survey, 42.8% expect to spend more money on gardening in 2026, and 26.2% plan to add more container gardens, up from 22.3%. Americans spent a record $79.0 billion on lawn and garden in 2025, an average of $740 per household, according to the 2026 National Gardening Survey.

Many factors determine the percentage of people who grow their own food, and many factors, including; influence the vegetable garden statistics in the U.S.

• Economy
• Location
• Age
• Size of location
• Population
• Weather Conditions
• Hunger Statistics

The National Gardening Association (NGA) found that 35% of U.S. households, or 42 million, grew food at home or in a community garden in 2013, up 17% from 36 million in 2008 (NGA Garden to Table report).

This means about 1 in every 3 American households grows some of its own food. Community gardening grew fastest: 3 million households used a community garden in 2013, a 200% increase from 1 million in 2008. Newer NGA data shows the share of households growing food reached 41.3% in 2021. Let’s look at some of the exciting vegetable and home gardening statistics taking place in the U.S.

Key numbers at a glance

Home Garden Statistics

The economy plays a massive role in how many people grow their own food. When money is tight or grocery prices jump, more families plant a garden. Between 2008 and 2013, a stretch that started with the Great Recession, the number of U.S. households growing food rose from 36 million to 42 million, according to the National Gardening Association.

Young gardeners led the way. Households aged 18 to 34 that grew food jumped 63%, from 8 million to 13 million, over the same five years. Average spending on food gardening rose from $70 to $85 per household.

However, there are also very positive garden statistics. Many people grow vegetables simply because homegrown food tastes better, and they prefer their produce to be as fresh as possible. According to composting statistics, there has been an increase in households that compost for the home gardens.

How Popular is Gardening?

Gardening has become so popular that even millennials are starting to do it. President and CEO of the National Gardening Association (NGA), Mike Metallo, said the report “clearly shows that there truly is a food revolution taking place in America.”  He added, “We are seeing more people, particularly young people, actively engaged in growing their own food.”

Teaching children about growing food from an early age helps too. Kids who know how to grow food are more likely to eat it.

Tomatoes are by far the most popular homegrown vegetable: 86% of food-gardening households grow them, according to a National Gardening Association survey.

Home Garden Locations Of American Households

Most home food gardens are small. A National Gardening Association survey found 57% of food gardens are 100 square feet or less, 26% are 101 to 500 square feet, 12% are 501 to 2,000 square feet and 6% are over 2,000 square feet. The same survey found where home vegetable gardens are grown:

• 33 million (91%) – grow food at home
• 2 million (5%) – grow food at neighbors, family or friends
• 1 million (3%) – grow food in a community garden
• 1% – grow food at other (unknown) locations

Most Popular Vegetables Grown (ranked from highest to lowest)

• Tomatoes: 86% of food-gardening households
• Cucumbers: 47%
• Sweet peppers: 46%
• Beans: 39%
• Carrots: 34%

Is Gardening An Expensive Hobby?

Many factors play a role in determining how much your gardening will cost you. Including the type of soil and compost you use. Remember that it might cost you quite a bit to get started. The initial equipment and gardening systems are what will cost you the most.

You must have clever money-saving gardening techniques and strategies to help you save as much on maintenance and upkeep as possible.

American households spent an all-time high of $79.0 billion on lawn and garden in 2025, up 13.5% from 2024, and the average household spent a record $740, up 18.3%, according to the 2026 National Gardening Survey. Spending is up even though about 4.5 million households stopped gardening in 2025. For comparison, spending was $47.8 billion, or $503 per household, in 2017.

To get started, you will need items such as:

• Pruning shears
• Rakes 
• Gloves
• Shovels
• Spades
• Rakes
• Seeds

Additional costs for maintaining your garden include:

• Insecticides and pest control
• Fertilizer
• Compost
• Damage (hail, snow) prevention systems (plant covers, over-head structures with plastic covers)
• Irrigation systems (sprinklers, over-head misters)

There are many ways that you can save money on these expenses, such as:

• Searching for second-hand equipment in second-hand or charity shops.
• Buying items that are on special
• Asking family members to pass on any equipment that they do not need 

Home Gardening Statistics Explored

In 2022, 80% of American households did some gardening, a five-year high, according to the National Gardening Survey, and the younger generation is rapidly getting green fingers.

In 2026, 66.7% of millennials and 65.2% of Gen Z gardeners expect to spend more time gardening, and 63.9% of millennials expect to spend more money on it, according to the Axiom 2026 Gardening Outlook.

Indoor gardening is booming too: 30% of all households bought at least one houseplant that year. Popular choices include indoor greenhouses for vegetables, herb gardens and succulents.

How Many Community Gardens Are There In The U.S.?

A community garden is an ecological green space where neighbors come together and promote educational programs on healthy eating and sustainability for the younger generation and share land to grow their fruits and vegetables.

Some of these gardens are referred to as urban farms, with individual plots for each family or neighbor. DeKalb County Community Gardens, Illinois (15 acres) and Shiloh Field Community Garden, Denton, Texas (14.5 acres) are some of the most extensive community gardens in the U.S.

Community gardens started in the 18^th century. Moravians created a community garden for Bethabara, Winston-Salem, in North Carolina to encourage families to come together and grow their crops on shared land.

Below are the top 10 U.S. cities with the most community gardens per 10,000 residents (from highest to lowest), according to Statista:

• 1) Portland, OR
• 2) St Paul, MN
• 3) Washington DC
• 4) Madison, WI
• 5) Orlando, FL
• 6) Seattle, WA
• 7) Milwaukee, WI
• 8) Arlington, VA
• 9) Long Beach, CA
• 10) San Francisco, CA

The number of community gardens in the U.S. keeps on growing. According to The Trust for Public Land, community garden plots in city parks have increased by 44% since 2012, and there are more than 29,000 plots in the 100 largest U.S. cities alone, a growth of 22% in a single year.

Fun Home Vegetable Gardening Facts

• Households aged 18-34 growing food rose 63% from 2008 to 2013 (NGA)
• Total U.S. food-gardening spending grew from $2.5 billion in 2008 to $3.5 billion in 2013 (NGA)
• 57% of home food gardens are 100 square feet or less (NGA)
• 30% of U.S. households bought at least one houseplant in 2017 (National Gardening Survey)

In Conclusion

Community gardens keep growing in numbers. With grocery prices still high in 2026 and household garden spending at a record, it is easy to see why so many people are growing their own fruits and vegetables.

It is a skill that should be mandatory to teach to young children, as self-sustainability is the way to go. Not only for the family to eat, but for the environment too.

More and more people are going green or environmentally friendly these days. There are just too many preservatives, additives and genetically engineered fruit and vegetables on our grocery store shelves nowadays.

Vegetable gardening is the way to go. If all are educated in the agricultural world, then hunger and starvation could become a thing of the past.

And even though many people grow vegetables and fruits at home for fun, the vital thing to remember is to respect our farmers, who still grow most of the food we eat.

There is no better time to start looking after ourselves and preserving the earth for generations to come, by growing food for all, forever!

References

• Here’s the dirt on park trends: community gardens are growing | The Trust for Public Land (tpl.org)
• Garden to Table: A 5-Year Look at Food Gardening in America | National Gardening Association (2014)
• Gardening Reaches an All Time High | National Gardening Survey 2018
• The growing food gardening market | Greenhouse Canada (NGA survey data)
• 9 Community Gardens That Make An Impact (Tell Us About Yours) | HuffPost
• U.S. cities: community gardens per 10,000 residents U.S. 2019 | Statista
• The True Cost Of Growing A Garden (investopedia.com)

Frequently Asked Questions