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U.S. Homes Smaller, More Electric-Powered in 2009 Aug 25, 2010 |
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New homes completed in 2009 were slightly smaller than the year before, and the share of homes using electricity as a heating fuel saw a big increase. These were among the findings in the U.S. Census Bureau's annual report on the characteristics of new housing built in the U.S.
Among the findings:
• The average single-family house completed in 2009 had 2438 sq ft, down from 2519 sq ft in 2008.
• 93% of all single-family homes sold had air-conditioning. The 93% peak was reached in 2006 and remained at that level
• 55% of all new single-family homes completed used gas as the primary source of heating fuel; 42% used electricity. Gas use in completed homes has been decreasing, and electricity increasing, since 2003.
• 37% of single-family homes completed had heat pumps installed as the primary type of heating system. Heat pumps accounted for 35% of heating systems installed in new homes inside metropolitan areas; 52% outside of metropolitan areas.
• 60% of hot water or steam heating systems in completed single-family homes used gas, 12% used electricity, 21% used oil, and 6% used other fuel.
• 34% of single-family homes completed had 4 or more bedrooms. Of those, 54% had 3 or more bathrooms.
• 53% of single-family homes completed had 3 bedrooms.
• 17% of new single-family homes sold in the U.S. had a 3-or-more-car garage.
• 49% of new single-family homes sold had 1 fireplace; 5% had 2 or more fireplaces.
• The average single-family home sold had a lot of 17,462 sq ft. The average lot size in the Northeast: 35,176 sq ft. In the West: 10,081 sq ft.