Most of us are willing to go to any lengths, laboring from dawn till dusk to fulfill the dream of owning a home. However, in the modern world, that dream is getting more and more expensive and out of reach.
But human beings are nothing if not creative, and many now dare to dream small, or to be precise, dream tiny. Tiny house statistics show that this “philosophy of living” is gaining momentum. Many opt to downsize, declutter, escape debt, and even live off-grid in their tiny homes—which have often been constructed by their own hands. To learn more, immerse yourself in this fascinating world where small is bigger and better.
The Top 10 Vital Tiny House Facts and Stats
- The roots of the tiny house philosophy can be traced back to 1000 BCE.
- The average tiny house size is anywhere between 100 and 400 square feet.
- In 2017, there was a 67% increase in tiny house sales from the previous year.
- Savvy DIYers typically spend between $12,000 and $35,000 to construct their tiny heaven.
- 63% of millennials would consider buying a tiny house
- 68% of individuals living in tiny homes actually own their houses and are mortgage-free, according to the tiny house mortgage facts.
- 55% of tiny house owners have more savings than the average American.
- Tiny house monthly housing expenses can be as low as $600.
- You can choose to live off-grid in a tiny house.
- Tiny house appliances are often more expensive.
“Big” Essential Tiny House Facts and Stats
Here, we’ll focus on the facts and statistics that everyone should know about the tiny house movement.
1. The roots of the tiny house philosophy can be traced back to 1000 BCE.
(Home Stratosphere)
Yurts in Mongolia were a practical solution to life “on the go” and were the origin for later living spaces like grass huts, wigwams, tents, tipis, and igloos. All these utilitarian accommodations helped pave the way for the tiny house movement trend, which slowly started during the 1970s and developed further in the ’90s. Of course, it has truly gained popularity within the last decade.
2. The average tiny house size is anywhere between 100 and 400 square feet.
(iProperty Management)
While this might seem suffocatingly small, especially for those who’ve never lived in such accommodations, the tiny house facts note that it’s possible to go up to 1000 square feet. However, most agree that a true tiny house should be less than 500 square feet.
3. The maximum size for a tiny house on wheels is 40 feet long, 13.5 feet tall, and 8.5 feet wide.
(Tiny House Blog)
Plenty of people daydream about owning a mobile tiny house, but these strict measurements must be respected to comply with trailer-size laws so that owners can tow it on the highway.
4. In 2017, there was a 67% increase in tiny house sales from the previous year, tiny house market statistics show.
(iProperty Management)
While tiny houses became increasingly popular after the financial crisis in 2008—when many could no longer afford their mortgage payments—the trend has kept on growing. Nevertheless, some locations are more popular, and builders are reporting up to a 200% increase in recent years, while some locations remain dedicated to traditional real estate, according to tiny house market trends.
5. A modest but well-equipped tiny house can be purchased for $25,000.
(The Spruce)
It will be about 144 square feet and suitable for year-round living. However, the median price for a professionally constructed tiny house (around 206 square feet) is closer to $60,000. Since there’s been a rise in the luxury trend, a tiny house that’s under 400 square feet and fit for a king can be $150,000 (or more).
6. Savvy DIYers typically spend between $12,000 and $35,000 to construct their tiny heaven.
(The Spruce)
However, for those who can obtain free building materials, the cost can be lowered to around $10,000, tiny house stats suggest. Furthermore, plenty of DIYers also report that attending DIY classes helped tremendously during the building process since they were able to avoid common pitfalls and pricy construction mistakes.
7. It can take up to a year to build a DIY tiny house.
(Go Downsize)
It depends on how committed to your tiny home’s success you are. If you can work on your dream tiny home full time, it’s possible to have it done and good to go in three to four months. For those who can afford a professional builder, a tiny house can be finished in two months’ time.
8. 63% of millennials would consider buying a tiny house, according to the tiny house statistics.
(iProperty Management, Forbes)
Because of their student loan debt and the high prices of traditional real estate, millennials are looking to buy smaller and more efficient houses—and tiny homes are a great fit. However, the baby boomers who are retiring also find the prospect of tiny homes appealing because of the reduced expenses, portability, and ease of downsizing in their autumn years.
Tiny House Global Trend: What’s the Appeal?
In this section, we’ll be exploring all the reasons why tiny houses are currently so popular.
9. The average size of an American home in 2014 was 2,400 square feet, and the median price was around $200,000.
(Money Crashers, CNBC)
While going tiny offers far less in terms of space, the price can be a fraction of the aforementioned sum. For many looking to own a home (and 79% of Americans cite this as one of their major life goals) without having a 30-year mortgage plan, tiny house living is a perfect go-to solution.
10. Unsurprisingly, 68% of individuals living in tiny homes actually own their houses and are mortgage-free.
(Money Crashers, Earnest)
By contrast, only 29% of traditional real estate owners are mortgage-free as the latest mortgage statistics show. However, in terms of a tiny house mortgage, the facts aren’t encouraging. There are no mortgages available for this kind of living accommodation, so would-be tiny house owners need to find other means of financing their dreams.
11. 55% of tiny house owners have more savings than the average American.
(iProperty Management)
Some 60% of tiny house dwellers don’t have any credit card debt, and 89% have less credit card debt than the average American.
12. Tiny house monthly housing expenses can be as low as $600.
(Business Insider, The Balance)
Naturally, the expenses are closely linked to the location since the price of a lot is typically the largest part of a tiny house’s monthly expenses. Indeed, the cost for most tiny house dwellers seldom surpasses $1,000 per month, tiny house movement statistics indicate. By comparison, US homeowners pay $1,100 per month just in mortgage payments (median sum).
13. The world is your oyster when you live in a tiny house.
(Lifehack)
Plenty of tiny houses are built on wheels, which means you can simply hook up your Liliputan abode and tow it away to another location—without the same hassle you’d have if you lived in a regular house. In fact, most people consider this one of the major benefits of living tiny. Many people who live in a tiny house report that they feel more freedom than those living in a “normal” house.
14. Tiny house living shrinks your carbon footprint.
(Tiny House Blog, College of St. Benedict)
On average, a tiny house produces 5,578 pounds less CO2 yearly than the average house. Additionally, tiny homes lower the greenhouse effect by 36%, the available tiny house statistics show.
15. You can choose to live off-grid in a tiny house.
(EnergySage)
While this choice might seem extreme in the 21st century, even among the tiny house community, some people choose to do it. By installing solar energy panels, tiny house owners are less dependent on the system as a whole and more self-sufficient. This contributes to tiny house popularity. Just make sure you get the right kind of equipment for an off-grid scenario: solar panels and an inverter, as well as batteries and charge controllers.
16. Raising a family in a tiny house is possible.
(Nourishing Minimalism)
While it isn’t hard to envision a single person in a tiny house, it’s much harder to do so for a family. But living in a tiny house with kids, statistics show, is possible—though not always simple. In fact, more and more families are opting to do it, citing nurturing a closer bond with their offspring as one of the driving factors behind this move.
17. Owning a tiny house can be a source of income.
(B&B)
If you ever get tired of living small, renting your tiny house is a great source of income. Websites such as Airbnb or Try It Tiny will help you to find renters and generate some income. Alternatively, you can also sell your tiny property.
Tiny House Living Facts (Warts and All)
Here, we‘ll be looking at all the things people should be aware of if they want to live in a tiny house.
18. The biggest expense for tiny house dwellers is often buying land.
(Investopedia)
Land is not cheap, but even if you don’t go for this option (sometimes it isn’t even possible because zoning laws prohibit it), you still have to factor in parking fees or the cost of renting a plot, which can add up quickly.
19. You might be forced to move quite a lot.
(Investopedia, Wise Bread)
The adventure of always being on the move might sound like fun, but there are pitfalls too. If you’re opting to park your tiny home, the parking regulations often have an allotted time you can spend in one place before you have to move on. This, according to most tiny house living statistics, adds more expenses like gas, finding a new place to park, maintenance, and truck insurance.
20. Buying a truck that can tow your “tiny castle” can be a pricey affair.
(Tiny Home Builders)
While tiny homes on wheels sound amazing, finding the right sort of “horse” can be a costly business. Put simply, tow vehicles don’t come cheap, and they often consume more gas. Naturally, you can also look into renting a tow truck (if you don’t move too often) or hiring someone to do it for you. But all this adds to the expenses of owning a tiny house.
21. Mold can be a huge problem in tiny houses.
(Insider)
According to many who’ve invested in the tiny house architecture trend, mold can be a risk. Small spaces get hot really quickly, so having an efficient ventilation system is a must to prevent harmful mold from developing.
22. Tiny house appliances are often more expensive.
(Cheapism)
Unless you’re Robinson Crusoe, chances are you’ll want efficient and nice-looking appliances. However, these will cost a pretty penny because they’re smaller and sometimes even custom made.
23. Tiny house = tiny space, and there’s no way around it.
(Apartment Therapy, Cheapism)
While this might seem like a “duh” moment when it comes to the mobile trend in tiny houses, it takes time to adjust to this fact and accept that everyday things like shopping and storage might be a problem and will take some careful consideration. Even carving out some privacy time can be an issue in a tiny house.
Conclusion
Whether you’re only toying with the idea of living in a tiny house or you’re already taking steps to become a happy and proud owner of your tiny slice of heaven, gathering as much information as possible about this fascinating movement is paramount.
Tiny house living isn’t for everyone, and a serious shift in one’s overall values is a must for this step to have a happily ever after. However, the tiny house statistics for 2022 gathered here speak in favor of this eco-friendly, humane, and nature-oriented way of life. If nothing else, it’s a welcome step away from the modern world’s advancing materialism and consumerism.
FAQ
How many people have tiny homes?
While providing the precise number of people who own tiny homes is hard—perhaps even impossible at this moment—available data indicates that there are more than 10,000 tiny homes in North America. Furthermore, every year, some 700 tiny houses are bought from certified builders, and a rough calculation indicates that the same number of tiny homes are built by eager DIYers.
(Go Downsize, iProperty Management)
What state has the most tiny homes?
Portland, Oregon, is currently tiny house central in the US. The tiny house movement is more popular and widespread in urban areas than in remote parts of the US. In fact, tiny house living seems to be especially popular in places with strong artistic and creative communities. Therefore, cities like Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and Austin also rank high when it comes to picturesque mini homes.
In sheer numbers, though, it would seem that California is the leading state with the largest number of tiny homes. It’s followed by Colorado, Florida, Texas, Oregon, and Washington.
(Tree Hugger)
Why are people living in tiny homes?
Every person living in a tiny house will supply a slightly different answer, but there are several common aspects that accompany the decision to go tiny. In most cases, people just want a simpler life, to downsize, and to avoid either a mortgage or debt—or they simply want a home that won’t cost an arm and a leg.
Also, there’s the freedom that comes with living in a tiny house. In a nutshell, going tiny is a movement, a philosophy that isn’t suited to everyone. However, considering that most Americans’ mortgage plans take 15 to 30 years to pay off, jumping on the tiny house bandwagon not only allows more time to enjoy life but also makes sense financially.
(The Tiny Life, Family Education)
How long do most people live in a tiny house?
Yet again, there’s no definitive answer. It simply depends on what an individual or family wants or needs. Living in a tiny house can last for a couple of months or a year, or it can become a permanent living accommodation.
(Go Downsize)
Are tiny homes still popular?
If the actual figures are anything to go by, the popularity of tiny homes is going up rather than down. It’s estimated that the tiny house market size could increase by $5.8 billion between 2020 and 2024.
(Technavio)
Where can I live in a tiny house legally?
The available information points out that California, Florida, Texas, Oregon, and North Carolina make going tiny much easier than the rest of the US when it comes to law. California sits at the very top of this pyramid with laws that facilitate the tiny house trend. However, tiny house enthusiasts have to bear in mind that tiny house laws in the US vary both by county and by state—with Connecticut being the least tiny house friendly state, according to tiny house statistics.
(Architect, Tiny Society)
Sources:
- Apartment Therapy
- Architect
- Business Insider
- Cheapism
- College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University
- Earnest
- Energy Sage
- Family Education
- Go Downsize
- Go Downsize
- Home Stratosphere
- Insider
- Investopedia
- iProperty management
- Lifehack
- Money Crashers
- Nourishing Minimalism
- Technavio
- The Balance
- The Tiny Life
- Tiny Home Builders
- Tiny House Blog
- Tiny Society
- Tree Hugger
- Wise Bread
