Reference guide · Updated October 26, 2026
U.S. wallpaper and home improvement statistics
A concise, sourced view of the homeowner improvement market and the interior projects that shape wallcovering decisions. Each figure below links to its original source.
What this covers
Useful context, carefully stated.
Wallpaper is one part of a much larger home-improvement picture. This page gathers the clearest public figures we found on U.S. homeowner activity, spending and interior-surface work, then keeps the source and time period beside every number. It is designed as a reference, not as a substitute for a project-specific estimate.
86.9M
homeowners were represented in the 2023 housing survey
The U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Housing Survey reports 86.9 million homeowners in its home-improvement findings.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Housing Survey ↗59%
of homeowners made improvements between 2021 and 2023
That is 51.6 million homeowners. The survey counts improvements made during the three-year reporting period, not a single calendar year.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Housing Survey ↗$827B
was spent on home improvements over 2021 to 2023
This is the Census Bureau's reported total for homeowners' improvement spending across the survey's three-year period.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Housing Survey ↗$6,500
was the median homeowner improvement spend
The Census Bureau reports this median for homeowners who made improvements between 2021 and 2023, which is a useful reminder that project budgets vary widely.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Housing Survey ↗21%
made flooring, paneling or ceiling-tile improvements
Among homeowners who made improvements, this was one of the most common categories. It groups these interior-surface projects together, so it should not be read as a wallpaper-only figure.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Housing Survey ↗$525B
is the expected annual level of homeowner improvement and repair spending through Q3 2027
Harvard's latest outlook expects annual spending to hover around $525 billion through the third quarter of 2027. This is a national projection for owner-occupied homes, not a wallpaper-only forecast.
Source: Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, October 22, 2026 ↗1.5%
is the projected year-over-year growth rate by Q3 2027
Harvard's October 2026 outlook projects that renovation and repair spending growth will reach 1.5 percent by the third quarter of 2027.
Source: Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, October 22, 2026 ↗64%
of reported home-improvement projects were completed by professionals
The 2023 American Housing Survey reports 140 million projects, with professionals completing 64 percent and do-it-yourselfers completing 36 percent.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Housing Survey ↗$3,000
was the median spend for flooring, paneling and ceiling-tile work
The Census Bureau reports this rounded median for the combined project category. It is helpful context for interior-surface work, not an estimate for wallpaper installation.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Housing Survey ↗Methodology and sources
How to read these figures
The Census figures come from the 2023 American Housing Survey and cover the 2021 to 2023 improvement period. The Harvard figures are a national homeowner-spending outlook published October 22, 2026. These sources measure broad home-improvement activity, not wallpaper installation alone. That distinction matters, so it is kept visible throughout.
- U.S. Census Bureau · 20232023 Home Improvements infographic, based on the American Housing Survey
- Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies · October 22, 2026Remodeling Spending Continues to Stagnate
- Source check · October 26, 2026Links and figures were reviewed for this update. This page will be refreshed when a key source releases material new data.
Cite this page
Make the source easy to find.
For a general reference to this collection, link to this page. For a specific number, the most precise citation is the original Census Bureau or Harvard source linked with that statistic.
Maximum Wallpapers. “U.S. Wallpaper and Home Improvement Statistics.” Updated October 26, 2026. https://805maximum.com/wallpaper-statistics
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