Type of Parking Facility of New Single-Family Houses Completed: 2021 Data

A majority of new homes that completed construction in 2021 included two-car garages (67%), according to NAHB analysis of 2021 Census Bureau Survey of Construction data. There is clear uniformity for parking options in new homes completed across the Census divisions: the 2-car garage was the most popular parking option for completed homes in all divisions.

The option for three or more car garages was most popular in the West North Central division with 47% of completed homes opting for this parking option. The Pacific division had the highest share of 2-car garages with 77%. One-car garages were most popular in the Middle Atlantic division (29%), while “other” which includes carport, off-street parking, and other parking facilities was the largest share in New England (13%).

For new single-family completions in 2021, 67% of homes offered a two-car garage. Another 19% of homes possessed a garage large enough to hold three or more cars. In 2015, three or more car garages were built on 24% of the homes completed but the share has continued to go down since then. Just 6% of newly-built homes had a one-car garage, and only 1% possessed a carport. Another 7% of new homes had no garage or carport.

The 2021 data indicates that as the size of completed home increases, the share of 1-car garage or “other” declines. At the same time, the share of completed homes with 2 or more garages increased as the square footage of the house increased. The “other” category is the largest share of homes with less than 1,200 square feet at 75%, but as the square footage of the home increases, the share of homes with “other” parking options, declines to 4% in homes larger than 5,000 square feet. The percentage of completed homes with a 1-car garage is at 16% for homes between 1,200-1,599 square feet, the highest share in its category. The proportion of completed homes with a 1-car garage is the lowest at 1% for homes larger than 5,000 square feet.

As house size increases, 2-car garages become the desired parking option. The share of 2-car garages is at 73% for completed homes between 1,600-1,999 square feet and it increases to 83% for homes between 2,000-2,399 square feet. For homes between 2,400-2,999 square feet, the share of 2-car garages drops to 75% and continues to decline as the home size increase from there. Three-car garages are only 3% of the homes less than 1,200 square feet but continues to increase as the square footage of the completed home increases. For completed homes larger than 5,000 square feet, 3-cars or more parking option becomes the most likely setup, at 66%.