Everyone wants a nice, big house, but what about the backyard? How big is too big? How small is too small? What is the right size backyard for you?
If you are purchasing a new home, it’s worth taking a closer look at the size of the backyard. If you plan to have kids, pets, or guests, then the backyard space becomes absolutely essential.
By evaluating your future backyard size, you can ensure that you invest your money in a home that offers the perfect backyard for your needs now and for years to come.
Key Takeaways
- Backyard Size and Factors: The average backyard is approximately 6,000 square feet nationwide, but this varies greatly depending on location. Factors like family size, pets, desired features like pools or decks, and maintenance considerations significantly influence the ideal backyard size for an individual or family.
- Trends in Lot and Backyard Sizes: The average lot size in the U.S. has decreased from around 10,000 square feet in 1992 to approximately 8,500 square feet recently, reflecting increased population density and a trend towards larger houses with smaller yards, especially in urban areas.
- Regional Variations: Backyard sizes vary widely by region, with the largest average backyards found in Vermont (approximately 74,000 square feet) and the smallest in California and Nevada (around 1,625 and 1,712 square feet respectively). Urban settings generally have smaller backyards compared to rural areas.
- Importance of Planning: Before purchasing a property, it’s crucial to consider future needs and preferences, including the number of family members, pets, and desired backyard features like pools, patios, or basketball courts. Maintenance commitment and costs are also important considerations when determining the ideal backyard size.
- Balancing Size and Maintenance: While a larger backyard offers more space for activities and features, it also requires more maintenance and cost. Prospective homeowners should balance the desire for space with the realities of upkeep and budget to find the most suitable backyard size for their lifestyle and needs.
Average Lot Sizes and Backyard Sizes
A home’s total lot size is directly proportional to the size of the backyard. The home’s total lot size includes both its backyard and front yard.
How Big Is The Average Lot?
Based on statistical information, the average lot size of a property back in 1992 was around 10,000 square feet in the United States. It has since decreased.
More recently, the national average single-family lot size is approximately 8,500 square feet, which is a decrease of about 15%. The reduction in lot sizes is directly correlated to the increase in population density.
Average lot sizes vary greatly in different regions in the United States, but lot sizes mostly depend on whether the home is in a city, suburb, or rural setting.
The average size lot in residential or urban areas is around 3,000 to 5,000 square feet nationwide.
However, the average lot size area is between 8,000 to 15,000 square feet in more rural areas.
And in many large cities, the lot size is only large enough to accommodate a home or condo – meaning little to no space for a backyard.
Land is becoming more scarce and more expensive as populations in cities continue to increase.
New housing developments in urban residential areas are trending towards larger an average house size and smaller yard size. More developers and homeowners seem to be interested in maximizing the square feet of the house.
How Big Is The Average Backyard?
The average backyard is approximately 6,000 square feet nationwide. However, this number varies greatly depending on if the property is located in a city, suburb, or rural setting.
Based on available information, people in Vermont have the largest backyards, which is estimated at a whopping 74,000 square feet.
People in Montana have the second-largest backyards, averaging around 71,000 square feet.
The smallest backyard sizes are in California and Nevada. California’s average backyard size is approximately 1,625 square feet, whereas the average backyard size in Nevada is around 1,712 square feet.
Look up the average lot sizes and backyard sizes in your area, so you can get a feel for what yard sizes you can expect from your dream home.
Factors to Consider for Your Backyard Size
Several factors contribute to determining the backyard size you want. The square footage of your new house will depend on your needs. Let’s take a look at the most important factors that will impact minimum yard sizes.
Family
The size of your family will have a huge impact on the amount of space you’ll need in your new backyard. If you’re planning to entertain large groups or host events often, then it’s best to make sure you have a larger yard with more room for activities and guests.
Families that have multiple young children usually want to make sure they have adequate space in their yards.
If you want to keep your kids active and outdoors, then make sure you have a lawn size big enough to accommodate a play area with plenty of room to run around.
Pets
If you have or plan to have pets, you will need to think about getting a larger backyard.
The larger backyard will be necessary because you’ll need enough space to allow the pets to play and exercise.
A backyard gives your pets a safe space away from cars, other animals, and other hazards.
The size of your backyard will vary depending on the pet you have. For example, if you have a cat or guinea pig, you don’t need a lot of space in your backyard.
If you plan to have a small flock of chickens, you may need a little more room.
However, if you have a more sizable dog breed, such as a German Shepherd or Labrador, you will need a bigger backyard to provide it with the appropriate space to play, exercise, and explore.
If you are a dog owner and you’re away at work all day, having a sizable backyard for your dog to roam is crucial.
Many dogs get left at home without the freedom to exercise, explore, and urinate until their owner gets back.
With a bigger backyard and a doggie door, you can give your dog the freedoms they were meant for – which means a happier and healthier pup.
Pools
If you want to get a swimming pool, you must make sure that your backyard is spacious enough to accommodate it. The required space will vary depending on the size of the pool.
On the other hand, the type of swimming pool will also impact the size of the backyard you want.
For example, if you want to get an underground swimming pool, you will need more backyard space than if you had an above-ground swimming pool.
Above-ground swimming pools are much smaller and often come in a circular shape.
An ideal size for a swimming pool in the United States is approximately 18 feet by 36 feet (approximately 650 square feet). Such a pool will accommodate up to 8 people at a time with enough space for pool games and exercise.
The average pool size in the United States is slightly smaller, at 15 feet by 30 feet (approximately 450 square feet).
In general, larger pools will require a larger yard, while a smaller yard will limit you to a smaller pool size.
TIP: Check out our article on if it’s worth it to add a swimming pool to your backyard!
Patio or Deck
If you plan to get a patio or deck, you should consider how much space this will take up in your backyard.
The size of a patio or deck usually varies based on the size of the house and for its purpose.
A good rule of thumb is that you should have at least 25 square feet of space for each person you plan to accommodate.
This means that you should have at least a 150-square-foot patio/deck to accommodate your family of six.
Are you using your patio for dining? Larger parties? For grilling? Adding outdoor furniture? A fire pit? These are all considerations that will require a larger patio/deck space, and thus, a larger backyard.
Some people end up creating a deck or patio that takes up their whole backyard space, but it’s usually a good idea to limit your patio or deck to less than half of your total backyard space. This extra space allows some space for plants, kids to play, or pets to poo.
ConcreteNetwork.com has an article Concrete Patio Size & Type that includes additional information on concrete patio size, including useful diagrams.
Maintenance
It’s exciting to buy a property that has a bigger backyard because it will provide you with additional space to enjoy your time outdoors. However, you’ll need to consider that you will have to spend more money maintaining a larger backyard.
Remember, small backyard = less maintenance, big backyard = more maintenance.
Lawn mowing is the most common, regular maintenance activity you will have to perform.
If you have a backyard of around 1,000 square feet, you will have to spend about $60 to $100 every week to mow it (assuming you don’t mow it yourself).
Likewise, you will have to deal with many other expenses, including tree removal, tree trimming, leaf removal, lawn aeration, lawn fertilizer, pest control, and lawn weeding.
The cost, time, and effort you spend on these tasks will increase based on the size of your lawn.
By now, you’re probably getting the idea that a larger backyard comes with more responsibilities.
Conclusion on Average Backyard Size
Ultimately your future backyard size will depend on your household size, what you plan to use it for, and your budget. Remember, a huge backyard isn’t meant for everyone.
In review, you should consider the following to help you determine the best backyard size for your next home.
- Look at the average lot sizes and backyard sizes where you plan to live.
- Consider the number of family members and the number/size of pets you will have in your home.
- Evaluate what backyard features you plan to accommodate (pool, patio/deck, garden, etc.)
- Find out what is in your budget for both purchase cost and maintenance cost.
- Determine the perfect backyard size based on all the factors above, and enjoy your backyard forever!
Remember, bigger isn’t always better. Larger yards come with more cost and responsibility. So, small backyards may be more suitable for those who are content with smaller outdoor spaces and less yard maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good size backyard for a basketball court?
There are multiple court sizes to consider. The smallest court size would be about 18 feet by 18 feet (half-court), which would give you just enough room to shoot and run around.
If you want a more standard-size court, you could plan for dimensions of 37 feet by 42 feet for half-court (or 74 feet by 42 feet for full-court), which is the standard size of an elementary school basketball court.
If you have the space to go larger, you could go up to the full NBA size of 47 feet by 50 feet for half-court (or 94 by 50 feet for full-court).
The most popular half-court size is 30 feet by 50 feet.
These larger-sized courts allow for standardized lines and striping of the court for accurate free-throw lines and 3-point lines.
Remember that your basketball court should take up less than 25%-30% of your total backyard space. You don’t need a huge yard, but you definitely need some decent yard space to fit a basketball court.
What size pool will fit in my backyard?
It’s up to you to decide on the pool size that will fit into your backyard. The typical pool size in the United States is approximately 450 square feet (15 feet by 30 feet).
However, pool sizes tend to vary by region. In general, a large backyard allows for a larger pool, and a small yard will require a smaller pool.
You can get in touch with a local pool expert to get an idea of what a typical size would be in your area. Your pool should take up less than 25%-30% of your total backyard space.