Laundry connections were installed on the first floor of the majority of residences (70%) in 2025, according to the Census’s Survey of Construction.
The second most prevalent laundry was situated on the second floor or higher, with a prevalence of 27%.
The basement, garage, and other locations all had a share of 1% or less.
In NAHB’s What Home purchasers Really Want, home purchasers are conducted surveys regarding their preferred laundry location.
Although the first floor continued to be the most sought-after location for laundry, with 58% of respondents, there was a substantial disparity in preferences for other locations.
At 19%, the cellar was the second most popular choice, followed by the garage at 16%.
The second floor or higher received only 7% of the vote.
This comparison underscores a potential discrepancy between the products and services that builders are providing and the preferences of consumers.
Although the majority of builders are choosing to install laundry connections on the first or second floor, a significant number of buyers prefer the basement or garage.
The chart below illustrates this variation.
The first floor continues to be the most frequently used location for laundry in all Census Divisions. However, there are certain regional variations.
In the West South Central division, 93% of homes had a laundry area on the first floor, while only 49% of homes in the New England division had this feature.
In contrast, the West South Central had the lowest prevalence of second-floor laundry, at 6%, while New England had the highest prevalence at 41%.
It is unsurprising that laundry connections are more prevalent in regions of the country where basements are more prevalent, particularly in the northern regions.
The West North Central division exhibited the highest percentage of homes with a basement laundry, at 13%.
New England followed at 9%.
Among age-restricted homes, where accessibility and main-level living are critical design considerations, 89% had laundry on the first floor.
Laundry Trends in Multifamily Housing
1 In 2025, 87% of multifamily units were completed with individual laundry facilities, while 13% offered shared or no laundry facilities. This percentage has maintained a relatively consistent level since 2015, which is indicative of the ongoing demand for in-unit laundry among renters.
The Northeast has the greatest percentage of shared or no laundry facilities in the region, at 37%.
Conversely, the prevalence of shared or nonexistent laundry facilities was significantly lower in other regions: 16% in the West, 10% in the Midwest, and 4% in the South.
The Survey of Construction data does not provide multifamily data for laundry location by starts or by Census Division.
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