Gardening is one of America’s most enduring pastimes, rooted in our agrarian history. Whether Americans are planting container gardens on balconies or turning their backyards into farms, many love sinking their hands into the earth and growing something green.
A particularly bountiful approach to gardening is that of the food garden, or growing vegetables and fruits in season to enjoy – and possibly reduce those ever-growing grocery bills.
We wanted to know how many Americans were planning on food gardens in 2025 – and why.
Methodology
To find out, we surveyed 992 Americans (homeowners and renters alike) on their food gardening plans, as well as their preferences around buying produce. 50% were women, 50% men, and ages ranged from 18-75 with an average age of 40. 64% self-reported as homeowners; 31% live in urban spaces, 52% suburban, and 17% live in a rural place.
Food safety concerns, egg shortages are spurring chicken popularity
How do Americans feel about the produce and products offered in the grocery store? Many are concerned, with 46% worried about the safety of food in grocery stores, and 48% of the opinion that grocery stores only offer low-quality food. Another 1 in 3 don’t even know where to find Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recall information to stay in the know.
One major trend among home gardeners is the rise of backyard chickens; 1 in 5 Americans are planning on keeping chickens in 2025, and about half of them will be buying them for the first time this year. Gen Z is leading this trend, with nearly 1 in 5 Gen Zers planning on purchasing chickens this year alone.
Just about half bought chickens due to egg shortages, and about 38% plan on selling eggs from their chickens this year. Another 30% bought chickens specifically in response to the bird flu outbreak in the U.S.
Others respond to concerns about grocery stores by buying more locally grown produce, with most (78%) purchasing from farmer’s markets, along with farm stands (39%). These are popular ways to connect with local farmers and enjoy seasonal produce.
Americans love buying local food for a variety of reasons; the number 1 benefit is that local produce is simply higher quality food. Additionally, 2 in 3 shop local to support the economy, and roughly half enjoy eating with the seasons. Roughly 1 in 3 do so either for safer food with fewer pesticides or to consume more ethically grown food.
Top 2025 Garden Trends: More Americans Growing Their Own Food
Food gardens are popular: 71% of Americans report they are planning on growing a food garden in 2025, with rural Americans leading the way at 78%. Next come urban gardeners embracing raised beds and container gardens at 72%, and finally, 68% of suburbanites are planning on growing their own food this year.
61% of respondents said they grew a food garden in 2024;they estimated saving $875 last year. Perhaps these drastic savings inspired the 31% who decided to try growing food this year.
Among 2025 gardeners, 2 in 3 are motivated to grow their own food to have high-quality produce. Another 54% are explicitly trying to lower their grocery bills. In fact, 11% of city gardeners are growing their own food because they can’t afford to eat otherwise. On average, food gardeners are trying to cover nearly a quarter (23%) of their grocery bills by gardening.
With growing speculation over 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and their impact on produce, it’s not shocking that 36% of gardeners in 2025 are growing food to counteract tariff-induced price increases.
Gardeners are also planning on scaling: 3 in 5 are planning on growing more this year than last.
What Does the Average 2025 Garden Look Like?
Americans are investing in their gardens, with the average seasonal expenditure costing $750. The average size of the garden varies (one respondent even mentioned acres), but typically lies around an average of 350 square feet.
Raised bed gardens are the most popular among gardeners (47%), followed by in-ground (45%), container (43%), indoor (27%), and greenhouses (13%). Another 1 in 10 are using a community garden plot, which is typically a raised bed garden or an in-ground portion of a public space.
Over half of 2025’s gardeners are planning on constructing their gardens themselves, while the other half either have built infrastructure from past years or are simply putting plants in the ground.
What are the most popular foods Americans are growing? Veggies come out on top, followed by herbs, fruit, and tubers like potatoes.
Whether you need advice in planting patterns, or how to properly make a raised bed, Frontdoor’s Experts can help you with your DIY projects, save you time and money, and be the farmer you want to see in the world– from a few basil leaves and a tomato to a fully functioning subsistence farm.
Fair Use
When using this data and research, please attribute by linking to this study and citing frontdoor.com.
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