3 in 4 Americans bought a smart home tech device this past year

Despite the ongoing inflation, over 70% of Americans’ home tech spending either increased or remained the same in the past year compared to previous years. That’s just a slight decrease (5%) from 2020, the height of the pandemic.

We surveyed 1,000 Americans age 18 and older to find out about their tech spending habits. How does your tech spending compare to the nation’s average?

Home-tech spending thrived during the past year. Between May 2021 and May 2022, three in four Americans bought a smart home device.

65% purchased a smart home security device such as cameras or locks. Smart home security devices made up a total of 28% of all smart home tech purchases in the past year.

Here’s a breakdown of the most and least popular smart home tech devices purchased by Americans this past year, according to our survey:

• 46% purchased a smart TV.
• 35% purchased a smart speaker or display.
• 26% purchased smart bulbs or smart lighting.
• 20% purchased a smart doorbell.
• 18% purchased a smart plug.
• 18% purchased an outdoor smart security camera.
• 13% purchased a smart thermostat.
• 11% purchased a smart lock.
• 9% purchased a smart nanny camera, baby monitor, or indoor security camera.
• 8% purchased a smart home security system or alarm system.
• 7% purchased a smart pet camera.

• 77% said they use their smart home tech products at least once a day.
• 64% made most of their purchases online. 30% made most of their purchases in-store.
• 39% work from home. 61% don’t work from home.
• 61% are between the ages of 25 and 44.

• 69% are female.
• 45% said they spent less money on home tech this year compared to previous years.
• 85% do not work from home.

SafeWise also conducted this survey in January of 2021 to learn about Americans’ home tech spending during the pandemic. While a lot of our findings haven’t changed much, one big one has.

Our last survey showed that 70% of Americans did their home tech shopping online. Since then, that has decreased by more than 10%. This past year, just 57% of Americans reported doing most of their home tech shopping online.

Among those who did shop online this past year, their favorite place to buy home tech products was, by far, Amazon. Year over year, that has remained the same.

Nearly half (44%) of Americans said they spent more money on home tech this past year compared to previous years. 28% said they spent about the same, whereas 23% said they spent less money.

Here are a couple more key stats about Americans’ home tech spending, according to our survey data:

• Americans spent a total of $311.8 billion on home tech this past year.
• The average American spent a little over $1,200.

Despite the recent inflation, 45% of Americans are also looking forward to spending more money on home tech for Amazon Prime Day.

This year’s Amazon Prime Day is slated for July 12-13, though the early deals have already started rolling in. From fashion and toys to—you guessed it—home tech devices, Americans are looking forward to saving big bucks. 

Here are some key stats pulled from our survey regarding Americans’ plans to spend on Prime Day this year:

• 45% of Americans plan to purchase home tech products during Amazon Prime Day this year.
• Among them, nearly three in four plan to spend over $100. 30% plan to spend between $200 and $500, and 21% plan to spend more than $500.
• Among them, 32% plan on purchasing a smart home security product.
• The most and least common smart home tech devices they plan to purchase include:
  • 47% plan to buy a smart speaker or display.
  • 35% plan to buy a smart TV.
  • 34% plan to buy a smart plug.
  • 33% plan to buy smart lighting.
  • 22% plan to buy a smart doorbell.
  • 21% plan to buy an outdoor smart security camera.
  • 20% plan to buy a smart lock.
  • 19% plan to buy a smart thermostat.
  • 15% plan to buy a smart home security system or alarm system.
  • 14% plan to buy a smart pet camera.
  • 11% plan to buy a smart nanny camera, baby monitor, or indoor security camera.

If you’re one of the 45% of Americans who plan to take advantage of this annual sales event, SafeWise is here to help guide you toward the best deals on smart home tech. Check out our Deals Page to get the latest updates.

SafeWise ran a survey of 1,000 Americans age 18+ in May 2022. The results shown above reflect the time period of the previous year (May 2021–2022) and are post-stratified. Post-stratification weighting method is a way to achieve a distribution equal with that of such known characteristics of the population. In this case, it was applied to age and gender. If you have any questions about the data or methodology, email media@safewise.com.

• The Best Smart Home Devices
• The Best Smart Speakers
• The Best Smart Light Bulbs
• The Best Smart Home Security Systems
• The Biggest Trends of the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show
• Smart Home Guide for Beginners
• Smart Home: Frequently Asked Questions