Backyards across the country are becoming wellness retreats, gathering spaces, and productive outdoor zones. To understand what is driving these changes, Alan’s Factory Outlet analyzed national homeowner survey data alongside TikTok hashtag trends and Google search activity across major U.S. cities.
The results show how homeowners are approaching backyard design in 2026, from raised beds and cold plunges to outdoor kitchens and seating areas. For homeowners considering or planning upgrades, these insights may just provide some new inspiration.
Key Takeaways
- 77% of homeowners are planning a backyard upgrade in 2026, with a median budget of $1,500.
- 23% of homeowners plan to spend $5K+ transforming their backyard in 2026.
- Landscaping/aesthetics (62%) and outdoor seating (48%) are the top backyard priorities for homeowners.
- Cold plunge is a top trend: 1.08M Google searches and 227K TikTok posts, dominating in warm-weather cities like Miami, FL, and Scottsdale, AZ.
- Raised garden beds are the No. 1 trend in search volume (1.16M searches), especially in the Midwest and Northeast.
Trending Backyard Designs on TikTok
Homeowners are upgrading their yards and redefining how their outdoor spaces function. Social media activity shows which ideas are gaining the most attention and shaping backyard landscaping design decisions and more nationwide.
A total of 3.9 million TikTok posts were analyzed across 38 backyard-related hashtags. Wellness led with 1.36 million posts. Fitness followed closely with just over 1.2 million posts, largely driven by #homegym content that showcased backyard sheds and detached garages converted into workout zones. Coming in third was general backyard hashtags, with 981,000 posts about outdoor living, creating a backyard oasis, and backyard makeovers.
The hashtag #homegym alone reached 1.2 million posts, making it larger than most entire content categories. Homesteading also moved into the mainstream, with #backyardchickens generating 407,000 posts. More traditional categories saw less engagement. Entertainment accounted for over 13,000 posts, garden content reached 11,000, and landscaping had just 868.
While landscape design and hardscaping elements like pavers, retaining walls, and walkways remain essential parts of any landscaping project, they’re not the most viral backyard topics on social media today.
What Americans Are Searching for in Their Backyards
Search behavior reveals what homeowners actively plan to build, plant, or install. Google data highlights strong regional preferences, from garden beds in colder climates to cold plunges in warmer, affluent cities.
“Raised garden beds” ranked as the top keyword overall, generating 1.16 million searches and dominating in 57 of the 99 cities in this study. Interest was especially strong across the Midwest, Northeast, and Mountain West, where backyard garden projects and raised beds offer practical, low-maintenance ways to grow food and add greenery. Minneapolis led the nation with 7,553 searches per 100,000 residents and also topped searches for “outdoor sauna” and “backyard sauna.”
“Cold plunge” followed closely with 1.08 million searches and dominated in 29 cities. This trend was led by searchers in:
- Miami, FL
- Austin, TX
- Scottsdale, AZ
- San Francisco, CA
- San Diego, CA
- Las Vegas, NV
People in coastal California cities, including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Irvine, and Oakland, were also frequently searching for more information about cold plunges. Florida also stood out for searches about outdoor kitchen installations in:
- Tampa
- Orlando
- Jacksonville
- Cape Coral
- Port St. Lucie
- Hialeah
Pickleball proved highly localized. Gilbert, Chandler, and Mesa in Arizona were the only three cities where “backyard pickleball” ranked as the top search term. This pattern shows that while some backyard design ideas spread nationally, others remain concentrated in specific markets.
How Homeowners Are Investing in Backyard Upgrades for 2026
Budget expectations and upgrade priorities reveal how Americans are approaching backyard makeovers. Many are starting with practical improvements, while others are taking their outdoor design plans to the next level.
A total of 77% of homeowners said they were planning or considering a backyard upgrade in 2026. Landscaping and aesthetics led priorities at 62%, followed by:
- Outdoor seating areas (48%)
- Raised garden beds (38%)
- Fire pits (35%)
- Shed upgrades (19%)
- Storage improvements (19%)
Health-focused features, such as hot tubs or plunge pools (12%), pickleball courts (8%), and outdoor saunas (5%), reflected interest in wellness-focused backyards.
The median backyard upgrade budget for homeowners this year is $1,500, but spending plans vary widely:
- 38% plan to spend under $1,000.
- 27% expect to invest between $1,000 and $2,500.
- 23% plan to spend more than $5,000.
When it came to inspiration from social media, people most often turned to Pinterest (24%). Instagram followed at 20%, with TikTok and Reddit tied at 19%. From small backyard design ideas to contemporary backyard layouts with Mediterranean influences, homeowners are using social platforms as a design tool for planning everything from gardens to outdoor fireplaces.
Why Backyards Matter More Than Ever
Today’s backyard is more than a patch of grass behind the house. It’s a place for relaxation, connection, and improved mental health.
Relaxation was the leading motivation for backyard upgrades, cited by 62% of homeowners. Spending time with friends and family followed at 38%, and 31% upgraded their backyard to increase home value. Whether designing a small space with native plants and a focal point or planning a large backyard landscaping project with retaining walls and hardscaping, homeowners prioritized comfort and usability.
Functionality also stood out. About a third of homeowners (34%) viewed their backyard as a functional outdoor area. Another 31% saw it as a place to relax, and 22% considered it an extension of their indoor-outdoor living space. Half of homeowners said their backyard was “very” or “extremely” important to their mental health, highlighting the connection between outdoor spaces and overall well-being.
DIY efforts were common, though not always successful. Nearly 1 in 10 homeowners (9%) reported attempting a DIY backyard upgrade that did not go as planned. Successful DIY projects averaged $1,928, compared to $818 for failed attempts, suggesting that proper planning, materials, and backyard landscaping ideas play a critical role in achieving lasting results.
The Future of Backyard Design
Backyards in 2026 reflect a shift toward purposeful outdoor design. Raised garden beds dominated in cooler regions, while cold plunges and outdoor kitchens surged in warmer cities. Across all regions, homeowners focused on landscape design, seating areas, and features that improved relaxation and functionality.
From small backyard upgrades with low-maintenance greenery to large backyard transformations featuring pergolas, outdoor dining areas, and swimming pools, the desire to create meaningful outdoor spaces continued to grow. Thoughtful backyard landscaping design has become an important part of how homeowners experience and enjoy their property.
Methodology
Post counts were collected for 38 backyard-related hashtags on TikTok and categorized into 12 lifestyle themes: wellness, fitness, general, homesteading, structure, fire feature, outdoor kitchen, design, pool, entertainment, garden, and landscaping. Categories were assigned based on the primary function or topic of each hashtag. Total post counts were aggregated by category to identify which backyard themes generate the most social media engagement and content creation.
Search volume data was collected from Google for backyard-related keywords across 99 U.S. cities, aggregated over a multi-year period (2023–2025). To normalize for population differences between cities, we calculated per capita search interest by dividing total search volume by each city’s population (using U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Vintage Population Estimates) and multiplying by 100,000. Keywords with fewer than 5,000 total volume were excluded from primary analysis to focus on statistically meaningful trends.
We also surveyed 1,000 homeowners to explore their backyard upgrade plans this year. The survey was conducted on February 12, 2026.
About Alan’s Factory Outlet
Alan’s Factory Outlet provides high-quality, customizable metal buildings, carports, and garages for homeowners across the country. Whether you are creating a home gym, protecting outdoor equipment, or enhancing your backyard design with functional structures, Alan’s Factory Outlet offers durable solutions to support your next landscaping project or outdoor upgrade.
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