There’s no place like home, and it looks like Americans are taking that to heart — becoming a nation of true homebodies. The latest American Time Use Survey from the US Census Bureau shows time spent at home increased by 10% (around an hour and 39 minutes daily) from 2003 to 2022. While the shift to home-centric living really took off during the pandemic, it actually began well before the stay-at-home orders.

• A report by Sociological Science found that by 2022, 59% of religious activities and 29% of work tasks were happening at home.
• In 2023, 35% of employed people worked from home, averaging 5.1 hours per day.

Isolation nation: The trend of spending more time at home is especially noticeable among young adults aged 15 to 34, who spent nearly two extra hours at home daily by 2022 compared to 2003. With the rising cost of going out, more people are choosing to stay home for affordable entertainment, education, and leisure. However, increased isolation carries health risks like higher chances of heart disease and depression. NYU’s Dr. Niobe Way believes our culture’s growing focus on individualism is contributing to this isolation. With technology making it easier to do more from home, this trend doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon.