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Survey: How many hours per week do Americans spend maintaining their lawns?
For some, maintaining their lawn is all they think about. They read about it. They post about it. Their social media algorithms spit out lawn care content. Others hate it. Really hate it.
But we all care for our lawns — or pay someone to.
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We asked 142 homeowners how many hours they spend maintaining their lawns weekly. Their answers and written responses may resonate with you.
Key Insights
# Those who spent two to three hours on their lawn took the top spot with 33 votes (23.2%) of all. |
# 17 respondents (11.9%) said they have a lawn care professional for their lawn. |
Breakdown by hours
0-1 hours - 13
1-2 hours - 26
2-3 hours - 33
3-4 hours - 22
4-5 hours - 20
More than 5 hours - 11
Hire a professional - 17
How much time do Americans spend on yard work?
On average, a homeowner will mow more than 1,000 times throughout their lives — that's 7.8 hours per year, amounting to 16 days or 384 hours of their life. Today's Homeowner collected data from 300 metropolitan areas and found that, for some, that metric may be even more:
Those who live in the southern parts of the nation have the sod and conditions to spend up to 510 hours over the course of their life mowing their lawn.
Augusta, GA, you win the prize. Residents there average 27.2 hours each year cutting grass. Those who live in Macon, GA, Chesapeake, VA, and Norman, OK, all spend more than 20 hours per year mowing.
If you hate mowing, Cambridge, MA, is the place to live. Due to their small lawn sizes, their reduced sunlight, and their lower temperatures, cities like Cambridge (where residents spend less than an hour per year mowing), Philadelphia (1.2 hours per year), and Paterson, NJ (1.4 hours per year) have little to do when it comes to mowing.
Many homeowners stated that the amount of work they do during any given season may vary due to their region's climate. Respondents with larger yards or more extensive landscaping and gardening elements also spend more time on yard work.
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How Do Americans Feel About Their Lawn?
Americans love good turf. No doubt. From the golf course to the backyard BBQ, many strive for a lawn that is the envy of all. Yards are symbols of pride. Angi surveyed Americans and confirmed that 94 percent of Americans care about how their lawn looks.
Less than half think their grass is greener than their neighbors'. On the positive side, 21 percent of those polled said they enjoy lawn maintenance, and 18 percent find it rewarding. Another 22 percent found it to be easy or fun. However, 39 percent described it as a timely, stressful, expensive, or annoying task.
How much money do you save by doing yard work yourself?
Many who dislike yard work often ask themselves: Should I mow myself or pay someone to do it? When we surveyed homeowners to find out whether they take care of their yard or hire a professional, most homeowners do it themselves because they believe it saves them money. No surprise there.
But, according to our estimations, it would take a homeowner seven years to earn a net positive from mowing themselves. Equipment, gas, and maintenance add up quickly. Plus, many find the time they win back is worth hiring a professional.
Another one of the concerns many who don't hire a pro mentioned is that they feel they can't trust anyone to mow their lawns. Several said they received poor service. 
GreenPal eliminates those concerns.
With GreenPal, finding and hiring top-notch lawn care companies and landscapers in a homeowner's area is easy. We know how hard it can be to track down a good lawn care business, so we've worked hard to find the best in the industry to make a homeowner's life easier. We've vetted their years of experience, equipment, client satisfaction, dependability, and financial stability.
We built an app that works like Uber. A homeowner enters their address and has instant access to a handpicked selection of professional lawn maintenance companies ready to serve them on their schedule.
Need help with lawn care? Sign up for free today!
Lawns are Nation's Largest Irrigated Crop
Satellite imagery from NASA confirmed Americans work hard on their lawns — our lawns are the nation's largest irrigated crop, occupying about 40 million acres of land. Between our lawns, our parks, our cemeteries, and our golf courses, grass plays a significant role in our daily lives. As a whole, we spend billions trying to keep it looking nice — and for good reason.
Your lawn can affect your home's resale value. In a 2015 survey commissioned by the American Association of Landscape Professionals (AALP), 84 percent of respondents said that the quality of a home's landscaping would affect their decision about whether or not to buy a house.
A study by the Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE) with the help of the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) found that 95% of adults say it is essential that their yard appears well-maintained. This data closely compares with the Angi survey and further highlights why Americans spend time keeping their lawns healthy.
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Robot Mowers Help Save Homeowners Time on Yard Work
Robot lawn mowers save homeowners time. A few respondents noted that adding an automatic lawn mower to their toolkit gave them back valuable time — especially on the weekend.
Programming a timer control allows the lawn mower to start and cut at a preferred time. The robot lawn mower will then cut on the designated path and return to the docking station to recharge. Mowing represents one of the most time-consuming tasks, so automating is a huge plus for many.
Quick Summary
Insight | Detail |
Top Response | 2-3 hours/week (23.2%) |
Professional Care | 11.9% hire a professional |
Average Time Spent | 16 days over a lifetime |
Regional Variation | Southern states spend more time |
Homeowner Sentiment | 94% care about lawn appearance |
For many homeowners, working on their lawns is a point of pride. Others despise yard work. Love it or hate it, Americans will spend 16 days of their lives maintaining their lawn on average.
We surveyed 142 homeowners to determine how many hours they spend maintaining their lawns per week.
Two to three hours of weekly yard work took the top spot with 33 votes (23.2 %). Seventeen survey-takers said they hire a professional to care for their lawn; a handful said a robot lawn mower also cut down on the time they spend on their lawns each week.
Most adult Americans say it's essential for them to keep their lawn healthy and looking nice. 
