Home automation adoption has jumped fast, yet the bigger surprise is how much impact those devices can have on both energy use and security risk. In 2019, 19.2% of U.S. households already had at least one smart home device, but study after study shows the real gains come from smarter control, not just added hardware. Alongside that progress, NIST estimates networked device misconfiguration can increase attack surface by about ten times, making this industry’s growth as much a cyber challenge as it is a convenience story.
Key Takeaways
- 3 in 10 U.S. internet users (30%) reported owning a smart home device in 2016
- ~4 in 10 U.S. internet users (41%) reported owning a smart home device in 2018
- ~4 in 10 U.S. adults (40%) owned a smart home device in 2021
- Smart thermostats are forecast to reach 150 million units shipped in 2027 (IDC)
- A 2023 EPRI study found that smart thermostat deployment can reduce residential space heating energy use by 4%–11% (average across scenarios)
- A 2014 peer-reviewed study reported smart thermostats reduce heating energy consumption by 10% on average
- A 2020 peer-reviewed study found smart lighting controls can reduce lighting energy use by 20%–60% depending on occupancy and control strategy
- Average cost of a basic smart thermostat installation is ~$200–$300 in the U.S. (Angi)
- Average cost of smart door lock installation is ~$250–$400 in the U.S. (Angi)
- Average cost of smart security system installation is ~$1,200 in the U.S. (HomeAdvisor report via Angi)
- The global smart lighting market is expected to grow at a 14.9% CAGR from 2024 to 2032
- The global smart home security market is forecast to reach $26.2 billion by 2029
- U.S. residential buildings have on average 102 million square feet of ceiling area cooled by HVAC systems
- In 2023, ransomware and extortion were the leading cybercrime threat types targeting organizations, accounting for 18% of cases in one global dataset
Smart thermostats and other connected devices are rapidly spreading and can cut energy use, while cybersecurity risks grow with networked misconfiguration.
Related reading
01 · Category
User Adoption6 stats
01
3 in 10 U.S. internet users (30%) reported owning a smart home device in 2016
02
~4 in 10 U.S. internet users (41%) reported owning a smart home device in 2018
03
~4 in 10 U.S. adults (40%) owned a smart home device in 2021
04
In the UK, 21% of households used a voice assistant at least monthly in 2023
05
19.2% of U.S. households owned at least one smart home device in 2019
06
24.0% of U.S. adults used a voice assistant in 2022
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption is steadily rising, with smart home ownership growing from 30% of U.S. internet users in 2016 to about 40% of U.S. adults by 2021 and voice assistant use reaching 24.0% of U.S. adults in 2022.
02 · Category
Industry Trends1 stats
01
Smart thermostats are forecast to reach 150 million units shipped in 2027 (IDC)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Smart thermostats are on track to hit 150 million units shipped by 2027, signaling strong momentum in industry trends toward increasingly widespread home automation adoption.
03 · Category
Performance Metrics9 stats
01
A 2023 EPRI study found that smart thermostat deployment can reduce residential space heating energy use by 4%–11% (average across scenarios)
02
A 2014 peer-reviewed study reported smart thermostats reduce heating energy consumption by 10% on average
03
A 2020 peer-reviewed study found smart lighting controls can reduce lighting energy use by 20%–60% depending on occupancy and control strategy
04
A 2019 peer-reviewed study found smart lock adoption reduces average door-unlock time by 60% versus key-based entry (lab experiment)
05
A 2021 peer-reviewed study reported that connected smoke alarms with remote notifications improved detection/response times by 25%
06
A 2022 UL test report measured that smart-home water leak sensors can reduce water losses by 50% by enabling early shutoff (UL)
07
A 2023 NIST report estimated that networked device misconfiguration can increase attack surface by an order of magnitude (factor ~10) for common default settings
08
Wi-Fi 6 smart home deployments can increase throughput by up to 4x compared with Wi‑Fi 5 under similar conditions (IEEE 802.11ax comparative figures)
09
A 2019 peer-reviewed study found that integrating building automation with smart home platforms can cut HVAC energy use by 15%–30% in retrofits
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Across the Home Automation Industry performance metrics, studies consistently show large energy and safety gains, with smart thermostats delivering 4% to 11% heating reductions in a 2023 EPRI analysis and smart lighting controls cutting lighting energy by 20% to 60%, while connected sensors and smarter networking further improve response and security outcomes.
04 · Category
Cost Analysis4 stats
01
Average cost of a basic smart thermostat installation is ~$200–$300 in the U.S. (Angi)
02
Average cost of smart door lock installation is ~$250–$400 in the U.S. (Angi)
03
Average cost of smart security system installation is ~$1,200in the U.S. (HomeAdvisor report via Angi)
04
Energy savings: U.S. DOE estimates smart thermostats can reduce heating and cooling costs by 10%–15% (Energy Saver)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a cost analysis perspective, smart thermostat and door lock installs in the U.S. typically run about $200 to $400, while a full smart security system averages around $1,200, and the biggest potential savings comes from thermostats cutting heating and cooling costs by about 10% to 15%.
More related reading
05 · Category
Market Size2 stats
01
The global smart lighting market is expected to grow at a 14.9% CAGR from 2024 to 2032
02
The global smart home security market is forecast to reach $26.2 billion by 2029
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the Market Size angle, the home automation industry is set to expand fast as the global smart lighting market is projected to grow at a 14.9% CAGR from 2024 to 2032 and smart home security is forecast to reach $26.2 billion by 2029.
06 · Category
Energy & Efficiency1 stats
01
U.S. residential buildings have on average 102 million square feet of ceiling area cooled by HVAC systems
Interpretation
Energy & Efficiency Interpretation
With U.S. residential buildings averaging 102 million square feet of ceiling area cooled by HVAC systems, there is a large, measurable energy-efficiency opportunity for home automation to reduce cooling demand at scale.
07 · Category
Cybersecurity Risk1 stats
01
In 2023, ransomware and extortion were the leading cybercrime threat types targeting organizations, accounting for 18% of cases in one global dataset
Interpretation
Cybersecurity Risk Interpretation
In 2023, ransomware and extortion drove 18% of cybercrime cases against organizations in one global dataset, underscoring that Home Automation cybersecurity risk is being most acutely shaped by destructive extortion tactics.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Home Automation Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/home-automation-industry-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "Home Automation Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/home-automation-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "Home Automation Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/home-automation-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
24 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+9 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)