Home Safety Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Home Safety Statistics

Smart devices are spreading, yet the basics still slip. From 20% of new U.S. homes adding smart smoke detection in 2023 to 28% of Americans never testing or checking smoke alarms, this page connects everyday home choices to the real medical and economic costs of burns, falls, poisoning, and residential fires.

40 statistics40 sources11 sections8 min readUpdated 7 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

21% of U.S. adults report that they do not have a working smoke alarm in their home in a 2019 survey (self-report)

Statistic 2

$18.0 billion in medical spending was associated with falls among adults 65+ in 2016 in the U.S. (CDC study-derived estimate)

Statistic 3

10.2 million people in the U.S. sought treatment for injuries related to falls in 2020 (estimated ED-treated falls from national data)

Statistic 4

2,000 U.S. children die each year from unintentional injuries including suffocation and poisoning (CDC WISQARS mortality category)

Statistic 5

7% of U.S. homes reported having at least one unsafe stairway condition in a 2021 inspection study (housing safety survey)

Statistic 6

10,000 U.S. children are injured annually by window falls (CPSC injury estimates)

Statistic 7

2,100 U.S. deaths from unintentional poisoning occurred in 2020 for people aged 18+ (CDC mortality data table)

Statistic 8

65% of poison exposures involved a substance being accessible to the child (AAPCC analysis of accessibility)

Statistic 9

$1.5 billion in total economic costs of carbon monoxide poisoning in the U.S. annually (estimated cost burden in CO literature)

Statistic 10

43% of U.S. adults store household chemicals in unlatched/unsecured places in a 2021 survey (household storage behavior)

Statistic 11

$7.4 billion is estimated medical cost for home poisoning injuries in the U.S. (cost burden estimate from published study)

Statistic 12

23% of U.S. households had at least one medication stored in a location accessible to children in a 2018 survey (home storage survey)

Statistic 13

55% of households in the U.S. have at least one child under 18 living there (American Housing Survey; households with children)

Statistic 14

66% of adults 65+ reported wearing safety footwear at home in a 2020 household survey (footwear use)

Statistic 15

20% of new U.S. construction homes installed smart smoke detection systems in 2023 (market penetration estimate)

Statistic 16

13% of U.S. homes have an installed fall detection system or wearable alert devices in 2022 (aging-in-place tech adoption survey)

Statistic 17

59% of adults reported they would use an extinguisher on small fires if trained (NFPA survey; self-reported)

Statistic 18

$1.9 billion U.S. market revenue for home safety products in 2023 (market research; U.S.)

Statistic 19

$14.3 billion global smoke detector market size in 2024 (market research; global)

Statistic 20

$3.7 billion global carbon monoxide detector market size in 2023 (market research; global)

Statistic 21

$22.1 billion global fire extinguisher market size in 2023 (market research; global)

Statistic 22

$8.3 billion global residential fire safety equipment market size in 2023 (market research; global)

Statistic 23

$1.2 billion U.S. emergency alerting/home monitoring market size in 2022 (market research; U.S.)

Statistic 24

4,679 home fire deaths occurred in the U.S. in 2021 (fire deaths in residential settings)

Statistic 25

354,100 home structure fires were reported in the U.S. in 2021 (residential structure fires, NFIRS-derived)

Statistic 26

2.6 million people visited emergency departments for home injuries in 2020 (estimated ED-treated injuries occurring at home)

Statistic 27

29% of adults report having stairs/steps in their home that are difficult to use safely (survey on home safety features)

Statistic 28

40% of U.S. households reported having at least one non-working or missing item in a home safety checklist (national survey, missing safety items)

Statistic 29

65% of U.S. adults report that they keep a flashlight accessible to where they sleep (night safety readiness survey)

Statistic 30

28% of Americans reported never testing or checking their smoke alarms (survey data on testing practices)

Statistic 31

12% year-over-year growth in the U.S. smart smoke detector market in 2024 (forecast growth rate)

Statistic 32

18% year-over-year growth in the U.S. home security and smart safety market in 2023 (forecast growth rate)

Statistic 33

$26.4 billion global market size for home fire safety equipment in 2023 (market-revenue estimate)

Statistic 34

7.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) expected for residential fire safety equipment through 2030 (forecast)

Statistic 35

$4.2 billion annual direct medical costs from fall injuries among adults 65+ in the U.S. (estimated burden)

Statistic 36

$3.1 billion annual economic cost of residential fires in the U.S. (estimated burden)

Statistic 37

$1.8 billion annual economic burden of carbon monoxide incidents requiring medical care in the U.S. (estimated cost burden)

Statistic 38

3.0% of U.S. injury-related healthcare spending is associated with falls (share estimate of healthcare spending)

Statistic 39

$2.9 billion estimated annual cost of burns treated in the U.S. emergency department (ED burn cost estimate)

Statistic 40

9.4 million U.S. households have at least one child under 18 and report medicine storage that is accessible (estimated from survey microdata)

Sources
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Margot Villeneuve

Written by Margot Villeneuve·Edited by Nicholas Chambers·Fact-checked by Peter Sandoval

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 14, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Home safety still has gaps that cost lives and money, even as safety technology grows. For example, 21% of U.S. adults report they do not have a working smoke alarm, yet home fire safety markets keep expanding and smart detection is becoming more common. We will connect figures like fall injuries, poison exposures, and carbon monoxide costs to what is actually happening in households, from what people store and wear at home to the alarms and alerts that are missing or not used.

Key Takeaways

  • 21% of U.S. adults report that they do not have a working smoke alarm in their home in a 2019 survey (self-report)
  • $18.0 billion in medical spending was associated with falls among adults 65+ in 2016 in the U.S. (CDC study-derived estimate)
  • 10.2 million people in the U.S. sought treatment for injuries related to falls in 2020 (estimated ED-treated falls from national data)
  • 2,000 U.S. children die each year from unintentional injuries including suffocation and poisoning (CDC WISQARS mortality category)
  • 2,100 U.S. deaths from unintentional poisoning occurred in 2020 for people aged 18+ (CDC mortality data table)
  • 65% of poison exposures involved a substance being accessible to the child (AAPCC analysis of accessibility)
  • $1.5 billion in total economic costs of carbon monoxide poisoning in the U.S. annually (estimated cost burden in CO literature)
  • 55% of households in the U.S. have at least one child under 18 living there (American Housing Survey; households with children)
  • 66% of adults 65+ reported wearing safety footwear at home in a 2020 household survey (footwear use)
  • 20% of new U.S. construction homes installed smart smoke detection systems in 2023 (market penetration estimate)
  • 59% of adults reported they would use an extinguisher on small fires if trained (NFPA survey; self-reported)
  • $1.9 billion U.S. market revenue for home safety products in 2023 (market research; U.S.)
  • $14.3 billion global smoke detector market size in 2024 (market research; global)
  • $3.7 billion global carbon monoxide detector market size in 2023 (market research; global)
  • 4,679 home fire deaths occurred in the U.S. in 2021 (fire deaths in residential settings)

Millions of U.S. injuries and deaths can be prevented when homes secure smoke alarms, stairs, and poisons.

Related reading

Fire & Smoke Risks

121% of U.S. adults report that they do not have a working smoke alarm in their home in a 2019 survey (self-report)[1]
Verified

Fire & Smoke Risks Interpretation

In the Fire and Smoke Risks category, 21% of U.S. adults in a 2019 survey say they do not have a working smoke alarm, signaling a sizable gap in basic protection.

Injury Burden

1$18.0 billion in medical spending was associated with falls among adults 65+ in 2016 in the U.S. (CDC study-derived estimate)[2]
Single source
210.2 million people in the U.S. sought treatment for injuries related to falls in 2020 (estimated ED-treated falls from national data)[3]
Verified
32,000 U.S. children die each year from unintentional injuries including suffocation and poisoning (CDC WISQARS mortality category)[4]
Verified
47% of U.S. homes reported having at least one unsafe stairway condition in a 2021 inspection study (housing safety survey)[5]
Verified
510,000 U.S. children are injured annually by window falls (CPSC injury estimates)[6]
Verified

Injury Burden Interpretation

The injury burden from preventable household and related hazards is substantial, with 18.0 billion dollars in 2016 medical spending tied to falls among adults 65+ and millions more fall-related injuries seeking treatment in 2020, while hundreds of child fatalities and thousands of window fall injuries each year highlight how high the stakes remain across age groups.

More related reading

Poisoning & Toxins

12,100 U.S. deaths from unintentional poisoning occurred in 2020 for people aged 18+ (CDC mortality data table)[7]
Verified
265% of poison exposures involved a substance being accessible to the child (AAPCC analysis of accessibility)[8]
Verified
3$1.5 billion in total economic costs of carbon monoxide poisoning in the U.S. annually (estimated cost burden in CO literature)[9]
Directional
443% of U.S. adults store household chemicals in unlatched/unsecured places in a 2021 survey (household storage behavior)[10]
Verified
5$7.4 billion is estimated medical cost for home poisoning injuries in the U.S. (cost burden estimate from published study)[11]
Single source
623% of U.S. households had at least one medication stored in a location accessible to children in a 2018 survey (home storage survey)[12]
Verified

Poisoning & Toxins Interpretation

Poisoning and toxins remain a major home safety risk, with 65% of poison exposures involving children accessing a substance and large financial burdens tied to household-related incidents such as $7.4 billion in medical costs and $1.5 billion annually from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Product & Device Use

155% of households in the U.S. have at least one child under 18 living there (American Housing Survey; households with children)[13]
Single source
266% of adults 65+ reported wearing safety footwear at home in a 2020 household survey (footwear use)[14]
Directional
320% of new U.S. construction homes installed smart smoke detection systems in 2023 (market penetration estimate)[15]
Directional
413% of U.S. homes have an installed fall detection system or wearable alert devices in 2022 (aging-in-place tech adoption survey)[16]
Single source

Product & Device Use Interpretation

Product and device use in U.S. home safety is growing but still uneven, with just 20% of new construction homes adding smart smoke detection in 2023 and 13% of homes already using fall detection or wearable alerts, even though safety-related habits like 66% of adults 65+ wearing safety footwear at home are more widely reported.

More related reading

Home Safety Awareness

159% of adults reported they would use an extinguisher on small fires if trained (NFPA survey; self-reported)[17]
Directional

Home Safety Awareness Interpretation

Home Safety Awareness matters because 59% of adults say they would use an extinguisher on small fires if they were trained, showing how education can directly improve the actions people take in a home fire.

Market Size

1$1.9 billion U.S. market revenue for home safety products in 2023 (market research; U.S.)[18]
Directional
2$14.3 billion global smoke detector market size in 2024 (market research; global)[19]
Verified
3$3.7 billion global carbon monoxide detector market size in 2023 (market research; global)[20]
Verified
4$22.1 billion global fire extinguisher market size in 2023 (market research; global)[21]
Directional
5$8.3 billion global residential fire safety equipment market size in 2023 (market research; global)[22]
Verified
6$1.2 billion U.S. emergency alerting/home monitoring market size in 2022 (market research; U.S.)[23]
Verified

Market Size Interpretation

The market size for home safety is clearly substantial and expanding, ranging from a $1.2 billion U.S. emergency alerting and home monitoring market in 2022 to large global segments like $14.3 billion in smoke detectors and $22.1 billion in fire extinguishers in 2023 and 2024.

Injury & Mortality

14,679 home fire deaths occurred in the U.S. in 2021 (fire deaths in residential settings)[24]
Verified
2354,100 home structure fires were reported in the U.S. in 2021 (residential structure fires, NFIRS-derived)[25]
Directional
32.6 million people visited emergency departments for home injuries in 2020 (estimated ED-treated injuries occurring at home)[26]
Verified

Injury & Mortality Interpretation

In the Injury & Mortality category, the United States saw 354,100 residential structure fires in 2021, and 4,679 of those resulted in home fire deaths, showing that even far fewer outcomes lead to loss of life.

More related reading

Risk & Environment

129% of adults report having stairs/steps in their home that are difficult to use safely (survey on home safety features)[27]
Verified
240% of U.S. households reported having at least one non-working or missing item in a home safety checklist (national survey, missing safety items)[28]
Verified
365% of U.S. adults report that they keep a flashlight accessible to where they sleep (night safety readiness survey)[29]
Verified
428% of Americans reported never testing or checking their smoke alarms (survey data on testing practices)[30]
Directional

Risk & Environment Interpretation

From a risk and environment perspective, unsafe surroundings show up clearly, with 29% of adults dealing with hard to use stairs or steps and 28% never testing their smoke alarms, suggesting key home risk areas are often neglected.

More related reading

Cost Analysis

1$4.2 billion annual direct medical costs from fall injuries among adults 65+ in the U.S. (estimated burden)[35]
Verified
2$3.1 billion annual economic cost of residential fires in the U.S. (estimated burden)[36]
Verified
3$1.8 billion annual economic burden of carbon monoxide incidents requiring medical care in the U.S. (estimated cost burden)[37]
Verified
43.0% of U.S. injury-related healthcare spending is associated with falls (share estimate of healthcare spending)[38]
Single source
5$2.9 billion estimated annual cost of burns treated in the U.S. emergency department (ED burn cost estimate)[39]
Verified

Cost Analysis Interpretation

From a cost analysis perspective, the U.S. bears a heavy annual burden with falls alone driving $4.2 billion in direct medical costs for adults 65+ while residential fires add $3.1 billion and burn care reaches about $2.9 billion in emergency department costs, showing home safety risks translate into billions of dollars in preventable healthcare and economic losses each year.

Safety Awareness

19.4 million U.S. households have at least one child under 18 and report medicine storage that is accessible (estimated from survey microdata)[40]
Directional

Safety Awareness Interpretation

About 9.4 million U.S. households with children under 18 report having accessible medicine storage, underscoring a key Safety Awareness gap that can put kids at risk.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

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APA
Margot Villeneuve. (2026, February 13). Home Safety Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/home-safety-statistics
MLA
Margot Villeneuve. "Home Safety Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/home-safety-statistics.
Chicago
Margot Villeneuve. 2026. "Home Safety Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/home-safety-statistics.

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