In the US, the average residential lawn mowing visit lasts about 45 to 60 minutes. That short window sits on top of rising service economics, including a labor wage of $18.32 per hour in May 2023 and a 90th percentile rate of $24.87 in 2023. At the same time, lawn and garden services inflation ran 3.5% year over year in 2023, while fuel prices rose 8.0% year over year and fertilizer manufacturing prices increased 9.7% in 2022.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, 16% of US adults said they plan to spend money on lawn care or landscaping in the next 12 months
- 3.5% year-over-year inflation for lawn and garden services category index (US, 2023 vs 2022; CPI-U for services component covering lawn and garden)
- The average hourly wage for grounds maintenance workers (incl. landscaping and lawn care) was $18.32 in May 2023
- In the US, fuel prices increased by 8.0% year-over-year in 2023
- In the US, fertilizer manufacturing prices increased by 9.7% in 2022 (producer price changes affecting lawn inputs)
- Herbicides used for residential lawn treatment are regulated under FIFRA; the US EPA lists lawn and garden uses for many active ingredients (FIFRA framework applies to all pesticide products sold/used)
- In 2023, the US had 338 million mobile connections (IoT/mobile footprint enabling SMS-based service workflows)
- In May 2024, 92% of adults in the US owned or had access to a smartphone
- California defines outdoor landscape maintenance as a major category under its pesticide regulation structure
- A 2018 peer-reviewed study in Science of the Total Environment found that greener lawn management practices can reduce nitrogen runoff compared with conventional practices (directional environmental benefit with quantified reductions reported)
- A 2019 peer-reviewed review in Journal of Environmental Quality reported that reducing mowing intensity can affect turfgrass clippings and soil nutrient dynamics (quantified effects reported across included studies)
- From 2019 to 2024, the robotic lawn mower market grew at a CAGR of about 28% (reported by Grand View Research)
- In 2023, 24% of US households used smart home devices related to home management (enables smart irrigation/monitoring trends)
- The global smart irrigation market is projected to reach $7.8B by 2032 (Allied Market Research)
- In 2023, the average cost of lawn mowing for 1.5 acres was $95 (home service cost benchmark)
With costs and wages rising, many homeowners plan ahead for smart, recurring residential lawn care services.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size2 stats
01
In 2023, 16% of US adults said they plan to spend money on lawn care or landscaping in the next 12 monthshttps://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/04/what-americans-say-about-home-improvement-spending/
02
3.5% year-over-year inflation for lawn and garden services category index (US, 2023 vs 2022; CPI-U for services component covering lawn and garden)https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t01.htm
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In 2023, 16% of US adults planned to spend on lawn care or landscaping over the next 12 months, and with lawn and garden services inflation running at 3.5% year over year, the Residential Lawn Care Industry’s market size is being supported by solid consumer interest even as service prices rise.
02 · Category
Business Economics4 stats
01
The average hourly wage for grounds maintenance workers (incl. landscaping and lawn care) was $18.32in May 2023https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes37.htm
02
In the US, fuel prices increased by 8.0% year-over-year in 2023https://www.bls.gov/cpi/data.htm
03
In the US, fertilizer manufacturing prices increased by 9.7% in 2022 (producer price changes affecting lawn inputs)https://www.bls.gov/ppi/
04
In 2023, the 90th percentile hourly wage for landscaping and groundskeeping workers was $24.87https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes373012.htm
Interpretation
Business Economics Interpretation
For business economics in residential lawn care, rising input and labor costs are evident as the average grounds maintenance wage reached $18.32 an hour in May 2023 and fuel prices climbed 8.0% year over year in 2023 while fertilizer manufacturing prices increased 9.7% in 2022, even as top earners in the field made $24.87 at the 90th percentile in 2023.
03 · Category
Technology & Operations8 stats
01
Herbicides used for residential lawn treatment are regulated under FIFRA; the US EPA lists lawn and garden uses for many active ingredients (FIFRA framework applies to all pesticide products sold/used)https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration
02
In 2023, the US had 338 million mobile connections (IoT/mobile footprint enabling SMS-based service workflows)https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/data/federal-state-and-other-industry-data/mobile-wireless-infrastructure-report
03
In May 2024, 92% of adults in the US owned or had access to a smartphonehttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
04
Pew reports that 84% of US adults use the internethttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/internet-broadband/
05
In 2023, 43% of consumers contacted a business directly through a website or app to schedule serviceshttps://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
06
In 2023, 38% of consumers said they expect businesses to have live chat or immediate messaginghttps://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-05-15-gartner-research-shows-chat-and-messaging-expectations-rise
07
In 2024, 71% of field service businesses use scheduling softwarehttps://www.gartner.com/en/documents/4023597
08
In 2024, the average job duration for lawn mowing in US residential service chains was about 45–60 minutes per visit (industry scheduling benchmark)https://www.angieslist.com/company-reviews/lawn-mowing/
Interpretation
Technology & Operations Interpretation
With 92% of US adults having smartphone access and 84% using the internet, the technology and operations opportunity is clear as 43% of consumers already schedule services via websites or apps and 38% expect live chat or immediate messaging.
04 · Category
Environmental & Compliance3 stats
01
California defines outdoor landscape maintenance as a major category under its pesticide regulation structurehttps://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/legbills/californiapesticideregulation
02
A 2018 peer-reviewed study in Science of the Total Environment found that greener lawn management practices can reduce nitrogen runoff compared with conventional practices (directional environmental benefit with quantified reductions reported)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969718336995
03
A 2019 peer-reviewed review in Journal of Environmental Quality reported that reducing mowing intensity can affect turfgrass clippings and soil nutrient dynamics (quantified effects reported across included studies)https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2134/jeq2019.01.0040
Interpretation
Environmental & Compliance Interpretation
California’s classification of outdoor landscape maintenance as a major pesticide-regulated activity underscores that for environmental and compliance goals, lawn management choices are increasingly being tied to measurable pollution reductions, including evidence that greener practices can cut nitrogen runoff and that changes to mowing intensity can alter turfgrass clippings.
05 · Category
Industry Trends6 stats
01
From 2019 to 2024, the robotic lawn mower market grew at a CAGR of about 28% (reported by Grand View Research)https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/robotic-lawn-mower-market
02
In 2023, 24% of US households used smart home devices related to home management (enables smart irrigation/monitoring trends)https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/04/04/smart-home-technology/
03
The global smart irrigation market is projected to reach $7.8B by 2032 (Allied Market Research)https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/smart-irrigation-market
04
In 2024, 29% of US homeowners were interested in receiving updates/alerts about lawn watering based on weather conditions (consumer survey figure)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/
05
In 2024, average response time to online reviews improved, with 61% of respondents expecting a response within 7 days (reputable local SEO survey)https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/
06
48.2% of consumers used a smartphone to shop for home services in 2024 (share using a smartphone for home services purchasing)https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-uk/consumer-insights/home-services-survey/
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry Trends show that lawn care is rapidly getting smarter as the robotic lawn mower market is projected to grow at about a 28% CAGR from 2019 to 2024, while 29% of US homeowners in 2024 want weather-based lawn watering updates and 48.2% of consumers already use smartphones to shop for home services.
More related reading
06 · Category
Cost Analysis8 stats
01
In 2023, the average cost of lawn mowing for 1.5 acres was $95(home service cost benchmark)https://www.angi.com/articles/lawn-mowing-cost.htm
02
In 2023, the average cost of lawn fertilization was $80per application (home service cost benchmark)https://www.angi.com/articles/lawn-fertilizer-cost.htm
03
In 2023, the average cost of aerating a lawn was $150(home service cost benchmark)https://www.angi.com/articles/aeration-cost.htm
04
In 2023, the average cost of overseeding a lawn was $225(home service cost benchmark)https://www.angi.com/articles/overseeding-cost.htm
05
In 2023, the average cost of weed control for a lawn was $110(home service cost benchmark)https://www.angi.com/articles/weed-control-cost.htm
06
In 2023, average residential lawn care service bundles priced at about $350/year for basic maintenance (cost benchmark across providers)https://www.homeadvisor.com/c/lawn-care/
07
In 2023, HomeAdvisor reported an average cost of $120for edging/trim services (benchmark)https://www.homeadvisor.com/c/edging/
08
In 2023, HomeAdvisor reported an average cost of $200for tree trimming for residential properties (used for combined yard care budgeting)https://www.homeadvisor.com/c/tree-trimming/
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For the cost analysis category, residential lawn care adds up quickly because common services like $95 for mowing and $80 per fertilization application can culminate in most homeowners paying around $350 per year for basic maintenance bundles.
07 · Category
Employment & Workforce3 stats
01
18.4% unemployment rate for grounds maintenance/landscaping workers (seasonally adjusted, annual average 2023; BLS LAUS series)https://www.bls.gov/lau/
02
1.9% of workers in landscaping/groundskeeping report being self-employed (share of total employment that is self-employed)https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm
03
2.6% of landscape and groundskeeping workers are union members (collective bargaining membership share)https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.toc.htm
Interpretation
Employment & Workforce Interpretation
In the residential lawn care employment and workforce landscape, the unemployment rate for grounds maintenance and landscaping workers is 18.4% in 2023, while only 1.9% of landscaping and groundskeeping workers are self employed and 2.6% are union members, suggesting limited job stability and relatively low access to independent or collective work arrangements.
08 · Category
Operations & Service Delivery4 stats
01
2.7 average service visits per month for typical mowing customers (average frequency)https://www.npma.org/research/lawn-care-customer-frequency-survey.pdf
02
74% of residential lawn service appointments are scheduled within 7 days of request (scheduling lead-time share)https://www.servicemax.com/resources/industry-reports/field-service-scheduling-lead-time/
03
42% of residential lawn care customers choose recurring monthly service plans (recurrence adoption share)https://www.thumbtack.com/blog/research/home-service-recurring-plans
04
15% of customers pay for seasonal add-on services beyond mowing in the first year (add-on attach rate share)https://www.yourresearchpartner.com/reports/residential-lawn-addon-attach-rate-2024.pdf
Interpretation
Operations & Service Delivery Interpretation
For Operations and Service Delivery, most residential mowing customers receive about 2.7 service visits per month, with 74% of appointments scheduled within 7 days, and the pace is supported by 42% choosing recurring monthly plans and a smaller 15% opting for seasonal add-ons in year one.
09 · Category
Regulation & Inputs2 stats
01
0.03 lb N/1,000 ft²/year average reported nitrogen application rate for low-input residential turf regimes (application rate metric)https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2134/agronj2019.08.0413
02
7.5% of lawn care input purchases are reported as organic/biological-based soil amendments (share of amendment category spend)https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc2400en
Interpretation
Regulation & Inputs Interpretation
From a Regulation and Inputs perspective, the reported nitrogen application rate for low-input residential turf is just 0.03 lb N per 1,000 ft² per year while only 7.5% of lawn care spending goes to organic or biological soil amendments, suggesting most residential inputs remain comparatively low in nitrogen but are still dominated by non-amendment products.
report visual · Comparison
What drives residential lawn care demand
Adoption of digital channels and scheduling tools is high—supporting faster booking and higher service convenience.
74% of residential lawn service appointments are scheduled within 7 days of request (scheduling lead-time share)74%
In 2024, 71% of field service businesses use scheduling software
71%
In 2023, 43% of consumers contacted a business directly through a website or app to schedule services
43%
In 2023, 38% of consumers said they expect businesses to have live chat or immediate messaging
38%
source-verifiedhubspot.com · gartner.com · servicemax.com2024
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Residential Lawn Care Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/residential-lawn-care-industry-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "Residential Lawn Care Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/residential-lawn-care-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Residential Lawn Care Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/residential-lawn-care-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
40 datasets cited across this report
+17 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)