Waiting to use a bathroom is a big pain and a cause of many arguments and frustration. Therefore, it’s important to know how many bathrooms a house should have and what the minimum is to be building compliant. Today, I will cover how many bathrooms a house should have.
On average, a minimum of 1 bathroom for 6 people or fewer is required according to the building codes of most jurisdictions. But, in the USA, the majority of homes are built with 2 bathrooms for 2 bedroom homes, 2 bathrooms for 3 bedroom homes, and 3 bathrooms for 4 bedroom or more homes.
The Census.gov website for the USA provides very clear data about how many new bathrooms new homes are built with and historical data that goes back as far as 1999.
Below, I will show the details of this data so you can see what is typical and not so typical for the number of bathrooms a house should have.
How Many Bathrooms Does the Average House Have
There are different numbers of bedrooms homes can have. The number of bathrooms is generally reflected in the number of bathrooms a house has. But here’s a rundown of how many bathrooms an average house has.
On average, 3 to 4 bathrooms. In the USA, the most common sized home is 3 bedrooms, and 4 bedrooms or more. In 3-bedroom homes, the majority of homes are built with 2 bathrooms. Whereas, in 4 bedroom or more homes, the majority are built with 3 bathrooms.
To understand this better, a table below shows how many bedrooms the average house has in the USA and how it compares to houses built in previous years. And then, I will compare this to the most common number of bathrooms each house has based on the number of bedrooms it has.
Interestingly, houses built in different regions in the USA, such as the Midwest and the South, have different ratios of bedrooms to bathrooms (source: Census.gov).
Number of bathrooms in homes with 2 bedrooms or less
| 2 bedroom homes or less | Average number of bathrooms |
| All USA States | 1.5, 2, and 2.5 equally as common |
| Northeast | 1.5, 2.5 is a close second |
| Midwest | 1.5, and 2 equally as common |
| South | 1.5, 2, and 2.5 equally as common |
| West | 2 is the most common |
Number of bathrooms in homes with 3 bedrooms
| 3 bedroom homes | Average number of bathrooms |
| All USA States | 2, and 2.5 is a close second |
| Northeast | 2, and 2.5 equally as common |
| Midwest | 2, and 2.5 is a close second |
| South | 2, and 2.5 is a close second |
| West | 2.5, and 2 is a close second |
Number of bathrooms in homes with 4+ bedrooms
| 4 bedrooms + | Average number of bathrooms |
| All USA States | 2, and 3 is a close second |
| Northeast | 2.5 and 3 equally as common |
| Midwest | 3, and 2.5 is a close second |
| South | 2, and 3 is a close second |
| West | 3, but 2.5 and 2 is a close second |
From the data, it can be seen that:
- 2 bedroom or fewer homes – have 1.5, 2, or 2.5 on average
- 3 bedroom homes – have 2 or 2.5 bathrooms on average
- 4+ bedroom homes – have 2 or 3 bathrooms on average
However, there is a fair amount of difference for 4 bedrooms + homes depending on where a home is located in the USA. For 3 bedroom homes, the amount of bathrooms is the same. Regardless of what part of the USA it is built in.
How Many Bathrooms Do You Need per Person in a House
Most people have a schedule where they will wake up early in the morning, and many people have a shower before going about their day.
Therefore, there can be a bit of a queue to use a shower or the bathroom in the morning. So, here’s how many bathrooms you need and what’s typical in a house.
On average, a minimum of 1 bathroom for every 6 people is building compliant. But, in the USA, the most common is 1.76 bathrooms per person. For a 2 bedroom home, 2 bathrooms is average. For a 3 bedroom home, 2.25 bathrooms is average, and for a 4 bedroom home, 2.5 bathrooms is average.
Each State in the USA has different requirements. For example, building codes in Pennsylvania require a minimum of 1 bathroom for every 6 people living in a house (source).
Below, I’ve put together some tables to show how the average number of bathrooms compares to the number of occupants. It shows that most homes have far more bathrooms per person than the minimum required by law:
The number of occupants assumes the house is for a family. For example, there will be one couple, and the rest of the occupants will be children. Therefore, in a 3 bedroom home, 1 bedroom will be for 2 adults, and the other two bedrooms will be for 2 children.
| Number of bedrooms | Number of occupants | Average number of bathrooms |
| 2 | 3 | 2 bathrooms |
| 3 | 4 | 2.25 bathrooms |
| 4+ | 5+ | 2.5 bathrooms |
Here’s another table that shows the same data but with how many bathrooms per person is average in the USA.
| Number of occupants | Average number of bathrooms | Bathrooms per person |
| 3 | 2 bathrooms | 1.5 |
| 4 | 2.25 bathrooms | 1.8 |
| 5+ | 2.5 bathrooms | 2 |
How Many Toilets per Person in a House
When you have to go to the toilet, you HAVE to go. Therefore, it’s important to have enough toilets so people don’t need to wait to use one. Here’s how many toilets is normal for a house.
As a general rule, a minimum of 1 toilet for every 6 people is building compliant. However, for homes built in the USA, Census.gov data shows that the average number of toilets in newly built homes and apartments is 1.76 toilets per person living in a house.
But, the data is not as accurate for smaller homes such as studio apartments, one-bedroom, and 2 bedroom homes. For example, a studio apartment will only have one bathroom with a toilet it.
The same is true of a single-bedroom apartment. Whereas, for a 2 bedroom home, it’s more common to have 1 full bathroom, and a separate smaller bathroom with a toilet only.
Amos Christen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Drexel University — Philadelphia, PA. Since 2003, Amos has worked with top interior design professionals in this area, including architects and interior/graphic/lighting designers. As a skilled interior designer, Amos Christen is highly versed in fine arts and crafts and uses that to supplement his main area of expertise. He often publishes articles related to home décor on several websites, including Sprucetoilets.com, Sprucebathroom.com, and Mybesuitedhome.com. He also contributes to leading interior design magazines.