Polling 700 adults in the U.S., Quext’s Smart Home Technology Trends survey has found that most renters believe smart home technology should be a standard feature in multifamily housing, while those making $125,000-plus say it should be a luxury.
The survey found that Americans are more excited about the future of smart home technologies than they are about artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, or the metaverse. Across all income groups—$150,000 per year to less than $25,000 per year—40% of respondents note smart speakers like Alexa as the only smart home product used in their home.
While over half (51%) of those with incomes of $100,000 or more use smart home security systems and smart lighting systems (50%), only 34% of respondents with incomes under $100,000 say they use smart home security systems and 21% use smart lighting systems.
Among high-income apartment renters ($150,000-plus annual household income), 27% cite smart home products as their most important amenity—trumping other perks including gated entry and covered parking. In contrast, only 9% of less-affluent renters ($50,000 annual income or less) cite smart home products as an important amenity.
Of renters paying $1,000 or less per month for rent, 12% say they have access to smart home tech. Among those paying monthly rent of $2,000 or less, 22% report that they have access to smart home technology compared with 32% of those paying over $2,000 in monthly rent.
In terms of traditional amenities, 23% note that their apartment offers smart technologies following behind pet-friendly amenities (48%), in-unit washers and dryers (47%), usable common areas (37%), private outdoor space (35%), and assigned parking (26%).
Despite the excitement surrounding smart home technologies, 82% say they would feel more positively if the technologies were more widely available to the public. Sixty-two percent say that price is the largest barrier to adoption, and 49% expect prices to lower within the year.