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A Rocket Mortgage survey conducted in July 2026 found that 93% of respondents seeking a home said they wanted dedicated dining space for hosting. The survey also reported demand for spacious kitchens and large living areas, though its results reflect stated preferences rather than verified purchases or market-wide behavior.
Dedicated dining space remains a priority for many home seekers, according to a July 2026 Rocket Mortgage survey of 3,000 Americans. The company reported that 93% of buyers surveyed were looking for a home with dining space set aside for hosting, a sign that interest in gathering at home may be persisting even as dining rooms have been described as disappearing from modern layouts.
Rocket Mortgage surveyed 3,000 Americans ages 18 to 75 about the home features they value. The company’s reported findings point to interest not only in a formal dining room, but more broadly in spaces where people can gather and share meals. The report does not specify whether every respondent was actively shopping for a home, so the percentage should be read as a survey finding rather than a tally of completed purchases.
The survey also found that 67% wanted a spacious kitchen where people naturally gather, while 69% favored a large living or family room. Fifty-eight percent described gathering spaces as a must-have. Those results suggest the preference may extend beyond a separate dining room to a home’s overall capacity for hosting.
According to the survey results cited by Apartment Therapy, one in five current homeowners had renovated specifically to host friends and family more effectively. Rocket Mortgage also reported that Gen Z respondents would consider paying a premium of 6% or more on a home’s total price for hosting-friendly areas. These figures describe stated renovation behavior and willingness to pay; the report does not provide transaction data showing how often buyers actually paid such a premium.
Hosting Space Shapes Home Searches
The findings matter because they complicate the idea that open-plan living has made the dining room irrelevant. Buyers may be seeking the function of a dining room—room to eat together and host—whether that comes in a separate, enclosed room or a flexible area connected to the kitchen. For people comparing homes, that preference can affect how they judge usable space, layout and renovation needs.
The survey also connects hosting to household budgets. Apartment Therapy’s account of the results says people may be looking to spend less on going out, while still valuing time with friends and family. That explanation is plausible but is not established as the cause of the survey responses. The findings do indicate that some respondents place enough value on hosting areas to say they would pay more for them, though stated willingness to pay is not the same as a documented rise in sale prices.
For sellers and renovators, the results offer a signal that gathering space may be worth highlighting. They do not establish that a dedicated dining room increases a property’s value or guarantees a faster sale. Buyers’ needs, local housing costs and the home’s layout remain important, and the survey does not measure those factors.
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From Dining-Room Decline to Demand
In 2024, Apartment Therapy and other outlets covered what they called the “disappearing dining room”, describing a preference for combined kitchen and dining areas. That trend was framed around how people used their homes: some households chose to eat at a kitchen or family-room table rather than in a separate formal room.
The 2026 survey does not show that separate dining rooms have become more common, or that the earlier trend has reversed in home construction. Instead, it reports that respondents want dedicated dining space for hosting and other welcoming areas. A desire for dining space can coexist with a preference for open layouts, since a shared kitchen-dining area may also serve as a hosting space.
The source for the new figures is a survey conducted by Rocket Mortgage in July 2026 and reported by Apartment Therapy. The available account gives the sample size and age range, but does not include a full methodology or details on how respondents were selected. That limits how broadly the results can be applied.
“93% of buyers are looking for a home with dedicated dining space for hosting.”
— Rocket Mortgage survey, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
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What the Survey Cannot Show
The published account does not provide the survey’s full questionnaire, recruitment method, margin of error or breakdown of respondents by whether they were actively buying. It is therefore unclear how closely the results represent all U.S. home buyers or homeowners. The survey records reported preferences and behavior; it does not establish what buyers ultimately choose when confronted with price and availability.
It is also unclear whether respondents meant a separate formal dining room, an open dining area, or any space large enough to host a meal. The findings do not measure how many homes include those features, whether dining rooms are becoming more or less common in new construction, or whether hosting-friendly layouts command a price premium in actual sales.
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More Market Data Will Clarify Demand
The survey findings are a snapshot of stated preferences, not a forecast of construction or sales. To determine whether interest is changing the housing market, further evidence would need to compare buyer behavior over time with listing features, new-home plans, renovation activity and actual sale prices. No additional Rocket Mortgage data or follow-up study is specified in the Apartment Therapy report.
For now, prospective buyers can use the results as a prompt to assess how they would use a home’s shared spaces. Whether a separate dining room is necessary will depend on household routines, budget and the available layout; the survey alone cannot answer that for an individual buyer.
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Key Questions
What did the Rocket Mortgage survey find about dining space?
Rocket Mortgage reported that 93% of buyers surveyed wanted dedicated dining space for hosting. The survey was conducted in July 2026 and included 3,000 Americans ages 18 to 75.
Does the survey show that dining rooms are becoming more common?
No. It reports respondents’ preferences, not the number of homes with dining rooms or changes in construction. It also does not establish whether respondents meant a separate room or a dining area within an open plan.
What other home features did respondents want?
The survey reported that 67% wanted a spacious kitchen where people gather, 69% favored a large living or family room, and 58% called gathering spaces a must-have.
Would buyers pay more for hosting-friendly space?
Rocket Mortgage reported that Gen Z respondents would consider paying 6% or more of a home’s total price for hosting-friendly areas. That is stated willingness to pay, not evidence that buyers actually paid that amount.
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