Grilling statistics at a glance
Grilling is not a niche summer habit anymore. The supplied data shows how deeply grills and smokers are embedded in U.S. homes, how people use them, and where the biggest safety and purchase patterns show up (HPBA 2023 State of the Barbecue Industry; NFPA Home Grill Fires).
Fast facts
- 80% of U.S. homeowners own at least a grill or smoker (HPBA 2023 State of the Barbecue Industry).
- 70% of U.S. households own at least a grill or smoker (HPBA 2023 State of the Barbecue Industry).
- 10,600 home grill fires were reported annually in 2014-2018 (NFPA Home Grill Fires).
- $149 million in direct property damage was caused annually by those grill fires (NFPA Home Grill Fires).
- 57% of grill and smoker owners say they grill for flavor, making taste the most common motive in the supplied survey results (HPBA 2022 State of the Barbecue Industry).
Table of contents
- Grilling ownership and household penetration
- Why people grill
- What kinds of grills people own
- Holiday and occasion grilling statistics
- Grill fire statistics and safety patterns
- Cooking yield statistics for grilled foods
Grilling ownership and household penetration
The headline number is hard to miss: 80% of homeowners in the U.S. own at least a grill or smoker (HPBA 2023 State of the Barbecue Industry). That is a level of household reach most consumer categories never get close to, and it suggests grilling has become a durable part of home cooking culture rather than a seasonal side activity.
The same source also says 70% of all U.S. households own at least a grill or smoker (HPBA 2023 State of the Barbecue Industry). That gap between homeowners and all households is meaningful because it points to a housing effect: ownership is even higher among people with the kind of space that makes outdoor cooking easier.
The trend line in the supplied data also matters. Household grill or smoker ownership rose from 64% in 2019 to 70% in 2021 (HPBA 2023 State of the Barbecue Industry). That six-point gain is a clear sign of growth rather than stability, especially when paired with the post-pandemic purchase behavior in the same dataset.
Key ownership pattern
- Ownership is broad enough to be mainstream, not niche.
- The homeowner rate is higher than the all-household rate, which fits a space-and-storage explanation.
- The 2019-to-2021 increase suggests recent acceleration instead of a flat market.
At a glance: ownership and purchase signals
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. homeowners who own a grill or smoker | 80% | HPBA 2023 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| U.S. households who own a grill or smoker | 70% | HPBA 2023 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Ownership in 2019 | 64% | HPBA 2023 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Ownership in 2021 | 70% | HPBA 2023 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Grill owners who bought a new grill since the beginning of the pandemic | 38% | HPBA 2023 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| New grill buyers who said they cooked at home more due to the pandemic | 27% | HPBA 2023 State of the Barbecue Industry |
The purchase data points in the same direction. 38% of all grill owners purchased a new grill since the beginning of the pandemic (HPBA 2023 State of the Barbecue Industry), and 27% of people who bought a grill in the last year said they did so because they were cooking at home more due to the pandemic (HPBA 2023 State of the Barbecue Industry). Those two figures together suggest a market that was not only large, but also actively refreshed.
Why people grill
The reasons people grill are just as revealing as ownership rates. The leading motive is flavor, cited by 57% of grill and smoker owners (HPBA 2022 State of the Barbecue Industry). That matters because it frames grilling first as a taste choice, not just a convenience choice.
The rest of the motivation stack is broad and balanced:
- 40% grill for lifestyle (HPBA 2022 State of the Barbecue Industry).
- 33% grill for entertainment (HPBA 2022 State of the Barbecue Industry).
- 29% grill for convenience (HPBA 2022 State of the Barbecue Industry).
- 23% grill as a hobby (HPBA 2022 State of the Barbecue Industry).
That mix shows grilling has multiple roles at once. It is a food-preparation method, a social activity, and for many people, a leisure habit.
What the motive split says
Flavor leads by a comfortable margin, but lifestyle and entertainment are not far behind. That means grilling is not only about the final plate. It is also about the experience around the plate, which helps explain why ownership remains high even among households that may not grill every week.
A compact way to read the motive data is this:
- Taste is the strongest universal driver.
- Lifestyle and entertainment form the social layer.
- Convenience and hobby status show that grilling also fits practical routines and personal interests.
What kinds of grills people own
The supplied 2017 data shows that gas is still the dominant category, but charcoal remains large enough to matter. 64% of grill owners own a gas grill (HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry), while 44% own a charcoal grill (HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry).
Smaller shares own electric or pellet models:
- 9% own an electric grill (HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry).
- 3% own a wood pellet grill (HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry).
- 11% of prospective buyers planned to purchase a wood pellet grill in the coming year (HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry).
Grill type comparison
| Grill type | Share of grill owners | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Gas grill | 64% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Charcoal grill | 44% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Electric grill | 9% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Wood pellet grill | 3% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Planned wood pellet purchase | 11% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
The comparison suggests a mature core market with newer segments still building interest. Gas and charcoal dominate the installed base, while pellet grills show a narrower current footprint but a larger planned-buy signal than their present ownership share. That kind of mismatch often points to future category expansion, at least within the supplied figures.
Accessories and setup signals
The accessory data also hints at how committed many grill owners are. 83% of consumers had three or more grilling accessories (HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry). That is a strong sign that grilling is not being treated as a one-item purchase. It is an ecosystem purchase, with tools and add-ons building around the main device.
Another useful setup marker: 10% of grill owners had a backyard kitchen with premium furniture and lighting (HPBA 2015 Barbecue IQ survey). That is a smaller share, but it points to a high-investment end of the market where grilling becomes part of a broader outdoor living space.
Holiday and occasion grilling statistics
Grilling is tied to celebration as much as it is tied to dinner. The dataset shows especially high participation on major U.S. summer holidays, with a sharp drop on colder-season celebrations.
Holiday grilling rankings
| Occasion | Share who grill | Source |
|---|---|---|
| July 4 | 73% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Memorial Day | 60% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Labor Day | 58% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Birthday parties | 49% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Father?s Day | 45% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Mother?s Day | 34% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Super Bowl | 23% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Camping trips | 24% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Vacation home parties | 21% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Tailgating activities | 11% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Thanksgiving | 14% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| Christmas or Chanukah | 10% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
| New Year?s Eve or New Year?s Day | 9% | HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry |
The ranking is predictable in one way and revealing in another. The summer-heavy holidays dominate, especially July 4 at 73% (HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry). That figure is far above the colder-season holidays, where grilling participation drops into the teens or single digits.
What the occasion data implies
- Grilling is strongly seasonal in celebration use.
- The biggest moments align with outdoor-friendly weather and group gatherings.
- Birthday parties outrank several formal holidays, which shows how ordinary social events can matter as much as calendar dates.
The birthday-party figure is especially interesting. At 49%, it sits above Father?s Day, Mother?s Day, Super Bowl grilling, and several travel-related occasions (HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry). That suggests grilling has become a default social format, not just a holiday ritual.
Grill fire statistics and safety patterns
The fire data is the clearest reminder that a popular backyard category still carries real risk. The NFPA data in the dataset reports 10,600 total home grill fires annually in 2014-2018 (NFPA Home Grill Fires). Those fires caused an average of 10 civilian deaths per year, 160 civilian injuries per year, and $149 million in direct property damage annually (NFPA Home Grill Fires).
Fire mix and damage profile
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Outside or unclassified grill fires per year | 5,700 | NFPA Home Grill Fires |
| Structure grill fires per year | 4,900 | NFPA Home Grill Fires |
| Total home grill fires per year | 10,600 | NFPA Home Grill Fires |
| Civilian deaths per year | 10 | NFPA Home Grill Fires |
| Civilian injuries per year | 160 | NFPA Home Grill Fires |
| Direct property damage per year | $149 million | NFPA Home Grill Fires |
| Fires fueled by gas | 84% | NFPA Home Grill Fires |
| Fires fueled by charcoal or another solid fuel | 12% | NFPA Home Grill Fires |
| Fires involving electric grills | 4% | NFPA Home Grill Fires |
The fuel mix is notable because it does not mirror the ownership mix perfectly. 84% of grills involved in home fires were fueled by gas (NFPA Home Grill Fires), which means gas grills dominate the fire picture even more strongly than they dominate the ownership picture in the older HPBA data.
Where structure fires start
The dataset also breaks down structure-fire origins:
- 29% started on an exterior balcony or unenclosed porch (NFPA Home Grill Fires).
- 27% started in a courtyard, terrace, or patio (NFPA Home Grill Fires).
- 16% started in an unclassified outside area (NFPA Home Grill Fires).
- 44% of property damage from grill structure fires came from exterior balconies or unenclosed porches (NFPA Home Grill Fires).
- 91% of direct property damage from grill fires came from structure fires (NFPA Home Grill Fires).
That damage split is important. It shows that even though outside or unclassified fires are slightly more numerous than structure fires, the structure fires do much more damage. In other words, the most expensive fires are not always the most common ones.
Why fires happen
The support tables point to a few practical failure modes:
- 33% of gas-fueled grill structure fires were caused by failure to clean (NFPA Home Grill Fires Supporting Tables).
- 22% of gas-fueled grill outside fires were caused by a leak or break (NFPA Home Grill Fires Supporting Tables).
- 30% of solid-fueled grill outside fires were caused by heat source too close to combustibles (NFPA Home Grill Fires Supporting Tables).
Those three figures are useful because they map risk to behavior. Cleaning, equipment condition, and distance from combustibles are not abstract hazards. They are routine maintenance and setup decisions.
Cooking yield statistics for grilled foods
The USDA cooking-yield figures give a different kind of grilling statistic. Instead of measuring ownership or behavior, they show how much product remains after cooking. That matters for portion planning, recipe development, and menu cost control.
Grilled beef yield examples
| Food item | Cooking yield | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Grilled beef rib eye steak, boneless, lip off, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 0% fat | 82% | USDA Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry |
| Grilled beef rib eye steak, boneless, lip-on, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8 inch fat | 84% | USDA Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry |
| Broiled or grilled beef round knuckle, tip side steak, separable lean only, trimmed to 0% fat | 75% | USDA Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry |
| Broiled or grilled beef outside round, bottom round steak, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 0% fat | 77% | USDA Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry |
| Broiled or grilled beef top round steak, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8 inch fat | 72% | USDA Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry |
| Broiled or grilled beef short loin top loin steak, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8 inch fat | 82% | USDA Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry |
| Grilled beef shoulder steak, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0% fat | 74% | USDA Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry |
| Grilled beef shoulder top blade steak, boneless, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 0% fat | 73% | USDA Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry |
| Broiled or grilled beef tenderloin steak, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8 inch fat | 80% | USDA Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry |
| Broiled or grilled beef tenderloin steak, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8 inch fat | 80% | USDA Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry |
| Broiled or grilled ground bison | 77% | USDA Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry |
The yield range in the supplied values runs from 72% to 84%. That spread is not huge, but it is meaningful enough to affect planning across different cuts. A few practical takeaways emerge from the table:
- Leaner or differently trimmed cuts can still produce strong yields.
- Rib eye and tenderloin examples cluster near the high end.
- Some round and shoulder cuts sit lower, which may matter when estimating served portions.
What the numbers say together
Taken as a group, the supplied statistics tell a coherent story. Grilling is widespread, culturally embedded, and still growing in household reach (HPBA 2023 State of the Barbecue Industry). It is driven primarily by flavor, but also by lifestyle, entertainment, convenience, and hobby identity (HPBA 2022 State of the Barbecue Industry). It is mostly a gas-and-charcoal category in the installed base, with pellet interest appearing in the next-wave purchase data (HPBA 2017 State of the Barbecue Industry).
Just as important, the risk side of the category is real. The fire data shows that grill use is common enough to generate a large number of incidents and significant property damage each year (NFPA Home Grill Fires). That makes safe setup and maintenance part of the story, not an afterthought.
The result is a category that sits at the intersection of food, housing, social ritual, and risk. That combination helps explain why grilling statistics continue to matter: the numbers reflect more than appliances. They reflect how people cook, gather, and spend time outdoors.