Home Isn’t Always a Sanctuary. Sometimes It’s the Stressor

Home is supposed to be where people decompress, reset, and feel safe. But this national study shows the emotional role of home is more complicated. While most Americans describe their living space as positive, many also report stress, avoidance, emotional tension, and feeling “stuck” — often tied to cost of living pressure, safety concerns, and household dynamics.

In 2025, home isn’t just where we live. It’s where we carry stress, cope, and try to regain control.

For many Americans, how home feels is shaped by:

• Who they live with (and the emotional tone of the household)
• How stable their living situation feels over time
• Cost of living pressure tied to rent, bills, or housing insecurity
• Neighborhood safety and the ability to truly relax
• Day-to-day clutter, noise, and the sense of control inside the space

Home as an Emotional Mirror

Most Americans feel positively about their home/living environment — but “positive” doesn’t always mean emotionally regulating.

• 70% describe home as a positive emotional space:
• 35% consider their home/living space a sanctuary.
• 35% say it is mostly positive or a comfortable environment.
• Only 5% describe their home as draining or confining.

Older adults (45+) are the most emotionally attached to their home. Upwards of 82% of those 45+ describe their living space as a sanctuary/comfortable vs. as low as 60% among younger adults.

When home becomes a stressor

Positive feelings do not mean emotional control.

• Only 15% agree that their home reflects their emotional state.
• Just 5% feel more in control of life when their home is tidy and clean.
• 48% avoid inviting people over due to how their home looks or feels.
• 46% say their home adds to their everyday chaos.
• 44% feel stuck at home more often than they’d like to be.

Key Insight: While most Americans view their home as a safe and positive place, that comfort does not automatically translate into emotional control or confidence. Home is more often experienced as a backdrop to life rather than a reflection of mood. For many, unresolved stress, clutter, or limitations tied to their living space create avoidance, shame, and feelings of confinement — revealing a tension between emotional attachment and emotional burden.

Comfort Contributors

Home comfort is driven by more than aesthetics. It’s about stability, social dynamics, and whether the space supports emotional recovery.

Enjoyment of home

• 83% say they love being home most or all of the time.
• Only 3% of Americans prefer being away from home.

What shapes how home feels

• 55% say household members or roommates most influence how the home feels to them.
• 43% cite cost of living or rent stress.
• 42% cite neighborhood safety.
• Furniture/layout – 37%
• Lighting/natural light – 36%
• Smell/atmosphere – 36%
• Cleanliness/clutter – 34%
• Noise level – 34%
• Privacy – 26%

Pets are rarely cited as a primary emotional factor.

Home as emotional support

• 66% say their home feels supportive when they’re in a bad mood (45% comforting, 21% calming).
• Only 15% say home feels overwhelming or suffocating when their emotional state is at risk.

Key Insight: How Americans feel at home is shaped less by décor and more by who they live with, how safe they feel, and the financial pressure tied to housing. While physical elements like lighting and layout matter, emotional comfort is primarily social and situational.

Coping Mechanisms for At-Home Stress

When home becomes stressful, Americans tend to cope through distraction, avoidance, or venting — not through “fixing” the home itself.

Common coping behaviors

• Watching TV or movies – 46%
• Cooking or engaging in hobbies – 45%
• Venting to someone – 41%
• Avoid being home altogether – 29%
• Redecorating or rearranging – 28%
• Cleaning – 15%
• Going for a walk – 11%
• Listening to music – 5%

Key Insight: When home becomes emotionally taxing, Americans are more likely to disengage than intervene. Coping is driven by distraction, avoidance, or social venting rather than cleaning, organizing, or redesigning — highlighting an opportunity for brands and services that position the home as a space for emotional reset, not just escape.