Fast Facts
RV Industry & Outdoor Hospitality Data
Active Camper Households (U.S.)98.3 million households camp at least once per year.
RV-Owning Households11% of U.S. households own an RV — approximately 11.2 million homes.
Year-Over-Year Camping Growth2.7 million new camping households enter the market annually.
Households Who Camped in 2020Over 43 million households camped at least once during 2020.
Growth in Frequent Campers Since 200082% increase in households that camp 3+ times per year since the mid-2000s.
U.S.-Manufactured RVs98% of all RVs sold in the U.S. are manufactured domestically.
RV Travelers With Pets54% of RV travelers bring their pets along for the trip.
Full-Time RV ResidentsOver 1 million Americans live in an RV as their primary residence.
12-Month RV Trip Projections61 million Americans are projected to take an RV trip in the next 12 months.
Annual Economic ImpactThe RV industry contributes $114 billion annually to the U.S. economy.
RV Cost RangeRVs range from $6,000 (entry-level travel trailers) to over $1 million (luxury motorcoaches).
Vacation Cost SavingsRV vacations cost 60%+ less than traditional hotel-and-flight vacations.
Data sourced from KOA 2024 Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report
The Millennial and Gen Z RV Revolution: A New Investor Opportunity
The conventional wisdom about RV camping as a retiree activity is obsolete. Today, the fastest-growing segment of the RV ownership market is households aged 18-44 — drawn by remote work flexibility, rising urban housing costs, and a generational preference for experiential spending over material goods.
11.2 million U.S. households now own an RV, and 3 million new campers entered the market last year. Premium RV resorts are positioned at the intersection of these trends — offering the outdoor experience younger generations crave with the amenities they expect. High-speed WiFi, resort pools, fitness centers, and curated local experiences are now table stakes for the premium segment.
For investors, this demographic expansion creates durable long-term demand that underpins sustainable occupancy and pricing power. Unlike Baby Boomer-driven demand (which is itself still growing), Gen Z and Millennial RV adoption represents a multi-decade tailwind that has barely begun to manifest in investment returns.