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
Recession Resistance: How RV Parks Performed During Economic Downturns
The 2008 financial crisis and 2020 COVID pandemic tested virtually every real estate asset class. Hotels saw occupancy drop to 22%. Office properties still have not recovered. But outdoor hospitality — RV parks, campgrounds, and RV resorts — maintained average occupancy above 80% throughout both downturns.
The reason is structural, not coincidental. When consumers face economic uncertainty, they do not stop vacationing — they trade down from expensive hotels to premium outdoor experiences. An RV resort with full hookups and resort amenities at a fraction of hotel costs becomes the obvious choice for budget-conscious families who still want a vacation.
This counter-cyclical demand pattern makes RV resort investments particularly attractive for portfolio diversification. When equity markets sell off and traditional real estate faces headwinds, outdoor hospitality often sees increased demand — a rare true hedge in alternative real estate.