Redfin Survey: U.S. Residents Prioritize Sunlight Over Home Size—and It Affects How Happy They Are at Home

• Approximately 1 in 10 (11%) U.S. residents identified sunlight as “non-negotiable, one of the most important features” when considering a new home.
• Natural light also impacts how people feel at home: 2 in 3 (67%) U.S. residents said sunlight has an impact on how satisfied they are with their living situation, including 29% who said it impacts them “a lot.”

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nearly half (44%) of U.S. residents would prefer a smaller home with more sunlight over a larger home with less sunlight, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket. Roughly half as many (24%) would prefer the opposite: A larger, dimmer home over a smaller, brighter home.

This is according to a Redfin survey of 1,005 U.S. residents conducted by Ipsos in March 2026.

Baby Boomers Care Most About Sunlight Over Square Footage

All age groups prefer smaller homes with more sunlight to larger homes with less sunlight. The preference is strongest among older Americans: More than half (54%) of baby boomers prefer sunlight over space, by far the biggest share of any generation.

People in all parts of the country prefer smaller, brighter homes, too. Nearly three in five (57%) of those living in the Northeast would choose sunlight over home size, making that the region with the strongest preference, followed by the Midwest (48%). Five of the top 10 cloudiest U.S. states—Vermont, New York, Ohio, Michigan and Connecticut—are located in these regions, according to Farmers’ Almanac.

The preference for size over sunlight is stronger among young people; 35% of both Gen Zers and millennials would choose a larger home with less sunlight, compared with 21% of Gen Xers and just 8% of baby boomers. Redfin agents attribute this result, in large part, to life stage.

“I’m hearing more often than ever from my younger clients things like, ‘We want extra space because we might have kids soon or because my mother-in-law is getting older and may need to move in at some point.’ For this group, that flexibility may be worth compromising a window or two,” said Florida-based agent Tim Harper. “Young buyers today are not just thinking about their immediate family needs when considering the size of a home—they’re also very forward-looking when it comes to a property’s potential for multigenerational living.”

Most U.S. Residents Say Sunlight Is Important in Choosing Their Next Home

In a separate survey question, roughly 1 in 10 (11%) U.S. residents said they would consider sunlight “non-negotiable, one of the most important features in a home” if they were choosing a new home today. Another 77% identified how much sunlight a home gets as either “very important” or “somewhat important,” but ultimately something they might be willing to compromise on. Just 3% of U.S. residents said sunlight is “not at all important” in a home.

These results were largely uniform across key demographics, though Northeast residents were more likely than people living in other parts of the country to say sunlight is a “non-negotiable” or “very important” (66%).

Among those who said natural light was in any way important to their assessment of a potential new home, over half (53%) cited the sun’s ability to improve their mood and mental well-being as their main reason for holding this view—the top reason cited among six options Redfin asked about. The next most-cited reasons were reduced energy costs (16%), and liking the look and aesthetics of sunny spaces (14%).

“I have buyers who walk into a home that checks every box online and walk right out after making it past the entryway because of low light,” said Cassia Bourne, a Redfin principal agent in Denver. “I use those moments to tell my sellers that light sells a home—it makes it feel larger, cleaner, and more inviting.”

Most U.S. Residents Say Sunlight Impacts How Satisfied They Feel With Their Home

Natural light is an important consideration for future homeownership, and it also impacts how people feel in their current homes: Two-thirds (69%) of U.S. residents said the amount of sunlight in their home impacts how satisfied they are with their living situation, including 31% who said it impacts their satisfaction “a lot.”

Additionally, respondents who said they live in sun-filled homes were 30 percentage points more likely to report being “very” or “somewhat” satisfied with their current living situation (77%) than those who said they don’t live in sun-filled homes (47%).

And while approximately 1 in 5 (22%) U.S. residents said they live in a “very sunny” home, most U.S. residents (57%) describe their homes as receiving only a “moderate amount” of sunlight, being only “somewhat sunny”—suggesting there’s still lots more light to be let in around the country.

Natural light is one of the hardest things to judge from listing photos or even a quick showing, which is why Redfin co-created Sunscore with Shadowmap, a sunlight analysis platform. It’s now available exclusively on Redfin.com; learn more here.

To view the full report, including charts with additional survey results and a methodology, please visit: redfin.com/news/sunlight-home-satisfaction-2026

About Redfin

Redfin is a technology-driven real estate company with the country's most-visited real estate brokerage website. As part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), Redfin is creating an integrated homeownership platform from search to close to make the dream of homeownership more affordable and accessible for everyone. Redfin’s clients can see homes first with on-demand tours, easily apply for a home loan with Rocket Mortgage, and save thousands in fees while working with a top local agent.

You can find more information about Redfin and get the latest housing market data and research at https://www.redfin.com/news. For more information about Rocket Companies, visit https://www.rocketcompanies.com.