National Home Census Survey Reveals How Americans Live in Their Homes

--Survey shares if our homes make us happy and how much time we actually spend awake in our homes

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Jan 20, 2011, 11:43 ET

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Jan. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Now that the US Census data has been released and we know where people live in our country, national off-price retailer HomeGoods recently conducted a survey* to determine how we live in our homes. The survey complements the recently released 2010 US Population Census and reveals the following:

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Extreme Makeover Needed and Make it Traditional

Almost half of Americans (47%) have not updated their home decor in the last five years and 9% percent haven't updated their decor in over 10 years. As for style, Americans say the overall look of their homes is traditional (44%), followed by modern (22%), eclectic (13%), country (10%) and global (2%).

Come On - Get Happy!

If you can't look around your home and feel happy with your surroundings, where can you? Only 20% of Americans reported feeling happy with their home decor. And, while a majority of Americans feel relaxed in their surroundings, 14% report that their home furnishings make them feel gloomy and stressed.

Wake-Up Call

While Americans take great pride in their homes, they are hardly ever in them. 36% say they only spend 5-8 waking hours in their homes each day, followed closely by 26% stating they spend 9-12 hours a day at home.

No Carrie Bradshaws Allowed

A surprising majority of women (65%) would rather shop for their homes rather than for shoes (35%). And equally as surprising, more than 58% of men say shopping for home decor is much more fun than shoe shopping.

Love You, Hate Your Stuffed Moose Head

You promised 'till death do you part, but does that include displaying his stuffed moose head or her porcelain doll collection prominently until then? 38% of men and 46% of women secretly wish they could throw out an item that their significant other keeps on display in their home.

About HomeGoods

HomeGoods offers an exciting, ever-changing selection of high-quality home fashions at prices up to 60% less than department and specialty stores, every day. HomeGoods provides consumers with unbeatable values on brand name and designer merchandise, and unique finds for every room, in every style. With over 325 stores across the country, HomeGoods is owned by the world's largest off-price retailer, the TJX Companies, Inc. For store locations, please visit homegoods.com and tjx.com. Find HomeGoods on Twitter and Facebook.

*Methodological Notes

The HomeGoods Survey was conducted between September 2nd and September 8th, 2010. For this research, 1016 interviews were fielded among nationally representative Americans aged 18 and older, using an email invitation and online Survey. Quotas were set to ensure reliable and accurate representations of the total U.S. population ages 18 and older. The chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary plus (+) or minus (–) 3.07%.