As the holidays approach, American families are thinking about gift-giving, and a trend stands out: Americans are giving home improvement and hardware items as useful and practical gifts. According to an Ace Hardware analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey data spanning a decade of gift purchases, some regions are more likely to gift-wrap DIY tools, garden supplies, and appliances.

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Home ownership and upkeep are a major part of the American lifestyle. The team’s study found that 79% of homeowners undertake multiple home improvement projects each year, with many completing three or more. Americans spent $526 billion on home improvement in 2024. The number of projects per household has increased from 2.7 in 2015 to 3.4 in 2023. This commitment to home maintenance explains why hardware and home improvement supplies are a reliable gift choice, especially for people who live in older homes or in harsh climates.

According to the team’s study, the highest amount of home improvement gift-giving occurs in the Mid-Atlantic states, particularly New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. In these states, 77.35 home improvement gifts were given out of every 1,000 gifts purchased. This is a higher rate than the national average of 66.61 gifts per 1,000 gifts purchased.

The popularity of home improvement gifts in the Mid-Atlantic is likely due to the region’s older homes. The median age of a New York home is 62, higher than the national home age median of 40 to 41. Older homes need more upkeep, upgrades, and repairs, making home improvement gifts all the more valuable and appreciated. The average age of homeowners in these properties is around 58, suggesting that these older homeowners have more financial stability to invest in larger home improvement projects. Extreme weather in these regions with cold winters and variable seasons necessitates ongoing maintenance.

The team determined the most popular types of home improvement gifts. Here’s how it broke down:

• Lawn and garden supplies – 24.91% of all home improvement gifts
• Major appliances – 18.18% of all home improvement gifts
• Building supplies – 15.59% of all home improvement gifts
• Home décor – 11.65% of all home improvement gifts
• Indoor furniture – 8.39% of all home improvement gifts
• Small appliances – 4.98% of all home improvement gifts
• Storage/organization items – 3.07% of all home improvement gifts
• Lighting/electrical supplies – 2.40% of all home improvement gifts
• Paint and painting supplies – 2.09% of all home improvement gifts
• Tools – 2.09% of all home improvement gifts

These numbers show that many Americans consider home improvement gifts to be both functional and meaningful. These gifts contribute to long-term comfort and the value of a home. The numbers might reflect that home improvement gifts are shifting beyond the scope of DIY aficionados to a universally appreciated gift. As homeowners juggle time and effort on the upkeep of their homes, these gifts can make their work easier and their home more enjoyable. Home improvement items are likely to remain a major aspect of holiday gift-giving.

Many American families realize that location can have a major impact on their childhood experiences. The team at HireAHelper examines which U.S. cities offer the best environment for families. Their recently published map ranks cities based on their scores in a 10-factor “Family-Friendly Cities Index.” They not only reveal which cities earned the highest scores but also help us consider the factors families should weigh when deciding where to move.

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HireAHelper’s scoring index considers ten important dimensions that shape the way a city serves families and makes it an ideal place to raise children. Here are the index factors:

• Public school quality: The strength of the city’s public schools based on scores from the website, Niche.
• Overall “family-friendliness” rating: Niche’s city score based on safety, walkability, access to services, amenities, and livability.
• Cost of living: An estimate of the household income needed for a family to live comfortably.
• Childcare costs: This figure is based on how much it costs on average to send a newborn and a 4-year-old to daycare.
• Median household income: This shows the average household income in this location.
• Family fun: The availability of playgrounds, entertainment, parks, and kid-friendly activities.
• Health and safety: This considers crime rates, number of pediatricians, and general environmental health and well-being.
• Park quality: Based on the Trust for Public Land’s 2025 score on the acreage, amenities, accessibility, and investment in parks.
• Working Parents Score: This considers job flexibility, co-working availability, and remote-work friendliness.
• Family leave benefits: Not every state offers paid family leave, but it’s a huge advantage for parents during early childhood years.

The top-ranked city according to the team’s extensive analysis is Irvine, California. Irvine’s A+ rating in Niche’s public education category and its overall family-friendly score put it at the top of the list. Irvine has a higher cost of living and childcare costs than other cities on the list, but a high average household income helped offset those expenses. The city also scored well in safety, park quality, and family-fun. Families who can afford it will find a strong city that offers everything they could wish for: amenities, strong schools, and a high quality of life.

The strength of the team’s study lies in the details. Moving is never a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Different families will have other priorities and values, whether they relate to the importance of education, safety, affordability, or work flexibility. This study’s approach helps families consider a range of factors and rank cities based on their own needs. After all, a higher cost of living might be out of reach for some families, but affordability means compromise elsewhere, and families will have to choose whether they want this to be in the realm of family fun, parks, or some other area.

This study gives families a data-driven way to start their search for a new city to relocate to. Not every family will agree that Irvine, California, is the best option, but they will find many other options on the list, each with their own attractions.

Home ownership is a dream shared by many Americans, but the goal posts for achieving this dream move further out of reach every year. In 2025, the average age for first-time home ownership reached an all-time high of 40 years old. That’s an 8-year increase from just 5 years previous. The biggest obstacle to home ownership is the high price tag. Housing prices have risen by an astonishing 2,000% over the past 60 years. While these statistics might make home ownership seem impossible, the team at MovingPlace.com shows that location is a huge factor in affordability. The team analyzed which ZIP codes have renters who could afford to buy a home. They mapped the results, showing where home ownership is most achievable and where it is flat-out impossible.

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To form their calculations, the team analyzed these factors:

• Median Home Value
• Mortgage Rate
• Monthly Mortgage Payment
• Renter Income
• Monthly Renter Income
• Mortgage-to-Income Ratio
• Average Cost of Rent
• Rent-to-Income Ratio

The results show us that these are the ZIP codes where renters can afford to buy their own home:

• 30349: Atlanta, GA
• 75217: Dallas, TX
• 60617: Chicago, IL
• 37042: Clarkesville, TN
• 60629: Chicago, IL
• 73099: Yukon, OK
• 60623: Chicago, IL
• 78577: Pharr, TX
• 27610: Raleigh, NC
• 28269: Charlotte, NC

The ZIP code with the lowest mortgage-to-income ratio is in Fulton County, Georgia. There are 15 cities in this county, including Atlanta, one of the largest American cities. The result comes as no surprise since Atlanta is one of the most affordable major cities in the country.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are many ZIP codes where homes are so expensive that renters can’t hope to buy in these locations. Here are the ZIP codes with the most prohibitive ratios:

• 11204: Brooklyn, NY
• 10453: Bronx, NY
• 98052: Redmond, WA
• 10025: New York, NY
• 11385: Ridgewood, NY
• 98012: Bothell, WA
• 91709: Chino Hills, CA
• 10314: Staten Island, NY
• 60647: Chicago, IL
• 90250: Hawthorne, CA

Brooklyn has the least affordable American ZIP code. Average renter incomes simply don’t compare with the median home price in Brooklyn, which is $1,198,458. This could pay for five homes in Fulton County, Georgia.

Overall, the team followed a 28/36 ratio rule. The mortgage-to-income ratio had to be below 28% to be considered affordable. We can also see that different areas of a city can differ drastically in home prices. For example, two ZIP codes within the city of Chicago in Cook County are on the most affordable list, while another ZIP code is on the least affordable list. This is nothing new in real estate. Some neighborhoods are more highly sought after than others, and competition drives up prices to shocking heights.

While home ownership is no doubt a challenge, this map shows that there are many places in the U.S. where it’s possible for renters to start house shopping. Location is one of the biggest factors in making the dream of homeownership a reality.c