Facts and Figures

01

Participation and Demographics

• Approximately 55% of U.S. households maintain a garden, which translates to around 71.5 million gardening households and 185.9 million individuals involved in gardening.

• There are over 29,000 community gardens in the 100 largest U.S. cities alone.

• The average community garden yields approximately 20.4 servings of fresh produce per 11 square feet, and can lower household food security concerns by up to 90%.

02

Crime Reduction

• In 2019, researchers studying a community engagement program in Flint, Michigan, found that neighborhood improvement efforts that get local residents involved can be an effective violence prevention strategy. Community-engaged greening of vacant lots was associated with nearly a 40% reduction in assaults and total violent crime. A subsequent study in Youngstown, Ohio, was published in October 2022 that supported the earlier findings.

• A 2018 study showed that greening interventions such as mowing or fencing vacant lots significantly reduced violent crime in Philadelphia by as much as 30%, reduced people's fear of going outside due to safety concerns by 58%, and increased people's use of outside space by 76%.

03