Seven in 10 Americans now own up to 10 smart home devices, from thermostats and security cameras to pet feeders, according to a new survey of 5,000 U.S. homeowners. Yet only about one in four fully trusts those devices with their privacy — a trust gap that is shaping what people buy, and what they hesitate to bring into their homes.
The findings come from Vivint’s annual “How We Home” report, based on a survey conducted August 11–19 through OnePoll and published on November 5, 2026. Almost six in 10 respondents (59%) now consider their house “smart,” a sign that connected devices have moved firmly from early-adopter gadgetry into the mainstream American home.
The numbers behind the smart home boom
Smart TVs led recent purchases: 23% of respondents bought a smart TV or streaming hub in the past 12 months, followed by smart doorbells (22%) and outdoor cameras or lighting (16%). Looking ahead, smart doorbells, lighting, solar panels and smart locks top homeowners’ wish lists.
The survey ranked the 30 most common smart devices owned by respondents. The top 10 were:
- Smart TV or streaming hub
- Smart doorbell
- Smart speaker or voice assistant
- Outdoor or indoor security camera
- Smart thermostat or home energy monitor
- Smart lighting
- Smart plugs or outlets
- Smart locks or keyless entry
- Smart refrigerator
- Smart washer or dryer
The rest of the list runs from smart garage door openers and smoke detectors to solar panels, smart EV chargers and smart baby monitors — evidence that connectivity now reaches nearly every corner of the house, and even the yard, with smart irrigation controllers and pet feeders also making the cut.
A trust gap at the heart of the smart home
The headline tension in the report is privacy. Just 24% of homeowners said they fully trust their smart devices when it comes to their privacy. Of those who do trust them, 28% said it is because they choose brands they consider dependable — suggesting that brand reputation, rather than any technical guarantee, is doing much of the heavy lifting.
That unease is not abstract. The same week the survey was published, TechCrunch reported that at least 10 U.S. local governments and police departments have moved since the summer to curb, restrict or end their use of Flock Safety’s license plate readers and other surveillance cameras, citing mass surveillance and data privacy concerns. The backlash shows how quickly a device that records the home — or the street outside it — can become a public controversy when people feel they have lost control of their data.
For manufacturers, the message is clear: adoption is no longer the hard part. Winning — and keeping — trust is. Local processing, clear data policies and cameras that can work without a cloud subscription are becoming selling points in their own right, not just privacy niches.
Caregiving and security are driving adoption
The survey also found that lifestyle shifts are reshaping what people want from their homes. Forty-two percent of homeowners are currently caring for a family member or expect to do so within the next five years. Asked how home automation could help with that care, 45% pointed to being notified of falls or other emergencies, and 31% valued being able to remotely monitor a loved one’s health and wellbeing when they are not there.
Security remains the other big motivator. The average American has spent $560 on home security over the last five years, and 46% said they are more concerned about theft affecting their home or property than they were five years ago. Almost a fifth (19%) know someone who has been the victim of an attempted or successful home or car break-in. Thirty percent said they want to make sure both their house and their belongings are protected while they are traveling.
AI at the front door — with limits
Homeowners appear open to AI taking a bigger role in protecting the home, but on their own terms. Thirty-nine percent said they would be comfortable with AI detecting unusual activity around their home, and 27% would let AI lock their doors at night.
That cautious openness matches the industry’s direction: AI-powered cameras that can explain what they see in plain language and search recorded video by description are arriving now, including AT&T’s Connected Life service, which began rolling out Google Gemini features on November 4. The technology is ready; the question is whether homeowners trust it enough to let it watch.
Practical help is also in demand: 80% of respondents have had smart home devices professionally installed or would be open to it, and 16% said they would be willing to pay extra for a house if a smart home setup is already included — a small but notable signal for builders and real estate agents.
What it means for buyers
The survey paints a picture of a market that has won the living room but not yet the homeowner’s full confidence. Devices are everywhere — an average household in the survey owns up to 10 of them — yet most owners still hold back some trust, and a sizable share are voting with their wallets and their city councils when they feel surveillance has gone too far.
For anyone building out a smart home, the takeaway is straightforward: pick brands with a track record you can verify, check what data leaves your home and where it goes, and favor devices that keep working — and keep your footage private — even without the cloud. The smart home of 2026 is no longer about how many devices you own. It is about how much you trust them.