How Many Americans Are Preppers? 2025 Stats & Trends

How many Americans are preppers in 2025? See the numbers, percentages, state hot-spots, demographics, and market size behind the booming preparedness trend.

Key Takeaways

- Approx. 1 in 16 Americans is a self-described prepper; 4 out of 5 practice at least basic readiness.

- Texas and the Mountain West remain hot-beds, but young coastal urbanites are a fast-growing segment.

- The prepper economy rivals the outdoor-recreation market and is growing faster than U.S. GDP.

- Diversity is expanding: younger, more progressive, and more female preppers are reshaping product and content demand.

"How many Americans are preppers?” is more than a trivia question—it’s a barometer of public trust in systems, anxiety about cascading crises, and the size of an industry now worth billions. It also directly addresses the growing public curiosity: how many people are preparing for disaster in an increasingly uncertain world?

I coalesced the latest research (though admittedly the available information is thinner than would be ideal) into a readable dive into who preps, where they live, how ready the broader public really is, why the market for survival gear keeps posting record growth, and more.

For deeper insights into specific preparedness topics, you might also find our extensive Reality Studies Prepper FAQ: Practical Answers to Top Emergency Prep Questions a valuable resource. It features answers to 90+ top searches regarding prepping and is regularly updated:

Quick Answer: How Many Preppers Are There in the USA?

Multiple independent tallies converge on roughly ~20 million U.S. adults who self-identify as “preppers” in 2025. The long-running TruePrepper demographic model pegs the figure at 23 million.

The strong upward trend clearly answers the question: are preppers growing in numbers? Drawing on FEMA data, InvestigateTV reported that the count had doubled since 2017.

Given the U.S. Census Bureau’s projected 341 million residents on Jan. 1, 2025, that means between 5.9% and 6.7% of Americans are preppers—people who maintain at least 30 days of supplies and an actionable emergency plan.

For a deeper understanding of what defines this group, see a related Reality Studies article:

What Percentage of Americans Are Prepared at All?

Preppers are only the tip of a much larger preparedness iceberg. To understand the broader landscape of readiness, let's review key emergency preparedness statistics:

• FEMA’s 2024 National Household Survey reports that 83% of U.S. adults have taken three or more preparedness actions—up from 57% the year prior.

• A separate TruePrepper poll found 73% have done at least one thing to get ready (e.g., owning a flashlight or bottled water).

• Thus, while only ~6% meet the “prepper” threshold, as many as 4 out of 5 Americans now practice at least basic readiness, reflecting a cultural shift accelerated by Covid-19, supply-chain shocks, and extreme weather.

For advice on building your own supply, see the Reality Studies food prepper guide:

Where Do Preppers Live? States With the Highest Numbers

No agency conducts an official census of preppers, but analyses of several data sets—including Google search interest, prepper-forum membership, and survival-gear sales—indicate clear patterns:

• Per-Capita Preparedness: According to survey data from The Prepared, states with "lower population, rural" characteristics tend to show higher rates of preparedness per capita. Their analysis identified a "top 10" including: Montana, Idaho, Alaska, New Hampshire, Maine, Utah, Wyoming, West Virginia, Delaware, and Hawaii. Modern Survival also independently placed New Hampshire at the top of an informal survey.

• Raw Headcount Leaders: Meanwhile, Prepper.com ranked Texas, Ohio, and North Carolina as the top 3 "Best U.S. States for Preppers," based on comprehensive criteria such as population density, land prices, climate, crime, taxes, cost of living, government regulation, natural disasters, man-made disasters, homeschool laws, gun laws, and culture.

• Fastest Risers & Climate Impact: Anecdotal evidence and discussions within preparedness communities suggest a notable rise in interest in states on the frontline of climate-change-driven disasters. This includes Arizona (due to drought and heatwaves), California (fire concerns), Florida and Louisiana (hurricane risks), and others. This growing interest directly mirrors increased concerns about their respective climate conditions.

Who Becomes a Prepper? Demographic & Psychographic Snapshot

The modern prepper looks less like a reality-TV caricature and more like your next-door neighbor.

Prepper Demographics in 2025

• Urban vs. Rural: According to the latest data from TruePrepper, 90.5% of preppers live in metro areas, effectively busting the “rural bunker” stereotype.

• Homeowners & Renters: TruePrepper data also shows 73.4% own their homes, but apartment dwellers represent the fastest-growing segment.

• Age/Generation: A 2022 Finder survey indicates that approximately 40% of both Millennials and Gen Z are now preppers, a significant increase compared to ~20% of Gen X and Boomers.

• Race/Ethnicity: While specific breakdowns of "preppers" by race are less frequently published due to survey design, the FEMA 2024 National Household Survey on Disaster Preparedness indicates that readiness actions are taken across all racial and ethnic groups. Notably, Black respondents reported the highest number of individuals taking at least three preparedness actions.

• Income/Education: Preppers span all income levels and educational backgrounds. While some high-net-worth individuals invest in elaborate shelters, the majority of preppers focus on affordable, practical steps like food storage and basic first aid, making preparedness accessible to diverse economic strata.

• Politics & culture: A Reuters report notes the movement’s diversification—more women, minorities, and climate-focused progressives are embracing preparedness. Guardian coverage of “lefty preppers” echoes the same trend.

• Shared mindset: Regardless of background, preppers consistently prize self-reliance, redundancy (“two is one, one is none”), and a healthy skepticism that help will arrive quickly.

Drivers of Growth: Why More Americans Are Prepping

There isn’t one single cause for the growth of “prepping.” Rather, it is a complex mix of triggers including concerns about:

• Climate Change & Extreme Weather

• Economic Instability

• Geopolitical Events

• Technological Disruptions

• Information Accessibility

How Big Is the Prepper Industry?

Preparedness has graduated from a fringe pastime to a robust worldwide commercial ecosystem, now measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Understanding the survival gear market size and the broader prepper economy reveals this quiet but notable shift.

• Survival Tools: Market research firm Stellar Market Research values the U.S. “survival tools” segment—including first-aid kits, crank radios, pocket tools, shovels, and water filters—at $1.33 billion in 2024. This segment is projected to grow annually near 8% through 2032, reaching an estimated market size of $2.45 billion.

• Consumer Products & Services: Layering on everyday consumer spending not always captured in capital-equipment reports—such as freeze-dried food buckets, online courses, insurance-style membership programs, and niche real estate like fortified condos—U.S. households funnel about $11 billion per year directly into preparedness products and services, according to Finder.com.

• Disaster Preparedness Systems: Precedence Research identified the category of disaster-preparedness systems—including portable generators, residential shelters, and backup communications—as having a global market size of $190.36 billion in 2024. The U.S. market constitutes a significant portion of this, estimated at $62.82 billion.

Factoring for potential overlap among these measurements, a conservative estimate places the total U.S. prepper industry at approximately ~$70 billion per year, with continued increasing growth projected in the coming years.

Why the Numbers Are Fuzzy but Still Useful

• Self-identification bias: Some people practice extensive preparedness yet reject the “prepper” label.

• Survey wording: “Preparedness action” can mean owning a flashlight or building a one-year food pantry, so percentages vary.

• Commercial data skews: Gear sales spike after high-profile disasters, temporarily inflating market estimates.

Even with these caveats, triangulating multiple data sources lets us track momentum, and the curve is undeniably up.

If you liked this post, here’s an episode of the Urgent Futures Podcast you might appreciate:

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Sources

• Census.gov. (2024, December). New Year Population. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/12/new-year-population.html

• FEMA. (2025, May 7). 2024 National Household Survey on Disaster Preparedness Findings. Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_icpd_2024-national-household-survey-on-disaster-preparedness-findings_05072025.pdf

• Finder.com. (n.d.). Doomsday Prepper Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.finder.com/personal-loans/doomsday-prepper-statistics

• Forbes. (2024, January 4). When It Comes To End Times Survival, Viewers Can’t Get Enough. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisdorsey/2024/01/04/when-it-comes-to-end-times-survival-viewers-cant-get-enough/

• InvestigateTV. (2024, November 4). 'These are just ordinary people': More Americans embracing prepper way of life. Retrieved from https://www.investigatetv.com/2024/11/04/these-are-just-ordinary-people-more-americans-embracing-prepper-way-life/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

• Investopedia. (n.d.). Where Doomsday Preppers Are Investing. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/where-doomsday-preppers-are-investing-8760570

• Modern Survival Blog. (n.d.). State Rank List: Percentage of Preppers Per Population. Retrieved from https://modernsurvivalblog.com/lifestyle/state-rank-list-percentage-of-preppers-per-population/

• Precedence Research. (n.d.). Disaster Preparedness Systems Market. Retrieved from https://www.precedenceresearch.com/disaster-preparedness-systems-market

• Prepper.com. (n.d.). Best Prepper States. Retrieved from https://prepper.com/best-prepper-states/

• Reality Studies. (n.d.). What is a Prepper? Meaning & Mindset. Retrieved from https://www.realitystudies.co/p/what-is-a-prepper-meaning-mindset

• Reuters. (2024, March 9). Prepping for disaster diversifies as more Americans lose trust. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/us/prepping-disaster-diversifies-more-americans-lose-trust-2024-03-09/

• Stellar Market Research. (n.d.). Survival Tools Market. Retrieved from https://www.stellarmr.com/report/Survival-Tools-Market/1843

• The Guardian. (2025, April 17). Preppers: How liberals are embracing climate collapse. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/apr/17/preppers-liberals-climate-collapse

• The Prepared. (n.d.). Prepper Demographics (Updated with 2020 FEMA Survey Data - Over 20M People in the US Alone). Retrieved from https://theprepared.com/forum/thread/prepper-demographics-updated-with-2020-fema-survey-data-over-20m-people-in-the-us-alone/

• TruePrepper.com. (n.d.). Prepping Statistics. Retrieved from https://trueprepper.com/prepping-statistics/

• TruePrepper.com. (n.d.). What is Prepping? Prepper. Retrieved from https://trueprepper.com/what-is-prepping-prepper/

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