Advancements in technology have made the ease of communication and off-grid living an obtainable lifestyle for many families and individuals. As the tiny home and van life movement continues to grow and evolve all over the world, we are seeing unique minimalistic lifestyle differences.
We surveyed 725 van lifers from all over the world ranging from part-time road trip warriors to full-time off-the-grid digital nomads. In doing so, we found some interesting statistics that should help us all better understand the van life community.
We asked numerous questions about van lifer’s costs and spending habits, the conversion process, travel behavior, along with some general lifestyle questions.
General Stats
Do you live in a van full-time or part-time?
51% Part-time
49% Full-time
How many people live in your van?
44% 1 Other
36% Solo
13% 2 Others
6% 3 Others
What van do you own?
43% Cargo van
18% Passenger van
13% Hippie van / VW
12% Other
8% Bus
6% RV
What type of job do you have?
45% Other
14% Remote worker
13% Entrepreneur
10% Seasonal jobs
9% Unemployed
5% Odd jobs
4% Retired
Travel Behavior
What state do you primarily live in?
Top 10 most populated states for van life:
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Oregon
- Washington
- Arizona
- Texas
- Georgia
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
Where do you primarily sleep at night?
50% BLM, National Forests/ Grasslands
24% Other
14% City streets and parking lots
7% Residential neighborhoods
5% City/county parks
Do you travel with a pet(s)?
60% No
40% Yes
How do you primarily bathe?
28% Gym
21% Built in van shower
20% Campsite facilities
16% Other
5% Nature (lakes, rivers, ect.)
4% Baby wipes
4% Beach
2% Gas station
How do you primarily use the bathroom?
39% Public bathrooms
35% Built in van toilet
13% Nature
7% Bucket, jar, some sort of DIY toilet
6% Other
The Van Conversion
Did you convert your van yourself or have it professionally outfitted?
79% I converted my van
21% I had it professionally outfitted
How much did it cost to convert your van (U.S. dollars)?
31% $1,000 to $5,000
24% $5,001 to $10,000
17% $10,001 to $20,000
16% Less than $1,000
8% $20,001 to $40,000
3% Over $40,000
How long did it take you to convert your van?
42% 2 to 6 months
32% Less than 2 months
14% 7 to 12 months
11% Over 1 year
Travel Spending
What is your weekly budget (per person in U.S. dollars)?
42% $50 to $100
35% $101 to $300
18% Over $300
5% Less than $50
How much do you spend on gas per month (U.S. dollars)?
56% $101 to $300
22% $301 to $500
15% $50 to $100
5% Over $500
2% Less than $50
How much do you spend on campsites per month (U.S. dollars)?
38% $0
26% $1 to $30
25% $31 to $100
8% $101 to $300
4% Over $300
Additional Stats
Only 13% of Europeans primarily shower at the gym, compared to 28% of all van lifers.
20% of Australians travel with pets, compared to 40% of all van lifers.
39% of Australians primarily shower at the beach, compared to only 4% of all van lifers.
For van lifers who had their van professionally outfitted, it cost over $40,000 for 21% of them.
This is so interesting! I love learning how other vanlifers are living– thanks for putting this together y’all!
Thanks guys! Glad you like it!
There’s no Gym that has locations in different European countries. Every country has their own Gym companies.. too bad though! 🙂
Hey Sam! We figured this was the case.
Love this! So interesting. I will be fulltime vanlife from Dec, so it’s nice to get an idea and learn from others already on the road.
I reckon there are more retirees, they just don’t have the internet to do the survey ????
For the “What kind of job do you have?” question, I wonder what primarily makes up the “Other” category since so many people chose it. Great survey!
I was wonderinng the same thing… what comprises “other?”
I think primarily people who have a full-time office job but still live in their van. We didn’t think there would be nearly this many so we didn’t include an option for it.
Join the discussion…I have lived in vans and campers for most of the past thirty years. I’ve worked as a stage hand, writer and arborist. Now retired, thankfully, at 58. I was able to save enough money in that time to make it happen, another plus. Aside from the cost and flexibility the thing I love most it how small my carbon footprint has been, Steve
Thank you for this information! So helpful for the article I am writing.
Hey Annette! I’m glad you found it helpful!!
Inspiring!! I am trying to talk myself into wanting this life style.. seems a more healthy lifestyle..
Hello, I am a college student making a short documentary about van dwelling , may I use these statistics in my movie with full credits provided?
Absolutely, Aaron!
This is awesome information.
I was an over the road trucker for 17 years when I (attempted) to settle down I came close to losing my mind! I’ve found that vanping helps overcome the claustrophobia of a permanent dwelling.
Great article! Should do one on OTR drivers. Information might prove useful to campers. Thanks for such an interesting article. One question: how many people live in a van in the US? I’ve met quite a few here in the NYC metro area. It’s cheaper than paying $3000+ a month for a studio
This is all from 2018 and I know for a fact that mobile living is expanding. I’d be curious to see the current stats! If only there was an accurate way to see the growth too. It’s so exciting!