U.S. Residential Maid Services Industry Is Now Worth $17 Billion

Residential house cleaning is now a $17 billion U.S. business. Maid services have enjoyed fairly steady growth, as an aging U.S. population, time-pressed consumers and Millennials boost demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects continued growth for this occupation, although recessions do affect the business.

Housekeepers and maids perform essential tasks for our society. They're the men and women who empty our office trash cans at night. They mop floors, make beds and polish furniture in our hotel rooms when we are on vacation. They also clean our private homes. Nearly one million maids and housekeepers work in the U.S., and around 228,000 of them work mainly residential accounts.

Following are some things to know about this industry:

Industry Size… Marketdata estimates that the industry’s revenues totaled $17.2 billion in 2025, with a forecast to grow by 5.5% in 2026. The industry is very dependent upon the state of the economy.

Industry Structure… There are about a dozen maid service franchises that combined account for about 20-25% of industry receipts. Independent maid cleaning firms are estimated to account for 74% of the total industry sales, and franchises for 26%.

Consumer demand… Approximately 16 % of U.S. households use a maid or residential cleaning service. This is up strongly from just 8% in 2012. In 2025 approximately 20–22 million households used a maid cleaning service. The threshold for likelihood to use a maid service is a household income of about $80,000. The average cleaning job costs about $180.

Growth Drivers… The industry has been growing even during a disrupted period, with increased concern about health and hygiene helping to counteract the pandemic’s negative economic effects. There is growing demand for specialized cleaning, such as deep cleaning and sanitization, and eco-friendly “green cleaning” is in demand as well.

Workforce… Nationwide, 27% of U.S. maids are illegal immigrants, estimates the Pew Research Centre. As of early 2026, the average yearly income for residential maids and house cleaners in the U.S. is approximately $33,000–$37,600. Some 44% of cleaners in America are Hispanic (84% female).

To learn more about this industry, see the full report: The U.S. Residential Maid Services Industry