The latest State of the Connected Home report from Parks Associates suggested that the tasks devices are conducting in the home are broadening, and that they are becoming more central to the way in which people live.

The report found that the average number of connected devices in the U.S. Internet households has risen from 8.4 in 2015 to 17.8 this year. Likewise, the percentage of homes with at least one core smart home device has risen from 9% in the first quarter of 2014 to 49% in the fourth quarter of 2025. Homes with any remotely monitored internet-connected device in the home has risen from 10% to 55% during the same period.

Parks Associates found that video doorbells are the second most popular in-home device at 27% and smart cameras are third at 24% of homes — those two devices enjoyed the biggest increases since the last State of the Connected Home report. Now, they both trail only home security systems, which the report said are present in 33% of homes.

Being able to talk to the system is a big deal. Parks Associates found that 62% of those who find conversational AI assist appealing are willing to pay an extra $10 per month to have it. More than a quarter (26%) of all smart home device owners are willing to pay $10 extra per month to chat with their AI.

The State of the Connected Home report also found that speeds are going up. Reported average speeds in rural areas went from 243 Mbps to 530 Mbps between the third quarter of 2020 and the third quarter of 2025. During the same period, suburban self-reported speeds went from 319 Mbps to 628 Mbps and urban speeds went from 366 Mbps to 633 Mbps. Overall, self-reported speeds over the period went from 322 Mbps to 614 Mbps.

Unsurprisingly, people get upset when their service fails. The biggest causes for reduced net promoter scores (NPS) are, in order: Slow uploads; slow downloads; lag time and related issues; poor customer service; Wi-Fi dead spots and similar in-home issues; router failure; internet outages; and billing problems. On the other hand, NPS headed upward the more people bundled their services together.

“Our latest State of the Connected Home research shows the market is entering a new phase,” Parks Associates’ Senior Vice President and Principal Analyst Jennifer Kent said in a press release. “Consumers are no longer evaluating smart home products only as standalone devices; they are looking for solutions that deliver safety, convenience, energy savings, wellness, and peace of mind through reliable, integrated experiences.”