Guide to the types of homes

Key takeaways

• Homes are broadly categorized by structure and architectural style, both of which influence cost, maintenance and livability. 
• Multifamily, attached and detached homes offer different levels of privacy, ownership responsibility and shared space. 
• Architectural styles often reflect regional history, climate and building trends. Understanding these distinctions can help buyers narrow their search and choose a home that fits their lifestyle, budget and long‑term plans. 

Narrowing what you want in a home is one of the first — and most important — steps in the homebuying process.

With so many types of homes on the market, finding one that aligns with your taste, lifestyle and long-term needs can feel overwhelming. While factors like location and budget will naturally influence your options, you still have plenty of room to prioritize the look, layout and overall feel you want in a home.

This guide breaks down the key considerations to help you decide, including common home structures, defining design features and popular floor plans. Understanding these options can make it easier to identify which type of home is the right fit for you.

Homes are typically categorized in two main ways: by structural type and by architectural style.

• Design structure relates to the building type. For example, a single-family home versus a multifamily property or a modular home.
• Architectural style describes the exterior look of a home and its interior floor plan.

The architectural house style is often influenced by when the home was built. For example, Colonial homes are popular in historic areas along the East Coast. The style dates to British rule and the earliest English settlers in what is now the United States. It’s rare to find a Colonial home in Arizona or New Mexico, where adobe-style homes are far more common.

Before you choose your ideal design, consider the most common home styles in your immediate area. Understanding what styles dominate nearby can help narrow your options, rule out impractical choices and streamline your home search. Also, keep in mind that new-construction homes can be built to mimic many architectural styles using a wide range of materials.

Multifamily homes are residential buildings with five or more units under one roof. They are typically represented by apartment buildings, where residents rent, or condominiums, where residents purchase individual units. Many homebuyers do not purchase multifamily properties and instead rent apartments until they are ready to buy a single-family home.

An apartment building is one type of multifamily housing with multiple units under one roof. Residents may have access to shared amenities, such as a pool, common areas, laundry facilities or on-site services.

There is no single architectural style that defines an apartment building or complex. A development could include a single high-rise building with hundreds of units or multiple low-rise, garden-style buildings with only a few floors.

A condominium is a residential building with multiple housing units under one roof. Each unit is individually owned, and all owners share ownership of the property’s common areas. Condos are typically managed by a homeowners association, which collects dues to maintain shared spaces such as hallways, roofs and exterior grounds. Individual owners are usually responsible for maintaining their own units.

Condominiums are especially popular in coastal cities and urban areas. They appeal to buyers seeking reduced maintenance responsibilities and often cost less than single-family homes.

Single-family homes are the most common housing structures in the United States.

By definition, a single-family home is a residential property in which the owner controls both the interior and exterior of the home, as well as the land it sits on. Most single-family homes do not share walls or common spaces with other dwellings, though exceptions exist, including some townhouses, rowhouses and duplexes.

A townhouse is a type of single-family home that often shares at least one wall with a neighboring unit. Owners usually have their own entrance and may have a yard or garage, but they often share certain elements, including walls, walkways or roofing.

Because of these shared features, most townhouse communities are governed by a homeowners association and require monthly or quarterly fees to maintain common areas.

Rowhouses are similar to townhouses. They are single-family units with individual entrances and yards, but they are attached to neighboring homes on one or both sides. Rowhouses are typically uniform in design and often feature flat roofs. In cities such as Washington, D.C., rowhouses can extend for entire city blocks. Homeowners associations are uncommon for rowhouses.

A duplex is a single-family structure divided into two separate housing units under one roof. It is commonly used for “house hacking,” a strategy in which the owner lives in one unit and rents out the other to offset mortgage costs. Duplexes may share spaces such as parking areas or backyards, or they may be separated entirely except for a shared wall or roof.

A triplex is a residential building with three separate units under one roof. Each unit has its own entrance and interior living space, though some layouts include shared entrances or hallways. Triplexes are often found in large Victorian homes that have been converted into separate living units.

This story was updated May 18.