The question of whether vinyl plank flooring is going out of style assumes it has peaked. The industry’s own sales data does not show a peak. Floor Covering News’ annual statistics found that US flooring sales fell 1.8% in 2025 while resilient flooring, the category that includes luxury vinyl plank (LVP), grew 2.5% and stayed the largest category in dollars for the third straight year.
What is changing is inside the category: which kind of vinyl plank sells, where it is made and what it costs. Here is what the 2025 numbers show and what they mean if you are choosing a floor in 2026.
Trend Signal
58/100 Steady momentum
- Emerging
- Rising
- Mainstream
- Peaking
- Cooling
Luxury vinyl still gaining share in a shrinking flooring market
FCNews reports that resilient flooring, which includes luxury vinyl, grew 2.5% to $8.587 billion in 2025 while total US flooring sales fell 1.8%, but resilient unit volume slipped 1.2% and SPC prices were flat.
Our editorial reading of the cited data, not a forecast. How it is scored
By the numbers
- $8.587BUS resilient flooring sales in 2025, up 2.5%; No. 1 category for the third yearFloor Covering News
- 1.8%Change in total US flooring sales in 2025, to $23.529 billionFloor Covering News
- $1.61Average SPC price per square foot in 2025, flat on 2024 and below a $1.85 peak in 2021Floor Covering News
- 43.4%Carpet and rugs’ share of US flooring volume in 2025, against 60% in 2015Floor Covering News
What the 2025 numbers show
Total US flooring sales fell to $23.529 billion in 2025 from $23.955 billion in 2024, and volume fell 3.1% to 16.666 billion square feet, according to FCNews. The average selling price edged up from $1.39 to $1.41 per square foot, so the decline came from fewer square feet sold, not cheaper floors.
Resilient flooring bucked that. Sales rose 2.5% to $8.587 billion even as volume slipped 1.2% to 5.8 billion square feet, giving the category 36.5% of flooring dollars. FCNews says resilient has been the No. 1 category in dollars for three years running, ahead of carpet by $1.8 billion in 2025, and that the luxury vinyl segment alone outsold carpet for the second year running. Hardwood, at $1.774 billion, remains far below its 2021 peak of $2.67 billion.
| Category | 2025 US sales | Change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Resilient, including luxury vinyl | $8.587 billion | +2.5% |
| Carpet | $6.79 billion | -5% |
| Area rugs | $2.07 billion | -6% |
| Hardwood | $1.774 billion | -3.8% |
| Laminate | $1.11 billion | -3.2% |
Rigid core keeps doing the work
Within resilient, rigid core products, sold as SPC and WPC, brought in $4.972 billion, or 58% of resilient sales. SPC alone was $3.544 billion, about 15% of all flooring dollars.
Prices tell the story of a maturing product. FCNews puts the average SPC price at $1.61 per square foot in 2025, flat from 2024 and below its $1.85 peak in 2021. WPC, the pricier construction, grew 4.2% to $1.423 billion while its average price kept falling, to $2.15. FCNews’ Steve Feldman described “a bit of a pivot from SPC to WPC” in 2025.
Floor Focus reported in 2025 that vinyl prices had “dropped sharply to spur sales” while laminate held relatively steady, and a Mohawk executive told the magazine that LVT is “five times as big” as laminate. For shoppers, that is the upside of a crowded category: more choice at prices that are not climbing.
LVP is not fading; the market is shifting within it, from SPC toward WPC, at flat to falling average prices.
Tariffs are reshuffling where it is made
FCNews describes SPC as heavily imported, and Floor Focus reported in 2025 that tariffs threatened supply chains while giving domestic producers a chance to gain ground on import-heavy rivals. Feldman wrote that he “underestimated the impact of the tariffs,” that falling resilient unit volume revealed their effect, and that suppliers with domestic capabilities picked up share. A supplier quoted in FCNews’ rigid core report, citing dealer and consumer demand, said “Made in the USA” carries real weight today.
Laminate makers with US plants pitch the same advantage; Mohawk told FCNews its customers “are not impacted by containers on the water or shortages overseas.” Laminate sales still slipped 3.2% to $1.11 billion in 2025 on 871 million square feet. Imports shifted: European shipments to North America fell 12.4%, China’s share of US laminate imports fell to about 15% from roughly 70% in 2017, and FCNews reported that some imported laminate had become subject to reciprocal duties of up to 20%, depending on origin.
Executives expect laminate to grow modestly in 2026, with Inhaus CEO Derek Welbourn targeting 3% to 5% in volume and revenue, and many new lines carry waterproof claims. Read those claims closely: one supplier told FCNews its guarantee is less than 6% swell after 72 hours of exposure, a measurable standard worth comparing across brands.
Carpet’s slide and the housing drag
Carpet sales fell 5% to $6.79 billion in 2025 and area rugs fell 6% to $2.07 billion. Carpet and rugs still hold the largest share of flooring volume, 43.4%, but that is down from 60% in 2015 and 66% in 2010, and total carpet sales have dipped below $7 billion from $12.587 billion two decades earlier.
FCNews ties the weakness to mortgage rates above 6%, existing-home sales of 4.06 million in 2025, essentially flat on 2024, and consumers delaying discretionary spending. Relief has not arrived: Freddie Mac’s 30-year fixed rate averaged 6.95% on September 17, 2026, up from 6.26% a year earlier. We read the housing freeze as the main cap on flooring demand in 2026, for vinyl as well as carpet.
What it means if you are choosing a floor in 2026
The data does not support the idea that vinyl plank is on its way out: it grew in dollars in a shrinking market. What it supports is shopping by construction. SPC has the lowest average price of the rigid core types in the FCNews data, WPC costs more per square foot but is gaining, and waterproof laminate is a real alternative with its own swell tests to compare.
Country of origin is now a practical question. Tariffs and supply disruptions hit imported product first, so if a project has a firm deadline, ask whether the floor you picked is in stock domestically. Buy all the flooring for a room at once so a later reorder does not leave you short or mismatched.
What to watch next
- FCNews’ next annual statistics report, to see whether WPC keeps gaining on SPC and whether domestic suppliers hold their share
- Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage rate survey; a sustained drop would be the clearest signal of a flooring rebound
- Tariff changes on imported flooring, which FCNews says already shifted share toward domestic makers
Where to start
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Hard-surface flooring types compared on what to check
| Product type | Good fit for | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| SPC rigid core vinyl plank | Fits budget-focused whole-home projects | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| Waterproof laminate flooring | Fits buyers who want a wood look without vinyl | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| Flooring underlayment with vapor barrier | Fits floating floor installs | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
Product types that fit the trend described above, not tested models. Check the exact listing before you buy. How we pick them.
SPC rigid core vinyl plank
Where to look: Amazon
The volume leader in rigid core. Compare wear layer and attached pad across listings rather than price per box alone.
- Lowest average price of rigid core types
- Wide choice of looks
- Often imported, so tariff exposure
- Quality varies by wear layer
Waterproof laminate flooring
Where to look: Amazon
A credible alternative if you prefer a wood-based core. Read the swell test and warranty wording before trusting a waterproof label.
- Newer lines carry waterproof claims
- Some makers produce in the US
- Water claims differ by brand
- Smaller category with fewer styles
More: Home Improvement trends and how the Trend Signal is scored.
Sources
- Scoring Flooring: Industry stats for 2025 — Floor Covering News
- Stats 2026: Steve Feldman’s column on the 2025 numbers — Floor Covering News
- Stats 2026: Rigid core products continue to dominate sales — Floor Covering News
- Stats 2026: Laminate’s share slides amid decline in imports — Floor Covering News
- Stats 2026: Soft surface dips amid uneven housing market — Floor Covering News
- Laminates’ resurgence continues apace — Floor Covering News
- Laminate Report 2025: How innovation, education and resilience are fueling growth — Floor Focus
- Primary Mortgage Market Survey — Freddie Mac
Questions readers ask
Is vinyl plank flooring going out of style in 2026?
The sales data says no. FCNews reports resilient flooring, which includes luxury vinyl, grew 2.5% to $8.587 billion in 2025 while total flooring fell 1.8%, and luxury vinyl alone outsold carpet for the second year running.
Is SPC or WPC more popular?
SPC is larger, at $3.544 billion in 2025 sales and $1.61 per square foot, but WPC grew 4.2% to $1.423 billion, and FCNews described a pivot from SPC to WPC in 2025.
Are tariffs raising flooring prices?
Not on average for vinyl so far. SPC held flat at $1.61 per square foot in 2025 and WPC fell to $2.15, but FCNews says tariffs cut resilient unit volume and shifted share to suppliers with domestic production. It also reported that some imported laminate had become subject to reciprocal duties of up to 20%, depending on origin.
Is laminate a good alternative to LVP?
It is a smaller category, at $1.11 billion in 2025 sales, and executives expect modest growth in 2026. Many lines now carry waterproof claims, so compare each brand’s swell test and warranty.
