$74 billion
Projected U.S. secondhand apparel market by 2029
ThredUp’s 2025 Resale Report projects this U.S. market size for 2029. The report defines secondhand as resale plus thrift and donation.
Source: ThredUp 2025 Resale Report, published 2025REFERENCE DESK
U.S. secondhand apparel statistics: 2025 data and trends
This is a practical, source-linked reference for writers, shoppers, and anyone following the secondhand apparel market. It separates market projections from government household-spending and textile-material data, so each number keeps its proper context.
Last reviewed November 3, 2026. Sources are linked with every statistic.
WHAT THIS COVERS
Useful context, without stretching the numbers.
Second Story by Kristin is built around individual vintage and pre-loved finds, not repeat inventory. This page focuses on the adjacent secondhand apparel market because it has a consistent public research base and a clear connection to how people shop for pieces with a past.
Market figures below come from an industry report. Federal figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Dates vary by source, and older material data is labeled as such.
THE NUMBERS
Secondhand apparel and textile data at a glance
14%
U.S. secondhand apparel market growth in 2024
The industry report describes 2024 as the strongest annual growth since 2021.
Source: ThredUp 2025 Resale Report, published 20255×
Faster growth than broader retail clothing in 2024
The comparison comes from the same U.S. market report and refers to growth in 2024, not total market size.
Source: ThredUp 2025 Resale Report, published 202523%
Online resale growth in 2024
The report says online resale accelerated for a second consecutive year, reaching its strongest growth rate since 2021.
Source: ThredUp 2025 Resale Report, published 2025$40 billion
Projected U.S. online resale market by 2029
ThredUp projects online resale to nearly double over the five years following 2024.
Source: ThredUp 2025 Resale Report, published 2025$2,001
Average U.S. household spending on apparel and services in 2024
This is the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual average for a consumer unit, down 2.0% from 2023 in nominal dollars.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2024 data17.0 million tons
Textiles generated in the U.S. municipal waste stream in 2018
EPA’s material-specific data reports this total for textiles. It includes clothing and other textile sources, not reused textiles.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 data14.7%
Textile recycling rate in 2018
EPA estimated 2.5 million tons of textiles were recycled. Its estimate for clothing and footwear specifically was 13%.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 data11.3 million tons
Textiles landfilled in the U.S. in 2018
This is EPA’s estimate for textiles entering landfills that year. It should not be read as a measure of resale or donation activity.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 dataA CAREFUL READ
What these statistics can, and cannot, say.
The market projections describe apparel resale and secondhand shopping at scale. They are not a promise about any individual shop, item category, or future price. The government figures describe reported household spending or material flows, which answer different questions entirely.
That distinction matters with one-of-a-kind goods. A good vintage find is not interchangeable stock. Its condition, maker, material, age, and availability should be considered on its own merits, with the listing details doing the honest work.
Browse the current collectionMETHODOLOGY & SOURCES
How to cite and use this page
Each figure above links directly to its source. ThredUp’s 2025 Resale Report is industry research produced with GlobalData. The household-spending and material-flow figures come from federal agencies. The EPA’s textile figures are from 2018, the latest year presented on its material-specific textiles page when this page was reviewed.
ThredUp, 2025 Resale ReportU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures in 2024U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Textiles: Material-Specific Data
SUGGESTED CITATION
Second Story by Kristin. “U.S. Secondhand Apparel Statistics: 2025 Data and Trends.” Last reviewed November 3, 2026. https://secondstorybykristin.com/secondhand-apparel-statistics
For a specific figure, link to its stable section, such as https://secondstorybykristin.com/secondhand-apparel-statistics#market-growth.