"NKBA forecasts are based on polling responses from industry professionals, and 78% of designers, contractors, and manufacturers said they'd consider using quartz in their kitchen projects over other materials. This was far ahead of granite, which only 43% of respondents expected to use. Ranked based on the responses, granite fell all the way to third place behind quartz and quartz's cousin, quartzite. This is quite the change, because for years natural stone countertops, including granite and marble, were considered the supreme."
"Although quartz is a naturally occurring mineral, quartz countertops are made by mixing quartz particles with resins, pigments, and other additions. It didn't even exist until 1963, when it was created by an Italian inventor. Quartzite, by contrast, is a natural stone. It's technically a kind of sandstone, mostly made of natural quartz grains, although it also includes other minerals. Both have unique properties that have propelled them past granite."
Granite dominated kitchen countertops in the 1990s due to beauty, durability, and functionality, despite higher cost. NKBA's 2026 forecast from industry polling shows quartz and quartzite now lead popularity: 78% of designers, contractors, and manufacturers would consider quartz for kitchen projects, while only 43% expected to use granite. Quartz countertops are engineered from quartz particles mixed with resins, pigments, and additives, invented in 1963. Quartzite is a natural sandstone composed mostly of quartz grains and other minerals. Improvements in quartz production and narrowing price differences, along with quartz's durability and lower maintenance, have driven its rise over granite.
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