David Bromstad’s net worth is estimated at $5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, which updated its figure in May 2026. The HGTV host and designer earned most of that through two decades of television, from winning the first season of Design Star in 2006 to hosting My Lottery Dream Home since 2015.
That number is not settled. Other sites have put it at $2 million, $3 million and $4 million in recent years, and the spread shows how little of a TV host’s pay is ever made public.
How Much Is David Bromstad Worth in 2026
The newest figure is $5 million, listed by Celebrity Net Worth with a last-updated date of May 4, 2026. The same site’s earlier number was $2 million, which The List cited when it ranked HGTV stars by wealth. Other outlets landed in between:
- Famous People Today: about $3 million
- Distractify, citing Wealthy Persons: $4 million, plus an estimated yearly salary of $500,000
- Celebrity Net Worth, current listing: $5 million
None of these sources show their math, and Bromstad has not shared his income. Famous People Today states plainly that his salary was not disclosed, so the $500,000 salary figure is best treated as an unverified guess.
A group of low-quality pages lists $8 million to $12 million and describes an actor and singer born in 1976. That does not fit Bromstad, who was born on August 17, 1973, in Cokato, Minnesota, according to Wikipedia, and who works as a designer and TV host. Those figures can be ignored.
A fair reading is a range of roughly $2 million to $5 million, with $5 million the most recent single estimate. He is 53 and 6 ft 1 in tall, per Celebrity Net Worth and Wikipedia, and he still works at the network that gave him his start.
Why the Estimates Disagree
Celebrity Net Worth says its numbers draw on public sources and, when offered, input from celebrities or their representatives, and it labels every figure an estimate. Several smaller sites repeat $4 million with different dates attached, including The Success Bug for May 2023 and NewsBreak and Chemical City Paper for 2024.
Timing explains part of the gap. A 2023 estimate could not account for later seasons of his show or for the costly saga of his Orlando house.
What Is Confirmed and What Is Not
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Confirmed by HGTV or Primary Coverage | The 2006 Design Star win, his hosting of Color Splash and My Lottery Dream Home, and the 2025 special about his own home |
| Widely Reported | The $950,000 purchase price, the storm damage, and the length of the rebuild |
| Public Estimates | Every net worth number and every salary figure |
| Unverified | Brand deals, business income, and the home’s current value |
From Disney Dreams to a Design Star Win
Bromstad is the youngest of four children, born to Diane Marlys Bromstad and Richard Harold David Bromstad. His mother has Swedish and German roots and his father is of Norwegian descent, according to Wikipedia, which later mattered when he traveled to Norway to rethink his house.
While at Wayzata High School he decided to pursue a career as a Disney animator. He then attended Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, a school known as a starting point for Disney careers.
HGTV says he worked as a Disney illustrator after graduating. Famous People Today describes the job as visual merchandising that lasted about six months, followed by his own company, Bromstad Studio. The sources differ on the job title, and the second comes from a single secondary site, so the exact role is not confirmed.
At a friend’s urging, he moved to Miami Beach and tried out for HGTV’s Design Star. He beat nine other contestants in 2006 and won a car and a show of his own. The prize was a platform, not a cash fortune, so his money built up over years of television contracts.
Color Splash and the Rest of His HGTV Run
Color Splash premiered in 2007 and ran until 2012, with Bromstad hosting every episode. The show drew on his art background, using bold palettes and custom-painted pieces to build rooms around each homeowner’s personality, per Celebrity Net Worth.
He stayed close to the network the whole time. Wikipedia lists him as a guest judge on Design Star’s second season, a mentor from season six and the host from season seven. He also hosted Design Star All-Stars in 2012 and fronted Beach Flip.
Later credits include Design at Your Door, Rock the Block (season two, paired with designer Tiffany Brooks) and a celebrity judge seat on Brother vs. Brother for seasons three and four. In 2020 he had a guest spot on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
None of these fees are public. The pattern is what matters: a first-season contest winner kept getting rehired across two decades.
My Lottery Dream Home and the Money Behind It
In 2015, Bromstad began hosting My Lottery Dream Home, where lottery winners and people with sudden money shop for houses. According to Wikipedia, he has hosted every episode. Ahead of his own special in 2025, he spoke of making 18 seasons of the show, as TV Insider reported.
The format asks for different skills than Color Splash did. It needs patience, humor and a feel for a buyer’s budget more than a paint brush. HGTV has pushed the series into new ground, including a trip to France’s Champagne region for two retired veterans and a lakefront mansion search with the biggest budget in the show’s history.
Why a Long Host Contract Matters
A host role on a series that has run 11 years is steadier income than any single endorsement. That continuity is the most plausible reason the public estimate rose from $2 million to $5 million, though no outlet explains the change.
Pay for the show is not public. The $500,000 yearly salary cited by Distractify traces back to Wealthy Persons and has no stated basis, so it should not be quoted as fact.
Design Work, Brand Deals and Art
Famous People Today says Bromstad owns David Bromstad Designs, which provides residential and commercial design services. It also reports that he is a brand ambassador for appliance maker Miele and has a home furniture line sold through Grandin Road.
Those claims come from one secondary source and carry no dates, so confirm them before counting them as current income.
Art runs under everything he does. Celebrity Net Worth traces his early identity to murals, art and custom interiors.
The Look That Became a Bran
Bromstad’s appearance is part of his pitch. HGTV describes him as devoted to color and Disney and covered in tattoos, and its editors label him the King of Color in their headlines.
His ink includes Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Cinderella’s castle and a rainbow “Family” across his abdomen, per HGTV. He also wore a tracksuit for his Rock the Block debut.
That instant recognition is the kind of asset that makes brand work possible, though the brand deals themselves remain unverified.
The Orlando Home and What It Cost
The biggest asset tied to Bromstad is probably his house, though no outlet has published its current value. After years in Miami, he bought a five-bedroom Tudor-style home in Orlando for $950,000, a little over a budget of about $900,000, per Celebrity Net Worth. The search aired in 2021 as My Lottery Dream Home: David’s Dream Home.
Then storms flooded the property during renovation. Mold forced him to strip the house to the studs, according to Celebrity Net Worth and TV Insider, which called the project a four-year journey. National Examiner, describing a clip from his special, reported that insurance battles, money pressure and constant chaos took a toll.
He paused the build for a year and traveled to Norway, where the architecture of his ancestral homeland pushed his plans in a more personal direction, TV Insider reported. The finished house aired as My Lottery Dream Home: David’s Happy Ending on December 19, 2025.
How the Rebuild Affects the Estimate
Repair costs, insurance payouts and the home’s final value have not been disclosed. That makes the house the largest unknown in any David Bromstad net worth figure. A $950,000 purchase followed by years of rebuilding could mean a lot of money sits in one property, but a specific number would be a guess.
Personal Life, Recovery and Money
Bromstad is gay and, per Wikipedia, was the first HGTV personality named to Out magazine’s Out100 list. Celebrity Net Worth reports that he was in a relationship with Jeffrey Glasko from 2004 to 2015. After the split, Glasko filed a civil suit alleging breach of a cohabitation agreement and misuse of shared funds, and a judge dismissed the claims.
Bromstad has also spoken openly about sobriety. Coverage on AOL says he marked his 50th birthday in 2023 with an Instagram post about feeling present and sober. In the 2025 special he said using substances had been an easy escape after the storm damage.
His Place in Home Design Television
As the first Design Star winner, Bromstad opened a door that later contestants walked through. His lane is color, humor and emotional warmth, which sets him apart from hosts built around demolition and construction. Celebrity Net Worth credits his empathy for making My Lottery Dream Home work, and 11 years on the air back up that view.
What Could Move the Number Next
Three things can change the estimate: a new season of My Lottery Dream Home, a sale or revaluation of the Orlando house, and fresh brand deals. The figure also shifts when Celebrity Net Worth edits its page, not only when his income changes. Anyone quoting a David Bromstad net worth number should check the date next to it.