analysis .us - United States of America (USA) - ccTLD (Country-Code Top-Level Domain)

[Eric Lyon]

Today, I'll be analyzing the .us ccTLD to see if I can dig up any helpful data points that could be stacked with someone elses research into the .us extension.

.us is the ccTLD for the United States of America (USA). It is managed by Registry Services, LLC.[1] Registry Services, LLC manages the .us domain name on behalf of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC).[2]

Source

A .us domain can be registered by U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or any organization or entity with a bona fide presence or interest in the United States, including federal, state, and local governments. Foreign entities can also register a .us domain if they meet this "bona fide presence" requirement.

Source

Note: At the time of this analysis there was a 3-character minimum to register a .us domain.

With the above in mind, let's dive right in...

.us domain registration costs​

According to Tldes.com the registration cost for a .us domain ranges from $1.95 to $7.19+.

.us domains registered today​

According to DomainNameStat, as of today, there are 2,315,832 registered .us domains.

Public .us domain sales reports​

There's mixed results searching for .us domain sales reports online ranging from 3,891 to 4,876.

Note: NameBio.com shows there are 4,123 .us domain sales reports ranging from $100 to $99,999.

5-year .us domain growth summary​

The trend over the five-year period is one of general expansion, with the .us ccTLD maintaining a higher volume of registrations in the later years compared to the start of the period. This aligns with a broader trend of growth in North American ccTLDs, which saw a 5.4% growth rate in 2024 due to the strong preference for local domains among consumers.

8 niches for .us domains​

Niche	Best buyer types	Primary value proposition	Monetization fit	Development effort
Local services & SMBs	Local agencies; franchise owners	Highly local trust and SEO	Lead gen; bookings; ads	Low–Medium
State or municipal projects	Gov contractors; civic startups	Official feel; compliance signal	Contracts; subscriptions	Medium–High
Hyperlocal news & community	Local publishers; nonprofit media	Local discoverability; brand recall	Memberships; ads	Medium
Regional tourism & travel	DMOs; boutique operators	Geographic branding; bookings funnel	Commissions; packages	Medium
Education & alumni networks	Schools; community colleges	Regional identity; accreditation signal	Donations; courses	Low–Medium
Healthcare (local clinics)	Independent practices; telehealth	Local credibility; HIPAA-aware trust	Appointments; subscriptions	Medium–High
Agri / rural businesses	Agtech startups; co-ops	Farm/regional authenticity	Marketplaces; SaaS	Medium
Local fintech & payments	Community banks; fintechs	Regulatory / locality alignment	Fees; subscriptions	High

20 popular US acronyms​

• United States = country name; the most common meaning.
• User Support = customer help / tech support function.
• Utility Services = municipal or private utilities (water, power, waste).
• Urban Solutions = city-focused planning, mobility, or civic tech.
• University Systems = consortia or administrative systems for higher ed.
• Union Station = transit hub name used by many cities.
• Under Secretary = senior government or organizational title.
• Universal Service = telecom/regulatory concept ensuring access.
• Uninterruptible Supply = power/energy continuity systems.
• User Story = agile product‑development artifact.
• Unmanned System = drones and autonomous platforms.
• Urban Studies = academic field focused on cities.
• Upper Secondary = level in international education systems.
• Universal Standard = broad specification or compliance target.
• Unified Security = integrated cybersecurity or physical security program.
• Unique Solutions = branding-friendly business name for consultancies.
• Ultimate Sports = casual brand name for sports/leisure businesses.
• Utility Scale = descriptor for large infrastructure projects (e.g., solar).
• User Services = IT/service‑design function offering end‑user features.
• Unplanned Shutdown = operations/industrial incident term.

10 words ending the letters US​

• Cactus = a spiny desert plant.
• Bonus = something extra or additional reward.
• Focus = point of concentration or attention.
• Radius = a line from center to circumference of a circle.
• Campus = grounds of a university or institution.
• Tritus = (less common) used in taxonomy or classical names.
• Nexus = a connection or central link.
• Octopus = a marine cephalopod with eight arms.
• Fugus = (rare/variant) appears in some species names and historical texts.
• Prometheus = a proper name from Greek mythology, used in literature and brand names.

What a playful .us domain hack might look like​

Using .us turns the domain into a two‑letter punchline. Read the part before the dot as a verb, noun, brand or root and let the dot + us finish the phrase as an acronym. The result reads like an imperative, a promise, or a small identity statement.

• Bake.us = Bake US (as in “bake for us” or “Bake: United Service”)
• Find.us = Find US (invitation to locate a team, shop, or community)
• Join.us = Join US (clear community or membership call to action)
• Help.us = Help US (charity, volunteer, or civic campaign)
• Shop.us = Shop US (curated American-made marketplace)
• Meet.us = Meet US (events, meetups, networking)
• Ship.us = Ship US (logistics, domestic shipping platform)
• Hire.us = Hire US (agency or talent collective pitch)

Note: Each reads naturally as a short imperative or lightweight slogan that fits buttons, CTAs, and marketing copy.

Using words that already end in US as a clever visual trick
Some English words naturally end in “us.” When those words stand before .us you get a taut, memorable name where the domain reads as the whole word plus a visual echo.

• Cact.us = cactus-themed brand, plant shop, or design studio
• Foc.us = productivity tool or coaching service called Focus, stylized Foc.us
• Bon.us = promotions, coupons, or rewards program called Bonus, stylized Bon.us
• Camp.us = campus services, alumni platform, or student marketplace
• Nex.us = network platform or connector brand called Nexus, stylized Nex.us

Note: This approach works best when the spoken name still reads correctly and the visual split creates a brandable look.

Two hybrid patterns that scale well

1. Imperative + Acronym: verb.us where the verb becomes a CTA and US is explained in microcopy (e.g., Grow.us, Grow United Startups).
2. Wordsplit + Visual Echo: single word that ends in us, split before the final US for a stylized brand (e.g., Foc.us with tagline “Sharpen attention”)

Note: Both patterns create instant recall and are easy to adapt across logos, CTAs, and social handles.

Tips

• Pick a clear expansion of US and show it in the tagline or About line for first impression clarity.
• Keep spoken name intuitive, users should be able to say the brand aloud without confusion.
• Design the logo to emphasize the dot or the US suffix to reinforce the hack.
• Reserve short CTAs that mirror the domain (e.g., Join.us = “Join us today”).
• Check trademark risk for the spoken brand name before scaling.

Average household income/salary in the .us region​

• At federal minimum $7.25/hr = annual pay ≈ $15,080.
• At $15.00/hr = annual pay ≈ $31,200.
• At $16.50/hr (California 2025 example) = annual pay ≈ $34,320.
• A highly skilled worker with degrees may average = $66,000/yr.

Primary language spoken in the .us region​

The primary language is English; a clear majority of residents speak English at home and use it for government, business, and public life .

• More than three‑quarters of the population speak English at home (English is reported as the dominant language in national surveys).
• Largest non‑English language: Spanish is the most common language after English by a large margin.

Population of the .us region​

The U.S. Census Bureau’s population clock (Census.gov) and related demographic products provide the official resident‑population totals and short‑term projections for the U.S.; independent aggregators report figures in the mid‑343M to ~350M range for 2025, consistent with the CBO’s recent demographic update.

10 lead sources for .us domain outbound campaigns​

• Local business directories & Google Business Profiles
  • Find brick‑and‑mortar SMBs (plumbers, clinics, restaurants, landscapers) with weak web presence or generic domains; target owners who would benefit from a local .us rebrand.
• Chamber of Commerce / local business associations
  • Boards, event organizers, and member lists are full of small networks that value local identity and sponsorship opportunities.
• City / county / municipal projects and RFP lists
  • Civic tech vendors, campaign microsites, and contractor lists often need project domains and value locality signals.
• Regional tourism boards and Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs)
  • DMOs and tour operators want place‑centric brands and booking funnels that read as geographically focused.
• Local media publishers and hyperlocal newsletters
  • Indie publishers, community blogs, and local news startups that need memorable, trustworthy domain names.
• Community colleges, trade schools, and alumni networks
  • Education units and alumni groups that prefer regionally obvious domains for micro‑sites and event pages.
• Healthcare practices and urgent care clinics
  • Independent clinics and multi‑clinic groups expanding regionally who need trustable local domains for patient acquisition.
• Niche SMB marketplaces and B2B directories (home services, agri, fintech for community banks)
  • Marketplaces and vertical platforms that onboard small vendors or local institutions.
• Local franchise owners and multi‑location chains
  • Franchisees seeking consistent, locality‑targeted microsites (cityname.us) for SEO and local ads.
• LinkedIn + industry groups (state business groups, local chambers, civic tech communities)
• Use account mapping and Sales Navigator to find owners, marketing heads, and civic program managers; combine with warm intro via local associations.

Legal considerations selling a domain to an existing business​

• Trademark infringement and likelihood of confusion
  • Using or offering a domain that is identical or confusingly similar to a registered trademark can expose you to infringement claims if the domain is used in a way that causes consumer confusion about source or sponsorship.
• Cybersquatting and the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA)
  • Registering or trafficking in domains primarily to profit from another’s trademark, especially with bad‑faith intent, can trigger legal liability under U.S. anti‑cybersquatting rules and similar doctrines internationally.
• UDRP / domain dispute panels
  • Trademark owners can pursue a relatively fast administrative remedy under the Uniform Domain‑Name Dispute‑Resolution Policy if they show the domain is identical/confusingly similar, the registrant lacks rights or legitimate interests, and it was registered and used in bad faith.
• Cease‑and‑desist and takedown risk
  • Offering or operating a domain that mirrors a business’s mark commonly leads to demand letters and takedown demands; even if not legally decisive, these letters often prompt costly defense or voluntary transfer to avoid escalation.

Factors that make an approach higher risk

• The target has a distinctive or famous mark (stronger protections); the more distinctive the mark, the easier a challenger proves infringement.
• You registered the domain after the mark became known and your outreach suggests intent to monetize that recognition (strong indicator of bad faith).
• The domain redirects to competing goods/services, offers the trademarked product, or attempts to sell the domain specifically to the trademark owner at a premium (common bad‑faith behaviors).
• You publicly advertise intent to profit from the mark (e.g., marketplace listings clearly pitching the domain as the mark + TLD).

Compliance and risk‑management checklist before outreach

• Do a trademark clearance search for exact and confusingly similar marks in relevant classes and jurisdictions; document results.
• Confirm registration timeline and provenance: if you registered the name long before the target’s mark existed, document that timeline as evidence of legitimate interest.
• Avoid using the target’s exact logo, trade dress, or proprietary marks in your outreach materials; use neutral language describing the domain rather than implying affiliation.
• Don’t suggest or imply endorsement, partnership, or exclusivity unless you have it in writing.
• Prepare a response plan: retain counsel or a tech/IP specialist to handle cease‑and‑desist letters and, if needed, UDRP/ACPA proceedings.

Safer outreach practices and messaging

• Emphasize generic, descriptive, or geographically meaningful aspects of the name rather than the trademark owner’s brand (e.g., “cityname.us, strong local SEO for businesses in [city]”).
• Offer reasonable, non‑coercive pricing and avoid statements that indicate opportunistic profiteering from the trademark’s fame.
• Where possible, demonstrate legitimate business use cases (active landing page, prior brand use, or non‑infringing development plans) to show bona fide interest.
• Consider structured offers: domain sale with an assignment agreement, escrow, and standard warranties that you own the domain and are not representing affiliation.

Legal protections to consider for yourself

• Ask a trademark/domain attorney to review high‑risk names and draft outreach templates that limit admissions of bad faith.
• Keep written records of registration dates, communications, and your stated intent to use the domain for legitimate, non‑infringing purposes.
• If a sale proceeds, use a written purchase agreement with representations and indemnities tailored to domain/trademark risk allocation.

Note: Selling domains that resemble existing trademarks carries real legal exposure, especially if the mark is well known or your conduct suggests you registered or are marketing the name to profit from that mark. Mitigate risk by doing clearance checks, using careful neutral outreach, documenting legitimate use, and consulting IP counsel for higher‑value or borderline cases.

Potential .us domain investing strategy​

Buy and develop shallow, action‑oriented .us names that map to local demand and low‑friction revenue paths: focus on verb.us (Join.us, Shop.us style), city/region + us (Houston.us style), and split‑words where the spoken name remains natural (Foc.us, Cact.us). Prioritize short demo‑ready packages (domain + starter landing page + local SEO/GMB sync) sold to local SMBs, franchises, civic projects, and hyperlocal publishers. Avoid high‑risk trademark plays; use neutral outreach and documented bona fide use to reduce legal exposure.

Why this strategy fits

• Market fit: .us sells on locality and trust, great for local services, tourism, hyperlocal media, education, healthcare, and municipal projects (high buyer intent).
• Brand mechanics: verb.us and words ending in “us” create instant CTAs and memorable visual brands (easy pitch to buyers).
• Economics: low development cost to create 1‑page starter sites and local SEO packages; high perceived value to SMBs that lack quality local domains.
• Risk management: this approach avoids domains that closely mirror existing trademarks and instead leverages descriptive/geographic identity and creative hacks.

Target domain types

1. Verb.us / CTA domains (Hire.us, Join.us, Shop.us) = highest conversion for SMEs and community orgs.
2. City/region + us (CityName.us) and neighborhood domains = direct local SEO benefits; great for franchises and chambers.
3. Words that naturally end in “us” split as brand visuals (Foc.us, Cact.us) = strong for productized SaaS or ecommerce.
4. Niche vertical phrases with US acronym read (Farm.us → Farm United Services) = for agri, fintech, healthcare microbrands.
5. Larger descriptive geo domains for DMOs and tourism (ExploreState.us) = longer sales cycle but bigger ARR potential.

Acquisition rules and legal guardrails

• Do a quick trademark screen before purchase; avoid identical matches to famous marks.
• Prefer domains with clean registration history and no prior abusive use.
• Document registration dates, planned use, and demo assets to establish legitimate interest if disputes arise.
• Price conservatively for names that could attract trademark attention; for high‑value borderline names, consult IP counsel before outreach.

Domain offers (3 tiers)

1. Domain Only = transfer via escrow; basic ownership warranty.
2. Domain + Starter Site = 1‑page branded site, GA/analytics, contact form, GMB launch checklist.
3. Domain + Managed Local Growth = everything in Tier 2 plus 6 months local SEO, 3 GMB optimizations, and 1 paid ad starter campaign.

Note: Recommended pricing: Tiered premiums (domain market + $350–$1,200 for Tier 2; $1,200–$6,000 for Tier 3 depending on vertical and ARR potential).

Outbound playbook

• Days 1–10: Build 8 niche demo pages (one per priority niche) and 3 outreach templates (SMB, agency reseller, municipal).
• Days 11–30: Harvest leads from Local Business Profiles, Chambers, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and local event organizers; run A/B email sequences + one LinkedIn touch + cold call.
• Days 31–90: Close low‑friction Tier 2 deals; collect 3 case studies; scale by targeting franchise owners and agencies with reseller offers.

Note: Key KPIs: leads/contacted, demo visits, meetings booked, Tier 2/3 conversion rate, average deal size, time‑to‑close.

Exit channels & monetization beyond sale

• Direct sale to end users (SMBs, DMOs, clinics).
• Reseller partnerships with local digital agencies and web studios.
• Lease‑to‑own or installment plans for higher ticket names.
• List on domain marketplaces (Sedo, Afternic, GoDaddy) after showing live demo/traffic to justify price.
• Build and monetize: convert selected names into recurring SaaS/marketplace assets if buyer demand is weak.

Quick risk/reward checklist

• Reward: Strong local conversion, cheap dev cost, multiple monetization levers.
• Risk: Trademark disputes for near‑brand names; longer sales cycles for civic/education targets; state minimum wage and local budgets can constrain SMB budgets.
• Mitigation: Clear trademark screening, conservative outreach language, bundled low‑friction starter sites to demonstrate value.

Tips

1. Pick 20 candidate .us domains across the top 3 domain types and run trademark screens.
2. Build 8 live one‑page demos (one per target niche) and record a 60‑second pitch video for outreach.
3. Launch multi‑channel outbound to local chambers, LinkedIn mapped prospects, and Google Business Profile owners with the Tiered offer.
4. Track KPIs and iterate pricing/packaging after first 10 sales or first 90 days.

Questions for you​

• Do you own any .us domains?
  • If so, how have they been doing for you?
• Thinking about investing in .us domains?
  • If so, what niche will you target and why?

Remember, at the end of the day, a domain name is truly only worth what a buyer and seller agree on.

What works for on may not work for another and vice versa.

Have a great domain investing adventure.

 

[Armageddon]

Nice @Eric Lyon
i think still i am in top 100 reported sales on Namebio ( not sure )
7395 $ for Boat.us back in 2017
https://namebio.com/boat.us
Yeh great satisfaction for me .us &
unofficial the great seller in the world of .us at resale price

 

[Eric Lyon]

Nice @Eric Lyon
i think still i am in top 100 reported sales on Namebio ( not sure )
7395 $ for Boat.us back in 2017
https://namebio.com/boat.us
Yeh great satisfaction for me .us &
unofficial the great seller in the world of .us at resale price

Nice! Congrats on that sale! It looks like today, Boat.us forwards to BoatUS.com, so it may have been a brand protection move by them

 

[Armageddon]

Nice! Congrats on that sale! It looks like today, Boat.us forwards to BoatUS.com, so it may have been a brand protection move by them

As you say now forwards to BoatUS.com but because i watch it over years for aprox 2 years was a app for boat insurance
i paid 79 $ for it catched on Snapnames , at some point here someone offer me 300 $ ( say not worth more ) & after 2 weeks sold at this price 7395 $ , the real price was 5757 GBP (£) on Sedo

Great times

Maybe @bmugford will come with story of Tao.us

 

[forge]

It just so happens I have the world's first Franco-American .US domain, UNE.us (Quelle surprise!).

In case there are any doubts, I can also redirect my other single-word LIAR.us.

(Pas sérieux!)

Thanks for the informative article, Eric!

 

[Eric Lyon]

It just so happens I have the world's first Franco-American .US domain, UNE.us (Quelle surprise!).

In case there are any doubts, I can also redirect my other single-word LIAR.us.

(Pas sérieux!)

Thanks for the informative article, Eric!

Nice!

Une.us​

According to google Translate:
"Une" in French = "A" or "1" in English

Google Gemini Says:
"Une" most commonly means "a" or "one" in French, where it is the feminine form of the indefinite article. It can also be an abbreviation for Unnilennium (a chemical element) or an acronym for the University of New England. The meaning depends on the context, such as whether you are reading a French grammar lesson or a scientific or academic article.

Liar.us​

Self explanatory really, as an English dictionary word.

I would be concerned with it's negative connotation to the word, but that could probably be off-set and spun into some kind of AI powered lie detector APP (E.g. x2 detection modes: 1) Listens to voices and can detect influx with words/phrases that flag potential exaggeration and untruth. - 2) Accesses the smart phones camera and detects body language to identify red flags in truth detection.)

Maybe you could develop such an app using an ai assistant to code it? That would be super cool!

Added note: Heck, it could even come with a paid upgrade that has a wrist strap that plugs into the the smartphone and detects heart and pulse rate flux when questioning someone as a 3rd detection mode (Using all 3 at once for 98.9% accuracy).

Maybe:

• Voice = Free version
• Voice + Video (Body language) = $4.99 per month
• Voice + Video (Body language) + Heart/Pulse rate plugin = $9.99 per month + a 1-time Accessory charge of $12.99 w/free shipping

P.S. if you decide to do that and give me a free lifetime membership + accessory, I'll test it and promote it for you (if you also add an affiliate program).

Dads with daughters reaching the dating age might be an ideal target consumer... lol - (In addition to Private investigators)

 

[Eric Lyon]

Maybe @bmugford will come with story of Tao.us

That might be an interesting story.... I can see it's parked with Godaddy at the moment.

 

[forge]

P.S. if you decide to do that and give me a free lifetime membership + accessory

lol, will do!

Dads w/ daughters

 

[DaveX]

I sold playpoker .us for 2k back in March via Afternic.

 

[johnn]

Is the thread AI generated or your wife wrote it?

 

[Armageddon]

I sold playpoker .us for 2k back in March via Afternic.

and me i am former @Dot.us

 

[Eric Lyon]

Is the thread AI generated or your wife wrote it?

lol, all my TLD analysis take me over an hour to research and flesh out, so I would have to say that they are not AI auto-pilot generated and have a real life editor/author behind them (Minus using some AI for the research part so it doesn't take 5 hours each to do)

 

[Eric Lyon]

I sold playpoker .us for 2k back in March via Afternic.

Sweet! Congrats!

 

[johnn]

and me i am former @Dot.us

No wonder why I have not seen you a while.

 

[Eric Lyon]

No wonder why I have not seen you a while.

I've noticed over the years that the majority of veterans people thought left, simply changed their usernames to no longer be detected as easily or simply duck into the shadows to read daily, without engaging, except for special circumstances in topics of great interest. (They are still here though)