As far as I know, in US, grip-and-turn style door knobs are still the most popular, as opposed to lever-style handles, which dominate in the rest of the world.
Is there some UX advantage to door knobs that I am not aware of, which is the reason for keeping them around?
Edit:
To clarify the difference, this is the grip-and-turn door knob:
And this is lever-handle style:
Answer
Door knobs are standard in US homes for the same reason that exterior doors open inwards* -- it's "always been done that way". People grow up used to knobs, and specify knobs on new work, and thus this inferior mechanism is perpetuated. For some buildings (not private homes), some building codes now require lever mechanisms so that the handicapped can operate them more easily. In most buildings with high occupancy (schools, commercial space), outward-opening doors with crash bars are required. These codes came after some tragic fires, where people piled up against inward-opening doors.
I don't see lever mechanisms and outward-opening doors becoming common in US homebuilding, unless codes are amended to require them. Considering how much pushback there has been over incandescent lightbulbs, I don't see that happening any time soon. Maybe if there is some sort of "handicap accessible" certification that would make a home easier to sell, that would encourage the change.
* originally in colonial homes, doors that opened inwards could be barricaded from the inside to prevent hostile attackers from breaking down the door. The tradition has continued to this day.
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