Single Women Homebuyers Outpace Single Men by a 2-on-1 ratio
According to Jessica Lautz, the deputy chief economist of Nar and Vice President of Research, who recently a blog published About home ownership among single women.
“In 1981, 73% of the buyers were married, 11% were single women and 10% were single men. Nowadays those shares are 62% for married couples, 20% for single women and 8% for single men, “the Post read. “The highest share of buyers of single women was in 2006, when the share was 22%. Between 2016 and 2024, the share of single women was between 17% and 20%. “
Today’s buyers are less likely to get married, Lautz wrote. In 1985, 75% of the first home buyers were married, but today that share is only 50%. Single women who buy for the first time grew from 11% in 1985 to 24% in 2024. In the meantime, the share for single men has hardly moved compared to 9% in 1985 to 11% in 2024.
Why is this? Lautz assumed that a reason why single women perform better than single men in the purchase of houses, has to do with who lives at home. Single women are more likely to have children under the age of 18 in the house and a little more chance of buying a multigenerational house.
But Lautz also said that finances have a lot to do with the purchasing power of men and women. Women usually buy a house with a family income of $ 71,300 for the first time, compared to single men at $ 87,500.
Although the income of men does not match that of households with double income couples, their higher incomes give them more purchasing power than single women.
Age differences also play a role. The median age of a single woman who buys for the first time is 40, while men have a median age of 34 years. And women are more likely to make financial sacrifices to buy a house, Lautz noted.
“Forty -four percent of women made financial sacrifices [to] Buy a house compared to 37% of men in comparable situations. Common financial sacrifices are the lowering of expenditure for non -less goods, entertainment and clothing; Cancel vacation plans; And even take a second job, “she wrote.
Lautz’s findings coincide with Sotheby’s International RealtyS 2025 Luxury Outlook reportHe predicts that by 2030, by 2030, $ 34 trillion – or 38% of all bare assets – will order.
