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When the National Association of Realtors (NAR) first started its Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers in 1981, it found that single women were the second largest demographic in the U.S. housing market, trailing only married couples.
That was only seven years after women were legally allowed to obtain a mortgage without a cosigner. Today, NAR is seeing the trend continue, with single women purchasing homes at high levels even while having lower incomes.
This is according to Jessica Lautz, NAR’s deputy chief economist and vice president of research, who recently published a blog about homeownership among single women.
“In 1981, 73% of home buyers were married couples, 11% were single women and 10% were single men. Today, those shares stand at 62% for married couples, 20% for single women, and 8% for single men,” the post read. “The highest share of single women buyers was in 2006, when the share stood at 22%. Between 2016 and 2024, the share of single women was between 17% and 20%.”
Today’s buyers are less likely to be married, Lautz wrote. In 1985, 75% of first-time homebuyers were married, but today, that share is only 50%. Single women who are buying for the first time grew from 11% in 1985 to 24% in 2024. Meanwhile, the share for single men has barely moved in comparison, rising from 9% in 1985 to 11% in 2024.
Why is this? Lautz hypothesized that one reason single women outperform single men in purchasing homes has to do with who is living in the home. Single women are more likely to have children under the age of 18 in the home and slightly more likely to purchase a multigenerational home.
But Lautz also said that finances have a lot to do with the purchasing power of men and women. Women typically purchase a home for the first time with a household income of $71,300, compared to single men at $87,500.
While men’s incomes do not match that of households with dual-income couples, their higher incomes allow them more purchasing power than single women.
Age differences also come into play. The median age of a single woman buying for the first time is 40, while men have a median age of 34. And women are more likely to make financial sacrifices to purchase a home, Lautz observed.
“Forty-four percent of women made financial sacrifices [to] purchase a home, compared to 37% of men in similar situations. Common financial sacrifices include cutting spending on nonessential goods, entertainment, and clothes; canceling vacation plans; and even taking on a second job,” she wrote.
Lautz’s findings coincide with Sotheby’s International Realty‘s 2025 Luxury Outlook Report, which predicts that women will command $34 trillion — or 38% of all investable assets — by 2030.
