Just the Facts, Ma'am: Single Women Home Buyers Since 1981

By: Jessica Lautz

Flash back 44 years to 1981: both the Post-it Note and IBM's first microcomputer were introduced to the public, and Dolly Parton topped Billboard charts with "9 to 5." That same year, the National Association of REALTORS® first started the Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, and a stunning finding was made: Single women outpaced single men in the housing market. In fact, single women were second only to married couples. Today, single women are surpassing all odds in the housing market by purchasing homes while having lower household incomes in an increasingly unaffordable housing market. Let's look at how they stack up compared to their single male counterparts by pouring themselves a "cup of ambition." 

What is striking about single women home buyers is that it was not until 1974 that women were legally allowed to obtain a mortgage without a cosigner. Prior to the passage of the Fair Housing Act's prohibitions against "sex" discrimination in housing-related transactions and the protections of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, it was commonplace for a widow to need a male relative as a co-signer. Under federal law, women had no legal recourse for this or any other lending discrimination.

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 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%. In 2010, the share of single men rose to a high of 12%—but has stayed between 7% to 9% of buyers in recent years. 

Among first-time buyers, the share of single buyers is even more pronounced. In 1985, 75% of first-time buyers were married; that share is just 50% today. Single women first-time buyers grew from 11% in 1985 to 24% in 2024. In the most recent data, single men rose from 9% in 1985 to 11 in 2024%. 

In recent years, an easy explanation for the rise in single women buyers was the drop in the share of Americans who are married. Using American Community Survey Census data from 1950, 23% of Americans ages 15 and up had never been married. In 2024, that share stands at 34% of Americans. 

But then why are women buying homes while men are not? For that, it is best to look at who is buying and what makes up their household composition. Both men and women are most likely to say they are purchasing because of the desire to own a home of their own—but significantly more women purchase to be close to friends and family. Both male and female home buyers may be purchasing because of a change in a family situation. When collecting data on whether or not a buyer is single now, a data point not collected is if the buyer was once married and is now widowed or divorced. Still, in both scenarios, the proximity to friends and family may be more important to women. Interestingly, men are more likely to cite retirement as a reason to purchase (at 7%) compared to women (at just 4%).  

One potential reason single women outperform single men in purchasing homes is due to 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 multi-generational home. Women may value the stability of homeownership in both scenarios. For instance, she knows where a child will attend school and would not need to risk moving homes and schools if the rent increases. She also knows what her home expenses will be, as she may have young adults who boomeranged back or might have elderly relatives moving into the home. Thus, she has removed the unknowns from her living situation. 

The second central question posed is finances. Women home buyers typically purchase a home as a first-time buyer at a household income of $71,300, compared to single men at $87,500. While male incomes do not match that of married couples or unmarried couples, with both having median six-figure household incomes, their higher incomes allow them more buying power than single women buyers. This is especially important when thinking of the difficulties of housing affordability. It is striking to see that the household income of single women as repeat buyers is still lower than that of men as first-time buyers. 

Given lower household incomes, women do make more financial sacrifices when purchasing. Forty-four percent of women made financial sacrifices in order 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. These sacrifices only underscore how important homeownership is to women, as these sacrifices outpace those of male buyers. Single women are also more likely to double up with family or friends to avoid rent and achieve their goal of homeownership. 

These sacrifices add up but can take a number of years, which also may contribute to the slightly higher age of single female buyers. The median age of single women as first-time buyers is 40, while men have a median age of 34. Over time, the age of repeat buyers evens out for both single men and women, which could indicate life and career changes are still happening later in life. 

Regardless of how these single women are entering homeownership, it is clear they are ambitious about achieving homeownership—and willing to make sacrifices to do so. For more on these trends and others, check out the full Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report.