Single women first-time homebuyers’ income beats solo men

Single women have long outperformed single men when it comes to buying homes, and they may be getting ahead financially, too.

According to the National Association of Realtors, the median income of single women among first-time homebuyers is $73,000, while the median income of single men is $66,400. 2025 Home Buyers and Sellers ProfileTransactions made between July 2024 and June 2025 were analyzed. The previous year’s report recorded an average of $73,100 for women and $87,500 for men; This continued the long-term trend of male buyers earning more than their female counterparts.

While it’s unclear whether this transformation is the start of a new trend, Jessica Lautz, NAR’s deputy chief economist and vice president of research, said it is the first time the organization has found that income inequality is tilted in favor of women.

This shift comes as single women make up 25 percent of first-time homebuyers, while single men make up 10 percent. According to the study, in 1985 these figures were 11 percent and 9 percent, respectively. 21 percent of home buyers are single women and 9 percent are single men.

“According to me [single women] Understand how homeownership is a wealth-building tool. They are making sacrifices,” Lautz said.

However, men still earn more than women overall Pew Research Center. According to the organization, by 2024, women earned on average 85% of what men earned. While this rate was 81 percent in 2003, it was 65 percent in 1982.

Before this, women often had difficulty obtaining a mortgage. while Fair Housing Act of 1968 addressed housing discrimination until Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974 that women can reliably qualify for a mortgage on their own.

Since then, the share of homeowners they represent has increased. While 58 percent of the approximately 35.2 million homes owned by single Americans in 2022 were owned by single women, this rate reached 42 percent for single men. Pew Research Center.

NAR research shows that the average age of single women buying a home for the first time is 44, while the average age of single men is 39. The age difference for repeat buyers is small: 63 years for women, 64 years for men.

“I find that women are not waiting to get married or find a life partner before moving forward and achieving their financial goals,” said Nicole Romito, a certified financial planner who is a partner at Private Vista in Chicago and specializes in single women going through life transitions, including divorce or the death of a spouse or partner.

“Home ownership is often the most important goal – or if not, one of the top three goals – [clients] “When we look at their overall financial plan, we want to work towards that or continue that,” Romito said.

Homeownership has become an elusive goal for many Americans in recent years. Mortgage rates, rising prices and a limited number of homes for sale have put monthly payments out of reach for many buyers.

For single buyers, relying on a single income to qualify for a mortgage can make it even harder to overcome these hurdles, especially as home values ​​rise much faster than household incomes. From 2000 to 2024, average per capita income increased by around 155%, while average house prices increased by approximately 207%. According to a recent study From the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

The average price of an existing home of any type in February was $398,000, according to NAR. Saving for the down payment and closing costs (amounts paid when you complete your purchase, such as title insurance or property taxes) can be a heavy burden.

“It’s hard to save for a down payment when you’re paying rent,” Lautz said.

That’s when sacrifices come into play, Lautz said. 41 percent of single women and 31 percent of men who bought a home said they made financial sacrifices to save enough to buy a home. This includes cutting back on things like non-essential goods, entertainment and clothing, canceling holiday plans and taking on a second job, it said.