Toucan Studio | E+ | Getty Images
Single women have long outpaced single men as home buyers, and they may be ahead financially as well.
Among first-time buyers, the median income for single women is $73,000 and for single men $66,400, according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2025 Home Buyer and Seller Profile, which analyzed transactions from July 2024 to June 2025. Last year’s report recorded a median income of $73,100 for women and $87,500 for men, a trend that continues over time. The proportion of male buyers exceeds that of female buyers.
Jessica Lautz, NAR’s deputy chief economist and vice president for research, said it’s unclear whether the reversal is the start of a new trend, but it’s the first time the organization has found that income inequality favors women.
This change is due to the fact that single women account for 25% of first-time home buyers, compared to 10% for single men. In 1985, these numbers were 11% and 9%, respectively, according to the study. Of all homebuyers, 21% are single women and 9% are single men.
“I think[single women]understand that homeownership is a wealth-building tool. They’re making sacrifices,” Lautz said.
Women still lag behind men in terms of pay
Despite this, men still earn more than women overall, according to the Pew Research Center. According to the organization, by 2024, women’s average income will be 85% of men’s. In 2003, the percentage was 81% and in 1982 it was 65%.
Before that, women generally had a hard time getting a mortgage. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 addressed housing discrimination, but it was the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974 that ensured that women could qualify for mortgages on their own.
Since then, the percentage of homeowners they represent has increased. According to the Pew Research Center, of the approximately 35.2 million homes owned by unmarried Americans in 2022, single women owned 58%, compared to 42% for single men.
According to NAR research, the average age of single women buying their first home is 44 years old, while the average age of single men is 39 years old. The age difference among repeat buyers is small: 63 years for women and 64 years for men.
“My view is that women don’t wait until they get married or find a life partner to move on and achieve their financial goals,” said Nicole Romito, a partner at Private Vista in Chicago and a certified financial planner who specializes in helping single women go through life transitions such as divorce or the death of a spouse or partner.
“Homeownership is typically one of the top goals, if not the top three goals, that[customers]want to work toward or maintain when they look at their overall financial plan,” Romito said.
Saving for a down payment can mean making sacrifices
Homeownership has become a more elusive goal for many Americans in recent years, as rising mortgage rates, rising prices and a limited supply of homes for sale have put monthly payments out of reach for many buyers.
For single buyers, relying on one person’s income to qualify for a mortgage can make clearing these hurdles even more difficult, especially since home values are rising much faster than household income. According to a recent study by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, from 2000 to 2024, median per capita income increased by about 155% and median home prices increased by about 207%.
The median price for existing homes of all types in February was $398,000, according to NAR. Saving for your down payment and closing costs (the amounts you pay when you complete your purchase, such as title insurance and property taxes) can be a daunting task.
“It’s difficult to save for a down payment while paying rent,” Lautz said.
That’s when sacrifices are needed, Lautz said. Among single female buyers, 41% said they made financial sacrifices to save enough to buy a home, compared to 31% of men. She said this includes cutting back on non-essential items, entertainment and clothing, canceling vacation plans and taking on a second job.
