At the start of this year, 61% of homebuyers were married couples, 21% single women, and 9% single men, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Back in 1981, those same numbers were 73% married couples, 11% single women, and 10% single men.
So, single women have been a crucial segment of the homebuyer pool for at least 45 years. But their role within the marketplace has grown much more important.
A Changing America
The change is reflected in first-time homebuyers as well as all homebuyers. Here are excerpts from an NAR table for first-timers:
- Married couples — 75% in 1985; 50% in 2025, down 25%
- Single women — 11% in 1985; 25% in 2025, up 14%
- Unmarried couples — 4% in 1985; 11% in 2025, up 7%
- Single men — 9% in 1985; 10% in 2025, up 1%
- Other (roommates) — 0% in 1985; 4% in 2025, up 4%
You can see some of the cultural changes that have occurred in the United States over those 40 years reflected in these data. For instance, in 2024, 47.1% of Americans were married, compared with 58.0% in 1985, according to USA Facts.
A Hard Demographic Fact
One of the main reasons women own so many homes is that they tend to live longer than men. So, when a husband dies, his widow becomes the owner of the family home, making her a single-woman homeowner.
Hawaii is the state with the longest life expectancy at age 65 years, according to the CDC's National Vital Statistics Report from December 2025. If you reach 65 in the Aloha State, you'll likely live another 18.8 years as a man but 22.1 years as a woman.
In West Virginia, which has the shortest life expectancy at 65, a man is statistically likely to have another 15.4 years, while a woman, on average, has another 17.7 years.
Of course, these are merely statistical averages, meaning many have more years and, sadly, many have fewer. But, while widower homeowners are far from rare, the higher number of widows partly explains the high incidence of single women homeowners.
Widows Aren't the Whole Story
However, there's much more to the story than just widows. Divorced, separated, and never-married women have all been buying more homes.
"Homeownership among divorced women climbed from 55% to 60%, separated women from 33% to 39%, and never-married women from 30% to 34%," over the last decade, said Realtor.com earlier this month. "Widowed women remain the most likely to own homes, with a homeownership rate of about 73%."
Although the median age of single women homeowners is 63 years (it's 57 for men), young women are entering the market in greater numbers, says Realtor.com. "Women under 35 have seen notable gains in homeownership over the last 10 years. For instance, among those ages 25 to 34, the rate increased from 20% in 2014 to 25%."
Why Are Single Women Beating Single Men in the Homeowner Stakes?
People may speculate about women being "natural" homemakers and nesters. And it may be true that they enjoy the independence and financial security that homeownership can bring.
However, none of that would matter if it weren't for their growing economic importance allowing them to buy homes. Less than a century ago, women were largely employed in low-paid, often menial roles. But things have changed a great deal since the mid-20th century.
"Women have taken large leaps in their role in the workplace," says Workplace Options. "According to TIME magazine, in late 2019 and early 2020, women in the U.S. for the first time held the majority of overall jobs (not including farming and self-employment) at 50.04 percent. While globally, women across all countries held 47.31 percent of jobs in 2019."
This change is also apparent in higher education. "In 2021, 42.8% of the 18–24-year-old female population were enrolled in college compared to 33.3% of the male population," according to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute.
"Among females aged 25 or over, 36.8% had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. This rate is upfrom 27.9% in 2010 and is two percentage points higher than the rate for males," says the institute.
So, despite a stubborn pay gap between men and women for similar jobs, overall, an increasing number of women have the financial muscle to buy a home if they want to.
