Single women own more homes in the US than single men, despite the fact that on average a woman earns around 83 cents for every dollar earned by a man.
In the US, single women own a total of around 10.76 million homes whereas single men own 8.12 million, according to US Census data analyzed by lending marketplace LendingTree. That’s a difference of 2.64 million, and according to the National Association of Realtors, the gap is growing.
In 48 of the 50 states, single women were found to own more homes. The two exceptions were North and South Dakota.
Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina had the greatest share of single-women homeowners. On average across the three states, single women-owned 15 percent of all owner-occupied houses, whereas single men owned 11 percent.
Although men earn more than women on average, that is not always true for younger generations. According to the Pew Research Center, women younger than 30 earn more than men in cities including New York, Washington DC, and Los Angeles.
Single women buy more homes in the US than single men, despite the fact that women earn only around 83 cents for every dollar earned by a man
A similar trend is also apparent in data presented by the National Association of Realtors. In 2022 it found that single women make up 19 percent of all home buyers whereas single men make up just 9 percent
In contrast, North Dakota, Wyoming, and South Dakota had the most single-men homeowners proportionally. On average single men owned just over 12 percent of all owner-occupied homes and single women owned less than one percent fewer.
In Florida, Maryland, and Delaware the difference in homeownership between single men and women was the greatest. Across the three, single women on average owned around 4.5 percent more homes than men.
Women are paid less than men on average and earn 83.1 percent of what men earn, according to the US Department of Labor. The figure compares the median wage of all full-time male and female workers in the country using data from 2020 and is ‘the most comprehensive analysis of the gender wage gap to date.’
According to data from the National Association of Realtors, in 2022 19 percent of buyers were single women, whereas just 9 percent were single men. In 2015 single women made up 16 percent of buyers and single men were still at 9 percent. The gap between single men and women therefore appears to be growing.
In a report published by the NAR in December 2021, women buyers had smaller incomes than their male counterparts but they were willing to spend less on their homes and make a greater number of financial sacrifices.
‘Men typically purchased homes that were $249,000 last year, compared to women who purchased homes that were $230,000,’ the association found.
Sacrifices women were generally more likely to make included cutting out non-essential spending, taking second jobs, and canceling vacation plans.
In 48 of the 50 states single women were found to own more homes. The only two exceptions were North and South Dakota
North Dakota, Wyoming and South Dakota had the most single-men homeowners
In Florida, Maryland and Delaware the difference in home ownership between single men and women was the greatest
Another explanation for the growing discrepancy in home ownership is that women are becoming increasingly focused on careers and independence, NBC News reported in 2020.
‘More and more single women have been buying homes, and I expect to see this continue,’ Los Angeles-based realtor Beatrice de Jong told NBC.
‘Women are more career-focused now than previous generations, and we want to be smart with our money and make an investment that sets ourselves up for the future, rather than relying on marriage or waiting for a man to provide the life we want.’
Another explanation for the difference is that women tend to keep houses after a divorce.
‘Historically in divorce women take the house, and that is still primarily true,’ financial adviser and divorce financial analyst Nicole Middendorf told NBC. ‘The guy is generally the one moving out, and that affects these statistics.’
This does not however explain the National Association of Realtor data, which considers the number of home buyers as opposed to the number of homeowners.
