Single women homeowners outrank Single men — especially in these cities

The homeownership gender gap

Buying a home before marriage is becoming increasingly more popular — particularly with women. According to new data, single women are almost twice as likely as single men to become homebuyers.

Making their mark

A new study from LendingTree reveals that single women own about 22 percent of America’s homes, while single men own just 13 percent. According to Tendayi Kapfidze, this is somewhat surprising — especially given the lower pay rates most women face.

“In much of the United States, single women are outpacing single men when it comes to homeownership,” Kapfidze said. “This trend may be somewhat surprising, given the average woman in the U.S. only makes 80 percent of what the average man does. Nonetheless, the data clearly indicates that single women are more likely to own a home than single men are.”

New Orleans has the biggest share of single women homeowners. They currently account for 27 percent of the city’s homes, while single men make up just 15 percent. Miami is another popular city for single female buyers. More than 26 percent of households are owned and occupied by single women. Just 14 percent are owned by single men.

Who’s buying houses? All the single ladies

The third-highest share of single women homeowners is seen in Birmingham, Alabama, where they own and occupy 25 percent of households. Single men claim 13 percent of the properties.

Single women homebuyers: These are the best housing markets for you

Where single men are buying

In Oklahoma City, single men have a higher homeownership rate than most areas at 16 percent.

New Orleans and Las Vegas also have higher-than-average shares of single male homeowners. Single men claim over 15 percent of households in both cities. But even in these cities, single females still outrank men when it comes to buying a home.

“In all of the 50 largest metropolitan areas, single women own more homes than single men do,” said Tendayi Kapfidze, chief economist for LendingTree. “On average, single women own more than 70,000 more homes in metro areas than single men do.”

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