Single Gen Z women are buying homes at much higher rates than single men of the same age, despite rising housing costs and affordability pressures across the United States.
New survey data from the National Association of Realtors found that single Gen Z women accounted for 35% of homebuyers in their generation between July 2024 and June 2025. Single Gen Z men represented 18% of buyers.
The survey included buyers from the Silent Generation to Gen Z. No other age group recorded a larger share of single women homebuyers than Gen Z. Researchers said the trend reflects changing financial priorities among younger women, many of whom see home ownership as a path toward long-term stability and independence.
Affordability remains major obstacle in purchase of home for Gen Z
Even with growing interest in home ownership, Gen Z buyers remain a small share of the market overall. People born between 1999 and 2011 made up only 4% of all homebuyers during the survey period.
Affordability continues to be one of the key barriers for younger buyers. Gen Z homeowners reported a median annual income of $76,000 in 2024, the lowest among all generations surveyed by NAR. Many are also balancing student loan payments while still building their careers.
Single Gen Z women are buying homes at nearly double the rate of single Gen Z men, according to new data.
Researchers say younger women are prioritizing financial independence despite rising mortgage rates and record affordability challenges. pic.twitter.com/rAVCy2zoE7
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) May 20, 2026
At the same time, home prices remain high in many parts of the country. The median US home sale price reached $417,700 last month, up 0.9% from a year earlier, according to NAR data.
Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist at NAR, said women now attend college at higher rates than men, which can improve future earning potential. She also noted that women historically faced legal barriers to buying homes on their own. “It wasn’t until the 1970s where women were legally protected to have a mortgage on their own,” Lautz said. “And they have embraced this and been very strongly embracing this.”
Younger buyers make financial sacrifices
For many first-time home buyers, including Gen Z women, saving enough money for a down payment remains one of the toughest challenges. Bri LaFluer bought her first home in 2023 at age 24 after years of saving nearly half of her income while working two jobs. “I’ve always been a really independent person and I just wanted my own place to have peace and quiet by myself,” said LaFluer, now 27.
She purchased a three-bedroom home in Baldwinsville, New York, near Syracuse for $175,000. Living with her mother and paying low rent helped her save a $20,000 down payment.
Mariah Berry followed a similar path. The social media content creator bought her first home in Charleston, Tennessee, outside Chattanooga, at age 23 after years of strict budgeting. “I did not go out and was driving an old beat-up car,” Berry said. “It was not fun.”
Berry purchased her duplex unit for $218,000 after making a $7,000 down payment. Despite the financial pressure, she said becoming a homeowner at a young age felt rewarding. “I do think it’s pretty frickin’ awesome that I’m a homeowner and that I became a homeowner at 23,” she said.
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