Single women see homeownership as 'a wealth-building tool,' economist says, but buying remains a challenge

Single women have long outpaced single men as homebuyers — and they may be pulling ahead financially as well. Among first-time buyers, single women have a median income of $73,000 compared with $66,400 for single men, according to the National Association of Realtors' 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers , which analyzed transactions made between July 2024 and June 2025. The prior year's report recorded median income of $73,100 for women and $87,500 for men, which continued a long-term trend of male buyers outearning their female counterparts. While it's uncertain whether the flip is the start of a new trend, this is the first time the organization has found that the income disparity favors women, said Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist and vice president of research for NAR. More from Women and Wealth: More women pursue skilled trades — here's what some said about their experience Older women may inherit most of $54 trillion in spousal 'great wealth transfer' Couples often miss this 'overlooked tax break' for retirement savers: CFP Women and the K-shaped economy: Lower pay, affordability issues reduce spending Poor coordination can cost couples an average $14,000 in retirement wealth 93% of women are stressed about money. Building a cash reserve can help How to prepare for the ‘survivor’s penalty’ before a spouse passes The shift comes as single women account for 25% of first-time homebuyers, compared with 10% for single men. In 1985, those figures were 11% and 9%, respectively, according to the research. Among all homebuyers, 21% are single women and 9% are single men. "I think [single women] understand how homeownership is a wealth-building tool. They make sacrifices," Lautz said. Women still lag behind men when it comes to pay Nevertheless, men still out-earn women overall, according to the Pew Research Center . In 2024, women earned an average of 85% of what men earned, according to the organization. In 2003, that figure was 81%, and in 1982, it was 65%. ...