Single Gen Z women are now buying homes at nearly twice the rate of single Gen Z men, even as the broader first-time buyer market sinks to its weakest level in more than four decades.
According to the National Association of Realtors, single women accounted for 35% of Gen Z homebuyers between July 2024 and June 2025, compared with 18% for single men. Gen Z buyers, defined by NAR as those born between 1999 and 2011, represented just 4% of all buyers.
The NAR said first-time buyers made up only 21% of all homebuyers, down from 24% in the previous survey and the lowest share since the group began tracking the data in 1981. Across all generations, single women made up 25% of recent homebuyers, more than double the 11% share for single men, according to NAR. Married couples still dominate the market, but single women have become the strongest solo-buying group.
Housing affordability remains the central obstacle: NAR data shows the median U.S. home price at $417,700, a level that has forced many young buyers to rely on savings, family help, grants, or retirement funds to close deals. Mortgage rates are still doing much of the damage. Freddie Mac said the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.36% as of May 14, down from 6.81% a year earlier but still high enough to keep monthly payments painful for buyers without large down payments.
NAR experts point to several factors behind the gender gap, including women's higher college attendance rates, greater financial independence, and a stronger push among young women to see homeownership as long-term security. According to NAR, 25% of April transactions were cash sales, a sign that buyers with existing wealth or home equity still have an advantage over first-time buyers who need financing. First-time buyers made up 33% of April sales, down from 34% a year earlier.
2025 NAR data revealed that Gen Z already had the highest share of single female buyers at 30%. In the latest report, that share rose to 35%. Baby boomers remain the largest share of buyers at 42%, while millennials fell to 26% and Gen X represented 25%. Many older buyers are using home equity or cash, giving them an advantage over younger buyers who need financing.
For Gen Z women who do buy, the path often requires sacrifice, with some living with their parents to save money, choosing smaller homes, buying condos or townhouses, or using assistance programs. NAR has noted that younger single female buyers often gravitate toward more affordable housing types, including townhouses and condos.
