Single women gain ground in affordable housing markets

Single women are becoming a larger force in the housing market, particularly in more affordable metropolitan areas across the South, Midwest and Northeast, according to a report released Tuesday by Mortgage Research Network.

The analysis of 2025 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data ranked the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas by the share of home-purchase mortgages made to women under age 45 buying on their own.

New Orleans topped the list, with single women accounting for 17.4% of purchase loans, well above the national average of 11.4%.

Hartford, Connecticut, ranked second at 16.2%, followed by Buffalo, New York, at 15.5%; Baltimore at 15.2%; Birmingham, Alabama, at 14.6%; Memphis, Tennessee, at 14.5%; Cleveland at 14.4%; Atlanta at 14.3%; and Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, both at 14.2%.

Nationwide, nearly 360,000 single women purchased homes with mortgages in 2025, according to the report.

“Affordability appears to be one of the strongest drivers of where women are buying homes on their own,” said Tim Lucas, lead analyst and author of the report. “In many markets, women are increasingly choosing not to delay homeownership while waiting for a partner.”

Report finds wide gap in home prices between the highest- and lowest-ranked markets

The average home value across the top 10 metros was about $309,000, compared with more than $818,000 in the bottom 10.

Single women purchased homes at nearly twice the rate in the five highest-ranked metros as in the five lowest-ranked metros, the report found.

Several high-cost West Coast markets ranked near the bottom of the list. San Jose, California, ranked last, with single women accounting for 6.5% of home-purchase loans. San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Riverside, Calif., and Los Angeles also ranked among the lowest-performing markets.

Income remains a barrier

The report found that income remained a barrier even in more affordable markets. Across the highest-ranked metros, single female homebuyers earned substantially more than the typical single woman living in those areas.

In New Orleans, for example, the median income of a single female homebuyer was $74,000, compared with about $36,000 for single women overall.

Eight of the top 10 metros were located in the South or Midwest, regions that generally offer lower home prices and more inventory at entry-level price points.

Atlanta was the largest metropolitan area in the top 10, with single women accounting for 14.3% of homebuyers. Nearly 10,000 single women purchased homes in the Atlanta area in 2025, according to the report.

Pennsylvania was the only state with two metros in the top 10: Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Average home prices for single female buyers were $228,113 in Pittsburgh and $386,647 in Philadelphia. Median buyer incomes were $70,000 and $88,000, respectively.

Meanwhile, some markets that experienced significant home-price growth over the past decade ranked lower. Phoenix ranked 44th, while Dallas ranked 39th, suggesting affordability challenges may be limiting access for some single-income buyers.

This article was generated using HousingWire Automation and reviewed by a HousingWire editor before publication.