A new study published by Mortgage Research Network has determined that affordable metros in the South, Midwest and Northeast have the highest percentage for single women buying homes.
Nationwide, single women accounted for 11.4% of all home purchase loans in 2025, but in the leading metros they represented nearly one in six buyers. Among the nation’s 50 major metro areas, New Orleans ranked first with a 17.4% share of home purchase mortgages going to single women, followed by Hartford, Connecticut (16.2%); Buffalo, New York (15.5%); Baltimore (15.2%); Birmingham, Alabama (14.6%); Memphis (14.5%); Cleveland (14.4%); Atlanta (14.3%); Pittsburgh (14.2%) and Philadelphia (14.2%).
The most expensive housing markets generally performed the worst in this study. San Jose ranked last, with single women accounting for just 6.5% of home purchase loans. The bottom five metros in this list also included San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Riverside, California; and Los Angeles.
The study observed the biggest difference between the metros at the top and bottom of the rankings is affordability. The average home value across the top 10 markets was approximately $309,000. In the bottom 10 markets, the average home value was more than $818,000.
“Where women are buying on their own varies dramatically by market, and affordability appears to be one of the strongest drivers,” said Tim Lucas, lead analyst and report author at Mortgage Research Network. “For generations, homeownership often followed marriage, but that timeline is changing. Nearly 360,000 single women purchased homes nationwide in 2025, and in many markets they are increasingly choosing not to delay buying while waiting for a partner. In the top metros, they account for nearly one in six buyers, compared to a much smaller share nationally, underscoring how sharply outcomes differ based on local housing costs.”
0 Comments