Gen Z Women Outpace Men in Homeownership, New Data Shows

Single Gen Z women are buying homes at nearly double the rate of their male counterparts, according to new survey data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), a trend that underscores shifting financial dynamics among younger generations despite a historically challenging housing market.

According to the NAR’s 2025 Homebuyer and Seller Generational Trends report, single Gen Z women accounted for 35% of all homebuyers in their generation between July 2024 and June 2025, while single Gen Z men represented just 18%. No other generation had a bigger share of single women homebuyers than Gen Z, as ABC News reported.

A Generational Shift in Homebuying

The NAR survey, which defines Gen Z as those born between 1999 and 2011 (ages 18 to 26 at the time of the survey), found that Gen Zers overall still made up only 4% of all homebuyers during the period. The share of U.S. homes bought by first-time buyers of all ages also sank to the lowest level on record going back to 1981, according to NAR data.

Yet within that small cohort, the gender gap is striking. Across all generations, single women made up a quarter of all homebuyers in the July 2024–June 2025 period, while single men accounted for 11%, NAR reported. This broader trend of single women outpacing single men in homeownership dates back at least to 1981, when NAR began tracking the data. Single women’s share peaked at 22% in 2006 during the mid-2000s housing boom, while single men’s share peaked at 12% in 2010.

Real Stories of Determination

For young women like Bri LaFluer, 27, homeownership was a goal born of independence. After years of saving half her pay, working two jobs, and living with her mother to keep costs low, she bought a three-bedroom, 1.5-bath house in Baldwinsville, New York, in 2023 at age 24 for $175,000.

“I’ve always been a really independent person and I just wanted my own place to have peace and quiet by myself,” LaFluer told the Associated Press.

Mariah Berry, 23, took a similarly disciplined approach. While her college peers were enjoying post-graduation freedom, Berry saved aggressively, driving an old car and avoiding social spending. She bought a two-bedroom home in Charleston, Tennessee, in 2023 for $218,000 with a $7,000 down payment and a 30-year mortgage at 6% interest.

“I do think it’s pretty frickin’ awesome that I’m a homeowner and that I became a homeowner at 23,” Berry said. “I will say that after I put in the offer, I wanted to puke.”

Economic Headwinds and Creative Strategies

Gen Z homebuyers face significant financial hurdles. Their median annual income of $76,000, as of 2024, was the lowest compared to homebuyers from all other generations, according to NAR. They are typically early in their careers, often unmarried, and may carry student loan debt.

The broader housing market compounds these challenges. The median U.S. home sales price stood at $417,700 in April 2026, up 0.9% from a year earlier and an all-time high for that month, as AP News reported. Existing home sales have been stuck near a 30-year low, and inventory remains below historical norms.

To overcome these barriers, Gen Z homebuyers are getting creative. Many are more likely to receive financial help from family, explore community grants or assistance programs, and 1 in 10 have tapped their 401(k) retirement savings for down payments, NAR found.

Why the Gap Exists

Experts point to several factors driving the homeownership gap between Gen Z women and men. Jessica Lautz, NAR’s deputy chief economist, noted that women now outpace men in college attendance, which can lead to higher incomes. She also highlighted a strong cultural desire among women for homeownership as a path to independence.

“It wasn’t until the 1970s where women were legally protected to have a mortgage on their own,” Lautz told the Associated Press. “And they have embraced this and been very strongly embracing this.”

Women are also more likely to be single mothers or to purchase multi-generational homes that include elderly relatives, according to Lautz, as NAR noted.

What to Watch

The Gen Z homeownership gap raises important questions about the future of the housing market. As this generation ages into higher earning years, will the trend continue or narrow? And how will persistent affordability challenges — from high prices to limited inventory — shape the homeownership dreams of the youngest generation of buyers?

For now, the data paints a clear picture: Gen Z women are entering the housing market with determination, creativity, and a rate of homeownership that far exceeds their male peers, even in one of the most challenging markets in decades.