Buying For Themselves: An Analysis of Unmarried Female Home Buyers

Rachel Bogardus Drew

For decades, real estate and housing professionals have thought of the typical home buyer as a married couple, with or without children, either purchasing their first home or trading up as their families and needs grow. While married couples continue to make up a majority of home buyers today, a growing group of unmarried buyers has made the industry take notice. In particular, the rise in the fraction of unmarried female home buyers to one-fifth of the market has sparked interest in uncovering more about their characteristics, preferences and buying behavior, and how the industry can be responsive to this segment of the market…