Homebuyers in 2025 have never been older. They’ve also never been more likely to be single or female.

Those changes have broad repercussions for the housing market, experts say.

According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2024 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 73% of homebuyers in 1973 were married couples, 11% were single women, and 10% were single men. By 2024, the percentage of married couples had shrunk to 62%, and the number of single men had slipped to 8%, while the percentage of single women had jumped to 20%.

“We’ve seen this demographic shift due to women attaining higher education levels leading to senior positions and greater financial independence,” said Veronica Crego-Flores, managing broker at Tampa, Florida-based GenStone Realty. “As a result, many women are delaying marriage and choosing to invest in homeownership.”

The market has and will continue to change to match that shift, Crego-Flores said. That includes offering smaller homes in safe neighborhoods surrounded by amenities.

Paul Epperley, president of  the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors in Texas, also stressed that while many people may think the single-women demographic that is buying homes is younger, those buyers actually represent people of all ages. He pointed to another reason for the demographic shift.

“It wasn’t that long ago that women couldn’t get a mortgage to buy a home,” Epperley said. “In 1974, thanks to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, women could buy a home independently. Since then, more women have entered the workforce and become the primary source of income for their families, allowing women to fulfill the American dream of homeownership.”

Andy Medici covers small-business finance, remote work, the future of work and small-business trends. He has covered the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan program and other Covid-19 relief programs.