The gender gap in homeownership in the US is widening once again, especially among single women. According to recent data from Zillow, single women’s homeownership rate fell by 4.1 percentage points in 2022, which is the first time this has happened since 2016. This decline erased half of the progress that had been made in narrowing the gap in homeownership between single men and women. In general, women continue to earn only 82 cents for every dollar earned by men, making homeownership more difficult for women, especially without a partner.

The study found that the average, employed single woman in the US can afford only 8.9% of active house listings across the country, which amounts to only 84.5% of homes that single men can afford. Some of the cities where single women could most easily afford a house include Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Detroit, where they comprise the highest share of affordable listings. On the other hand, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Minneapolis, New Orleans, and Jacksonville, Florida, have the largest gender gap in homeownership. Moreover, homes in California are the least affordable, with single women able to afford only 0.1% to 0.3% of active listings.