Single women account for more than 10% of all home purchases

Nearly 360,000 women purchased homes on their own last year, accounting for 11.4% of all home purchases across the United States. The Mortgage Research Network says New Orleans ranks No. 1, with 17.4% of all home purchases made by women, followed by Hartford, Connecticut, and Buffalo. “Where women are buying on their own varies dramatically by market, and affordability appears to be one of the strongest drivers,” says Tim Lucas, Mortgage Research Networks’ lead analyst and author of the report. “For generations, homeownership often followed marriage, but that timeline is changing.” Women weren’t legally permitted to obtain a mortgage without a male cosigner until 1974.