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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%.
Beyond the shift among genders, the median age of homebuyers in America has gone up — in part rising along with the nation's aging population. The median age of all homebuyers jumped to 56 last year, up from 49 in 2023, while the median age of repeat homebuyers grew from 58 in 2023 to 61 in 2024.
First-time homebuyers are getting older, too, with the median age of those buying their first home rising to 38 compared to 35 in 2023.
Just 24% of homes sold in 2024 were purchased by first-time homebuyers, the lowest percentage since the NAR began collecting the data in 1981. Before the Great Recession, the share of first-time homebuyers hovered around 40%.