Although it may feel out of reach, owning a home as a single person can be achievable. In the right cities, singles only need a few more months than couples to save enough to become homeowners. A recent study from Point2 Homes compared singles and couples in the home-buying savings race, pinpointing which of the 100 largest U.S. cities where singles can defy the odds and save for a home nearly as fast as couples.
"The reality is that saving for a home takes years. The harsher reality is that it can even take decades — particularly for singles buying on their own," Alexandra Ciuntu, author of the study, told Kiplinger. "The median starter home price has doubled over 20 years," she explained, and in major U.S. cities, that extends the amount of time singles must save "by about 6 years compared to couples."
For the study, Point2 calculated the mortgage amount an individual and a couple would be eligible for based on their incomes, assuming a monthly mortgage payment that wouldn't exceed 30% of their respective earnings. They used the difference between the price of a starter home and the affordable loan to determine the down payment amount, and then used the 50/30/20 rule (20% of income going towards savings) to calculate the years it would take to save up for this down payment.
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The study found that on average, it would take a single person, making a median income of $40,038, eight years and five months to bridge the gap between an affordable loan and a $177,260 starter home price, compared to just two years and a month for couples making a household income of 84,024. However, in several cities, this isn't the case.
Here are the top 10 cities with the least difference in years needed to save for homeownership between singles and couples.
10 cities singles can save for a home almost as quick as couples
Here are the top 10 cities with the least difference in years needed to save for homeownership.
1. Toledo, OH
- Couples save in: 11 months
- Singles save in: 1 year, 8 months
- Difference in time to save: 9 months
2. Detroit, MI
- Couples save in: 1 year
- Singles save in: 1 year, 9 months
- Difference in time to save: 10 months
3. St. Louis, MO
- Couples save in: 11 months
- Singles save in: 1 year, 10 months
- Difference in time to save: 11 months
4. Cleveland, OH
- Couples save in: 1 year
- Singles save in: 2 years
- Difference in time to save: 11 months
5. Memphis, TN
- Couples save in: 1 year, 3 months
- Singles save in: 2 years, 2 months
- Difference in time to save: 1 year
6. Baltimore, MD
- Couples save in: 1 year, 6 months
- Singles save in: 2 years, 6 months
- Difference in time to save: 1 year, 1 month
7. Kansas City, MO
- Couples save in: 1 year, 6 months
- Singles save in: 3 years
- Difference in time to save: 1 year, 6 months
8. Oklahoma City, OK
- Couples save in: 1 year, 6 months
- Singles save in: 3 years
- Difference in time to save: 1 year, 6 months
9. Wichita, KS
- Couples save in: 1 year, 5 months
- Singles save in: 3 years
- Difference in time to save: 1 year, 7 months
10. Tulsa, OK
- Couples save in: 1 year, 6 months
- Singles save in: 3 years, 2 months
- Difference in time to save: 1 year, 8 months
In the top five cities — Toledo, Detroit, St. Louis, Cleveland and Memphis — there's only a year or less difference between the time it takes singles to save versus couples. On the other hand, the top ten cities with the biggest difference are all located in California, with Anaheim topping the list. According to Point2, the difference in time it would take for an individual to save for a home here is 57 years and 11 months — yikes.
"While saving for a home in cities like Toledo, OH, Detroit, MI, St. Louis, MO, or Memphis, TN, takes pretty much the same time regardless of relationship status, over in California, a lifetime of budgeting awaits. Couples struggle to save for more than 25 years in booming cities like Los Angeles or Anaheim. However, for singles, the prospect is even bleaker, requiring an additional 50 years or more of diligent budgeting," says Ciuntu.
Although buying a home is difficult everywhere, due to high mortgage rates, elevated real estate prices and low housing stock, it's more achievable in certain regions across the country. Specifically, the Midwest. Thanks to the region's affordable housing, small-to-midsize Midwestern cities are great choices for homebuyers on a budget, specifically single homebuyers. You can also check out our picks for the top 12 surprisingly great places to retire in the Midwest.
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