Married vs. Single: The Real Cost of Living Alone

Why You Should Get Married (At Least for the Housing Savings)

Want to cut your housing costs in half? Forget waiting for rates to drop just find a partner instead.

According to a new Redfin survey, 64% of single Americans struggle to afford their rent or mortgage, compared to only 39% of married people. And it makes sense because nearly half of single people earn under $50,000 a year, while only 9% of married couples fall in that range. Two incomes are better than one, especially when the typical condo in D.C. runs you about $2,974 a month and in San Francisco it's a whopping $6,950.

Redfin calls it the "singles tax." If you're living alone in D.C., you're paying almost $18,000 more per year than if you had a partner splitting the bill. In San Francisco? That singles tax jumps to over $41,000 a year. That's not a tax,  that's a second rent payment.

Single people are also nearly twice as likely to say they're stuck in place because they can't afford the home they actually want. Meanwhile, married couples get tax benefits, split groceries, and share the burden of just about everything.

So with the Valentine's season vibes still going, if someone asks why you're looking for a relationship, just tell them you're trying to lower your cost of living.

Join us Thursday at 10 AM for our live webinar where we break down what all of this means for your local market!

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