A growing share of Americans are choosing to remain child-free, but whether you have a partner or not largely determines the financial benefits of that choice. Zoocasa calculated down payment savings timelines for two groups—DINKs (double-income, no kids) and SINKs (single-income, no kids)—to determine exactly how much a partner can speed up your home-buying dreams. Unfortunately for solo buyers, the financial difference is massive.
To see exactly how long the road to homeownership really is, we analyzed savings data from the Federal Reserve and income data from the U.S. Census Bureau. We assumed median starting savings of $16,000 for couples and $4,000 for singles (without children). Using the 4% annual savings rate reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Q3 2025, we calculated how many years it would take each group to save up a 10% down payment—the 2025 national median for first-time buyers according to the National Association of Realtors.
Why Single Buyers Need to Wait Nearly 3X Longer for a Home
The more money you have, the faster you’ll be able to save for a down payment. So when double-income households earn nearly twice that of single households, their down payment savings timeline is more than cut in half.
In one of the most dramatic examples of this, San Franciscan couples can save for a down payment 23 years quicker than a solo buyer can. With a median household income of $196,786, married couples require 14.7 years to save for a 10% down payment of $131,500. While this is still an extraordinarily long time compared to other major cities, it’s at least achievable before reaching retirement age. Unless solo buyers commit to an aggressive savings plan, those earning the median income of $84,423 will require up to 37.8 years to save for a 10% down payment.
Fortunately, solo buyers in most cities won’t need to save 30+ years. The fastest a single-income buyer could buy a home is in St. Louis, where it will take 13.4 years to save for a 10% down payment. Dallas, Houston, Detroit, Atlanta, and San Antonio also all offer comparatively fast down payment savings timelines, with each requiring fewer than 15 years.
While 15 years is still a long time to wait for homeownership, it may be the new normal, particularly as the median age of first-time buyers reached a record-high of 40 years old in 2025.
One potential reason for the delay in homeownership may be a decrease in the number of couples purchasing homes together. According to NAR research, in 1981, 73% of all home buyers were married couples, but in 2025 that figure dropped to 61%. At the same time, single female buyers rose from 11% to 21%, while the percentage of single males and unmarried couples buying homes has largely remained unchanged.
Could Fewer Marriages Mean Fewer Homeowners?
Most people don’t think about the connection between homeownership and marital status when saying “I do”, but there is an undeniable benefit to having two incomes at your disposal. And as fewer Americans marry, the barrier to first-time homeownership may get steeper.
PEW research from 2021 shows that a record 25% of 40-year-olds have never been married. Recently released U.S. Census data further highlights this trend, with the share of married-couple households dropping from 66% in 1975 to just 47% in 2025.
How could this impact homeownership? In all 25 cities analyzed by Zoocasa, the median household income for married couples is more than double that of individuals, giving couples a clear financial edge over singles. With more income comes more savings. Federal Reserve data shows that a couple with no children has a median savings of $16,000, while a single person with no children has a median savings of only $4,000.
That said, the number of single female home buyers is rising, and so are their incomes. The median wealth of single women without children is $87,200, similar to that of a single, unmarried man. The caveat, however, is the role age plays in wealth accumulation. While the median age for unmarried women heading households is 61, the picture changes when looking at those under 65. For this younger cohort, the median wealth of an unmarried woman drops to just $38,900—still trailing far behind unmarried men of the same age, who hold $59,400.
The gender pay gap is narrowing, but ultimately, single women will have to work and save harder if they hope to enter the housing market soon, particularly if they’re looking to buy in one of the largest metropolitan areas.
DINK’s Can Maximize Their Savings in These Cities
The fastest a typical DINK couple could buy a home is in St. Louis in just 2.8 years, followed by Detroit in 2.9 years. This is largely thanks to their low median home prices, both sitting at just over $300,000, meaning a 10% down payment is only $30,000. Compared to the over $50,000 that cities like Miami and Denver require, St. Louis and Detroit are much more affordable. San Antonio is another promising city for couples. The median household income for couples of $115,007 means they can afford a home in just 3.5 years.
What about couples looking to plant roots in the Northeast? Philadelphia is the answer. In Philly, a couple earning the median income of $143,928 could save for a $41,030 down payment in just over four years. Baltimore offers a similarly accessible path: with a timeline of only 4.5 years, a couple could begin saving at 30 and be turning the key to their first home by 35.
Married or Single, Saving for a Down Payment is Hard
A Zoocasa survey recently found that 22.2% of renters are unable to buy a home due to financial constraints. This reality underscores a universal truth: regardless of relationship status, saving for a home requires careful planning. Because down payment requirements remain the same whether you are married or single, the $40,000 typically required won’t accumulate on its own; it demands a disciplined, intentional savings strategy.
If you’re serious about hitting your financial goals, especially saving up for a down payment, a smart move is to consider leaving expensive places like New York and Los Angeles for a city that won’t break the bank. Beyond the major cities in our study, many are finding that a move to a smaller town is the most effective way to slash living expenses and fast-track their savings.
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