Single and ready to mingle — or be a homebuyer?
Despite delaying marriage for longer than past generations, young people aren't waiting for the perfect partner to buy a house — if they can afford one.
Over 35 million single people in the US owned a home last year, according to the Pew Research Center. These single homeowners are likely to live in the Deep South, according to new analysis of 2021 census data by home construction company All Star Homes.
"I think what is really interesting about this list is it doesn't follow a narrative," All Star Home spokesperson Jennifer Tracy told Insider this week. "There are states that are in the Deep South that are high on the list, and then there are states that you could consider more progressive that are in the middle."
According to All Star Homes, researchers at the company analyzed homeowner data from the 2021 American Housing Survey to figure out the per capita total of single homeowners in each state.
The top 10 cities on this list have one big thing in common: the average home price in eight out of 10 states is less than the national average, which was about $420,000 in August, according to Redfin.
In fact, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana — which all topped the list — will be among the cheapest places to buy a home next year, according to Rocket Mortgage.
It's a clear sign that housing affordability is a top priority for homebuyers at a time when home prices and interest rates are high.
"For the most part, folks are chasing affordability," Manny Garcia, Zillow's senior population scientist, told Insider last month. "About half of prospective buyers say that part of the reason that they're moving is that they want to find a more affordable living situation than what they have now."
Below, the 10 states with the most single homeowners per capita, along with median home price as of August, according to Redfin, and median per capita income, according to 2021 census data.