Best Cities for Single Buyers

As the share of single adults purchasing a home rises, a new ranking assesses which of the 100 biggest U.S. metros are the best for these buyers.

Based on three metrics, the share of singles applying for mortgages to buy a home, the share of single households, and concentration of single lifestyle bastions including nightlife venues, social clubs, sports bars, and gyms per capita; Realtor.com finds that Springfield, Mass. is the best in the nation, due in part to its homebuyer assistance programs and more affordable housing stock. The median list price for a single-family home in Springfield is $265,100.

For the past five years, Paige Tacey has dutifully made her rent payments, most recently $795 a month. But in April, the 27-year-old was able to kiss renting goodbye, maybe for good. She purchased a $126,000 two-bedroom row home in Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood. And here's the thing: She did it solo. “I decided I was going to be in Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future. So it seemed like a good time to buy a home,” says Tacey, who works in adoption recruitment. “Rent just keeps going up. This just felt like the right decision.”

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