Two in five U.S. women dating online want a homeowner partner, as first-time buyers hit a record age of 40
DatingScout's 2026 survey finds 40.4% of U.S. women dating online want a partner who owns a home, against 18.9% of men, as first-time buyers turn 40.
Two in five American women looking for love online want a partner who owns a home, more than double the share of men, according to a survey DatingScout published on November 10, 2026. The finding lands in a year when the typical first-time home buyer in the U.S. is a record 40 years old.
Key points
- In DatingScout's State of Online Dating 2026, 40.4% of U.S. women dating online said they want a partner who owns a home, against 18.9% of U.S. men.
- The survey draws on 53,902 people in 18 countries who have answered DatingScout's reader quiz since January 2025.
- First-time buyers made up 22% of U.S. home purchases in the year to June 2026, and their median age held at a record 40, according to the National Association of Realtors.
- Worldwide, 52.2% of women and 31.6% of men in the survey named high debt as a deal-breaker.
- 43% of men said the man should pay on a first date; 49% of women said they would rather split the bill.
How many online daters want a partner who owns a home?
Far more women than men put homeownership on their list. In the U.S., 40.4% of women in DatingScout's survey picked it as a quality they want in a partner, compared with 18.9% of men. Respondents could pick as many qualities as they liked.
The ask meets a tight market. The National Association of Realtors' 2026 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found first-time buyers made up 22% of purchases between July 2025 and June 2026, up from a record low of 21% a year earlier, and that their median age stayed at an all-time high of 40. DatingScout puts the average American online dater in its study at 39.5 and notes that the typical first-time buyer is now older than the typical American on a dating site.
Which countries care most about a homeowner partner?
Women in the United Kingdom were the most likely to want a homeowner of the 15 countries with enough data. There, 45.3% of women and 19.1% of men said they want a partner who owns a home, DatingScout reports. Women in Spain and New Zealand came next, both at 43.7%, while women in Switzerland were least likely to ask for it, at 13.6%.
What else rules a match out?
Money shows up across the survey's deal-breakers, and women name them far more often than men. Worldwide, DatingScout found:
| Deal-breaker | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| High debt | 52.2% | 31.6% |
| Being unemployed | 42.1% | 14.1% |
| Living with parents | 39.9% | 16.7% |
The pattern reverses on the first-date bill. Some 43% of men said the man should pay, against 24.5% of women; 49% of women said they would rather split it.
What does it mean for people dating online?
Our analysis: read together, the survey's numbers describe two different sets of expectations about money. Women ask more of a partner's finances: a home, a job and low debt each matter to far more women than men. Men are more likely to see paying as their part, with 43% saying the man should cover the first date. On the home, DatingScout itself calls it a tall order in today's housing market: first-time buyers make up 22% of purchases and their median age is 40, according to the National Association of Realtors. For readers weighing their own lists, our Q&A on non-negotiables in online dating collects how daters decide which qualities really matter, and our overview of dating industry growth and statistics puts surveys like this one in context.
Frequently asked questions
Who ran The State of Online Dating 2026?
DatingScout, a dating-review platform, ran it as an ongoing reader survey and announced the results from Los Angeles on November 10, 2026.
Where can I see the full country-by-country results?
DatingScout has posted the full study, with its breakdown by country, on its online dating statistics page.
Can the survey's figures be quoted?
Yes. DatingScout's study page says its statistics are free to quote with a credit to DatingScout and a link back to the page.
How old are first-time buyers who pay cash?
Older still. The National Association of Realtors found a record 10% of first-time buyers paid all cash, and their median age was 54, against 38 for first-time buyers who took a mortgage.
Sources
- State of Online Dating 2026 announcement: press release from DatingScout via GlobeNewswire, 10 November 2026.
- The State of Online Dating 2026: DatingScout's full study.
- First-Time Home Buyer Share Inches Up to 22%, Median Age Remains at Record High of 40: National Association of Realtors, 5 November 2026.