Married people – especially men – are the most satisfied with their living situation

Key takeaways:

• Married people, especially men, are the most likely to be satisfied with their living situation, according to a Rocket Mortgage and Redfin survey conducted by Ipsos.
• 90% of married men are satisfied with their living situation, including 63% who are “very satisfied.”
• 85% of married women are satisfied with their living situation, including 55% who are “very satisfied.”
• Living-situation satisfaction rates are much lower among single people, with 74% of single men and 67% of single women reporting being satisfied with their current living situation. Just 39% of single people say they are “very satisfied.”
• 80% of U.S. residents say they are at least “somewhat satisfied” with their current living situation, including 50% who are “very satisfied.”

Married men are near-universally satisfied (90%) with their current living situation. Overwhelming majorities of all married people (88%) and married women (85%) are content, too.

In contrast, a much lower share (71%) of single people say they are satisfied with their current housing.

This is according to a Rocket Mortgage and Redfin-commissioned survey conducted by Ipsos in November 2025, fielded to 4,000 U.S. residents.

Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather attributes this disparity to the economic benefits that often come along with marriage.

“Housing satisfaction generally comes down to what your budget allows,” Fairweather says. “Married people often have dual incomes, which means more choices – whether renting or owning. Households on a single income are more likely to have to make more compromises.”

A separate Redfin analysis from the same survey found that the share of single people who say they struggle to afford housing is significantly higher compared with married couples.

Zooming out, men – no matter their relationship status – report slightly higher satisfaction with their living situation than women. When asked why this may be, Fairweather again pointed to trade-offs.

 “Women, on average, have lower incomes and face tighter affordability limits, which means fewer options and more compromises in the homes they choose,” she says.

But that doesn’t mean women can’t be satisfied with their living situation. Tyler Clark, a single homeowner from Chicago who financed her home with Rocket Mortgage, has approached her space with an intentional mindset.

“I’m thoughtful about the choices I make in my home, investing in updates that elevate both my everyday experience and the long term value of the space. The smallest details can completely transform how a home feels,” Clark says. “When my space reflects my style and personality, it brings a sense of comfort, inspiration, and peace that goes far beyond how much was spent.”

Singles’ satisfaction with living situation is poised for change

The impact of gender and relationship status on Americans’ perceptions of their homes shows up in other ways, too.

For example, relative to women and single people, men and married people are more likely to say they “feel a sense of belonging in their neighborhood.” The latter groups are also more likely than the former ones to report having helped or received help from a neighbor in the past year.

But as younger generations delay marriage – or even forgo it altogether – single households are poised to become more common. Case in point: The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report found that more than 1 in 3 (35%) Gen Z buyers – defined as those born between 1999 and 2011 – were single women, representing the highest share across all generations.

If this trend continues, living satisfaction among single people may be poised to shift.

“Single living comes with a big upside – complete autonomy over your space – but also more financial pressure because there’s only one income to fund monthly rent or mortgage payments,” Fairweather says. “Satisfaction is likely to become more uneven: higher for single people who can comfortably afford their space, and more strained for those stretching their budgets.”

Methodology

The survey results in this report are from a Rocket Mortgage and Redfin survey conducted by Ipsos in November 2025, fielded to a nationally representative sample of 4,000 U.S. residents. The topline results for this survey have a credibility interval of +/-1.9 percentage points.

This report is focused mainly on one question that was asked to all respondents: “How do you feel about your current living situation?” Respondents could select “I am very satisfied,” “I am somewhat satisfied,” “I am neither satisfied or dissatisfied,” “I am somewhat dissatisfied,” and “I am very dissatisfied.” We grouped very/somewhat satisfied, and very/somewhat dissatisfied.