{"id":175454,"date":"2026-02-12T20:18:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T20:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/175454\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T20:18:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T20:18:08","slug":"san-jose-beats-out-costly-metros-in-married-households","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/175454\/","title":{"rendered":"San Jose beats out costly metros in married households"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nestled in the heart of\u00a0California\u2019s Silicon Valley,\u00a0San Jose\u00a0is synonymous with a\u00a0booming tech industry<\/a>\u00a0and sky-high home prices\u2014but it also stands out for having one of the highest concentrations of married couples<\/a> among major US metros.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In San Jose, roughly 54% of households are forged in marriage, compared to less than half of households nationwide, according to a new analysis of the US Census Bureau\u2019s\u00a0American Community Survey<\/a>\u00a0data carried out by the\u00a0National Association of Realtors\u00ae<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe data shows that high-cost metros may delay family formation, but they don\u2019t eliminate it,\u201d writes\u00a0Nadia Evangelou, senior economist and director of real estate research at NAR.\u00a0<\/p>\n

San Jose has the distinction of consistently ranking as the nation\u2019s priciest housing market among the 50 biggest metros. In January, the typical home in the city cost $1.195 million, which is roughly three times the national median of $399,900,\u00a0according to the latest monthly housing market trends report from Realtor.com\u00ae<\/a>.<\/p>\n

San Jose has the distinction of ranking as the nation\u2019s priciest housing market among the 50 biggest metros. Wirestock \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

Evangelou explains that while people in high-priced markets like San Jose tend to defer marriage and parenthood, most still say \u201cI do\u201d eventually.<\/p>\n

According to the NAR economist, these married-couple households are likelier to have dual incomes, higher levels of education, and greater financial stability than their unmarried counterparts.<\/p>\n

Alexander Kalla, a San Francisco Bay Area-based\u00a0real estate agent,\u00a0says married buyers in San Jose enjoy a major financial advantage<\/a> over singles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe entry ticket to homeownership in San Jose is so high that it\u2019s simply much easier to make the math work when there are two strong W\u20112 incomes behind the purchase,\u201d Kalla tells Realtor.com. \u201cWith typical home prices well into seven figures, even a modest single\u2011family home requires a six\u2011figure down payment and a very large monthly payment, and that\u2019s a lot for one income to shoulder alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Married buyers in San Jose enjoy a major financial advantage over their single counterparts. pikappa51 \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

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Relationship between marriage and housing<\/p>\n

Marriage rates and housing market conditions are closely intertwined. Persistent affordability challenges, including\u00a0elevated mortgage rates<\/a>\u00a0and home prices, have been prompting 30-year-olds to delay major life milestones, including marriage and first-home purchases<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The percentage of married households across US metros dropped to 47%\u00a0last year, down from nearly 66% in 1975, according to\u00a0Census Bureau estimates<\/a>\u00a0released in December.<\/p>\n

Among married-couple households, the portion with their own children declined to 37% compared to 54% in 1975.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the median age of a\u00a0first-time homebuyers in the US reached 40 years<\/a>\u00a0last year, a record high\u2014up from 38 years in 2024 \u2014 as NAR\u2019s\u00a0annual profile of home buyers and sellers<\/a>\u00a0revealed in 2025.<\/p>\n

San Jose\u2019s housing market says \u2018I do\u2019<\/p>\n

But San Jose bucks some of these national trends \u2014 with significant implications for the local housing market.<\/p>\n

Evangelou notes that households built around marriage tend to fuel more stable overall demand and stronger demand for larger homes, focusing on properties where they can raise a family. They also tend to stay in place longer than younger, unmarried buyers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a market often associated with affordability challenges, the data shows that married-couple households remain a major force of the local housing demand,\u201d Evangelou tells Realtor.com.<\/p>\n

Kalla says that dynamic is especially evident in multiple\u2011offer situations.<\/p>\n

In San Jose, roughly 54% of households are forged in marriage, compared to less than half of households nationwide. Sundry Photography \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

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\u201cOn desirable family homes near top schools, the winning offer is often a married, dual\u2011income household that can be a bit more aggressive on price, shorten contingencies, and still look very strong on paper,\u201d says the agent. \u201cSingles can absolutely compete if they have exceptional earnings or a large down payment, but as a group they\u2019re at more of a disadvantage in San Jose simply because our baseline prices and carrying costs are so high.\u201d<\/p>\n

For context, based on NAR\u2019s data analysis, the metro with the nation\u2019s largest concentration of married-couple household is\u00a0Provo, UT<\/a>, at 68%, while\u00a0Greenville, NC, has the smallest, at just 34.6%.<\/p>\n

Evangelou explains that she chose to focus on San Jose, rather than highest-share Provo, because it is both one of the top 25 markets for married couples and one of the largest, highest-cost metros in the US.<\/p>\n

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