Women Who Live Alone Are More Likely To Succeed At Work, Study Finds

With the myriad types of dating websites and dating mobile applications available, there is some stigma attached to being a single female these days, especially for those who are in their mid-twenties and older. However, being single – or at least living independently – has far more benefits than society is letting on. In fact, a recent study has proven that young women living alone are more likely to earn more money, have professional jobs, and have more education than those who live with other people.

All the single ladies out there: Rejoice! All the women living alone: Raise your wallets! Women who live alone are more likely to be successful — keep reading to find out why.

Why Women Are Living Independently

Women are far more likely than men (54% versus  46%, as of 2013) to live independently, and older adults are even more likely to do so than the younger generation of women. There are numerous reasons for this.

For one, women live an average of six years longer than men do. As a result, if they maintain good health, they can care for themselves well into their 80s and 90s.

They can afford to. Women buy twice as many homes as men do.

They cherish their individualism. This individualism is not always easy to maintain when living with roommates or a significant other.

There are far more options available than there were just a few years ago. Today, women are able to pursue their goals first. There is simply less of need for women to cohabitate in today’s society.

Women Living Alone Are More Successful

Women living alone are more likely to be successful than both their male counterparts and fellow women who choose to live with others.

According to recent studies, 45% of women living independently had completed tertiary education (compared to just 26% of men). Women living alone were also more likely to have an established and successful career. In fact, 38% of women residing independently had a professional job. This is 10% more than women who lived with others and 14% more than men who lived alone.

In terms of salary, women who live by themselves represent a significant portion of those getting that cash. An entire fifth of young women living alone fell into the top tier income bracket during these studies, compared to a mere 7% of young women who live with other people.

The success that comes with living alone brings far more options than women have when they live with others. Not only are they able to do whatever they want with their place of residence (have a night of Netflix and ice cream, spread newspapers all over the floor, dance around), but they also end up saving a good amount of money. Take into account the fact that they are more likely to have professional careers, and then factor in the fact that they do not have to pay for shared items. Living alone is costing them less in the long-run than living with others would.

The co-author of the study, Dr Lixia Qu of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, says “young women who live alone are well to-do and have choices” that were not available a few decades ago. In fact, this “success provides [young women] with more options.” This furthers their independence and personal success because “they do not need to partner, or their work and career provide more attractions than partnering and having a family.”

A Note on Cost of Living

Roommates are great… most of the time. But, there are those times when the food you buy gets “accidentally” eaten by someone else. There are times when you end up spotting them a twenty, only to never actually have them pay you back. There are times when you end up buying the household items because your roommate forgets or is simply far too irresponsible to think of buying household cleaners.

By living alone, women are able to dedicate themselves to succeeding in their careers, saving their money, and living on their own terms. They do not have to share space, or things, with other people. They learn to deal with the surprises that pop up every now and then, such as a power outage or leaky faucet, without having to rely on someone else to fix it. They acquire more life skills, which adds to their independence and success.

Saving money and focusing on climbing that career ladder is especially important in places that are more expensive to live. By saving up the money that they would otherwise end up spending on roommates, shared household items, or frequent nights out, they are able to compensate for possibly higher living in expensive cities or areas. Places like New York City, New Jersey, and California, for example, have a much higher cost of living — from groceries, to haircuts, to auto insurance.

By being better educated, having more professional jobs, and being more independent, women living alone in these areas are less likely to experience the difficulties associated with the high cost of living than those who live with others.

As such, women living alone tend to be more successful than those who live with others. Why put up with sharing space with other people when you can save stacks of cash by living on your own?