What Does Being Single Really Cost Black Women—And Is It Worth It?
It has long been understood that being single is more expensive, but that narrative is shifting. It’s not that it’s getting any cheaper to live on one income, but there’s […] The post What Does Being Single Really Cost Black Women—And Is It Worth It? appeared first on Essence.
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Three heart shaped balloons float in the wind in front of a shop ahead of Valentine s Day in Lyon in France on February 6 2026. (Photo by Matthieu Delaty / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images) 
It has long been understood that being single is more expensive, but that narrative is shifting. It’s not that it’s getting any cheaper to live on one income, but there’s a generational shift in understanding the value of being single.
There is a very real financial consequence dubbed the “single’s tax” that describes paying for rent, food, other necessities, and wants with one income when single instead of two when partnered up. Though the so-called tax affects any gender, the narrative around it is quickly changing today, especially from the perspective of women. Whatever singleness might cost Black women, it’s making up for it in happiness.
Compared to men, single women reported more contentment in being single, according to a recent survey by Ally Bank. The same survey also found that singles face higher rates of financial anxiety than those in relationships. Rather than a contradiction in women’s joy while being single despite the money woes, Jack Howard, head of money wellness at Ally Bank, sees the “intention” in what single women are choosing today: financial independence.
“We’re seeing a move away from the ‘waiting room’ mentality. Women aren’t waiting for a partner to start living,” Howard tells ESSENCE. “Many feel empowered by the autonomy, freedom and peace of mind that come with their relationship status, while also fully understanding the responsibility of managing money solo. That driver’s-seat clarity, especially without the financial buffer of a partner’s income, can bring added pressure or money anxiety for some.”
Despite the unjust stereotypes culture often casts on single women — that they’re lonely, desperate, “cat ladies,” etcetera — it has never been as cool as it is to be single right now, thanks to a generational shift from women. Women’s perspectives are changing around relationships, especially heterosexual ones. Chanté Joseph’s viral 2025 article, titled “Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?”, went deeper into this heterofatalism women feel today, or understanding that dating men is a humiliation ritual but still doing it anyway.
What are women really experiencing around the “single’s tax”? They’re more happy choosing peace and singlehood, even if it’s seen as a slightly pricier move, rather than unintentionally diving into partnership. This might explain why only a third of participants identified with experiencing a “single’s tax,” signaling the notion itself feels increasingly outdated. This is especially true for Gen Z, of which only a quarter said they’ve experienced the so-called tax compared to 41% of Gen X, who experienced it at the highest rate.
“For many people, particularly younger adults, singledom is less about loss and more about autonomy. Independence, control over money decisions and flexibility often deliver an emotional ROI that may offset the financial weight of managing money solo,” the Ally Bank exec says. “Ultimately, the ‘cost’ of being single isn’t just about dollars and cents — it’s just as emotional as it is financial, shaped by how people define ful>at stake,” she says.
“There’s a long-standing narrative that being single is a stressful, in-between phase defined by financial disadvantage… [that it’s] something people are waiting to exit. But the data tells a different story,” Howard says. And to more women today, intentional singleness is worth every penny.
The post What Does Being Single Really Cost Black Women—And Is It Worth It? appeared first on Essence.
