Too Broke to Break Up: How the DMV’s Cost of Living Is Keeping Couples Together (For Better or Worse)

The math isn’t mathing, but the lease is still valid. That’s the reality for 23% of couples nationally staying together primarily because of financial dependency, according to LendingTree. In Canada, 55% of people say they need to be in a relationship just to afford their lifestyle. And nowhere is this pressure more acute than in cities with astronomical costs of living. Cities like the DMV.

Welcome to the era of “financial cohabitation,” where splitting rent isn’t smart budgeting, it’s survival.

The DMV Reality Check

The DMV’s cost of living sits 50% higher than the national average. Median rent for a one-bedroom runs $2,210 to $2,652, while the median home price hit $638,310 in 2025. You’d need roughly $87,000 annually just to afford a one-bedroom by the standard 30% income-to-rent ratio.

The median household income in DC is $109,707. Sounds solid until you realize that’s household income. For many young professionals, splitting rent with a partner isn’t optional. Breaking up doesn’t just mean losing your person, it means potentially losing your ability to stay in the region.

With DC’s unemployment rate at 6.0% (the highest in the nation) and federal spending cuts slowing the job market, the thought of going it alone becomes even more daunting.

The National Trend: Love in the Time of Inflation

This isn’t just a DMV problem. It’s generational. Seventy-seven percent of couples in North America report financial strain, with 62% arguing about money. American couples average 58 money-related arguments per year, more than one fight per week about finances.

But the most telling stat: one in three couples admit they’re only staying together because they fear not being able to afford living alone.

The rising cost of everything, from groceries (up 10-15% in the DMV) to transportation ($6,106 annually), means being single comes with a premium most can’t afford. The “single tax” is real, and it’s expensive.

The Side Effects: How Money Changes Dating

Financial pressure isn’t just keeping couples together, it’s reshaping how people approach relationships from the start. Nearly 44% of couples moved in together earlier than planned for financial reasons. In Massachusetts, that number jumps to 75%.

This has given rise to “future-proofing.” Ninety-five percent of singles say worries about the future impact who they date and how they approach relationships, according to Bumble. Financial stability, job security, and housing are now first-date conversations. People vet potential partners with the same scrutiny they’d apply to a business partner because, economically, that’s what a romantic partner becomes.

Budget-friendly dates have become the norm. Coffee meetups replace dinner reservations. Home-cooked meals replace weekend getaways.

The Hidden Costs of “Staying for the Rent”

But what happens when financial convenience becomes a trap? Couples who move in together before fully committing often “slide” into cohabitation for practical reasons rather than making intentional decisions. Research shows this can lead to low-quality marriages that end in divorce.

The logistics compound the problem. Furniture, leases, pets, shared lives. One partner moving out becomes financially devastating, creating a “stuck” feeling that keeps unhappy couples together longer than they should. Divorced and separated couples are increasingly becoming roommates, cohabitating because neither can afford to live alone.

Delayed Milestones, Shifted Priorities

The financial pressure is delaying major life decisions. Fifty-five percent of young Canadians report the housing crisis is causing them to delay starting families. Thirty-eight percent have postponed moving out of their parents’ homes due to economic uncertainty.

These aren’t temporary setbacks. This is how an entire generation is experiencing adulthood.

So What Do We Do?

Economic necessity doesn’t make a relationship inherently bad. Financial practicality has always been a component of partnership. What’s changed is the degree to which it’s dominating decisions.

The key is communication and honesty. Only 29% of financially honest couples fight about money, compared to 54% of couples who aren’t transparent. Yet one in four Americans admits to occasionally omitting financial information from their partners.

If you’re staying together for financial reasons, be honest about it. Have the conversation. Acknowledge the reality. Make sure you’re on the same page about what the relationship is and where it’s going.

The Bottom Line

The DMV’s cost of living isn’t just affecting where you live or what you can afford to do. It’s fundamentally reshaping relationships, dating culture, and major life decisions. The question isn’t whether money matters in relationships, it always has. The question is whether we’re willing to be honest about just how much it matters now.

Because if we’re going to navigate this new economic reality together, literally and figuratively, we need to start having real conversations about what we’re sacrificing, what we’re settling for, and what we truly want versus what we can actually afford.

The cost of love in 2025 is higher than ever. The real question is: what are you willing to pay?