Gen Z daters seek financially stable partners, Coffee Meets Bagel CEO says

Coffee Meets Bagel co-CEO Quincy Yang told Businessinsider that young daters are prioritizing partners with financial stability because dual incomes are now needed to afford housing and other rising costs.

Yang said "it's so hard to afford to buy a house, or any property," and that many younger people are staying with their parents while trying to build careers. His co-CEO, Shn Juay, added that Gen Z is less interested in hookups and more focused on pragmatic partner qualities. A November survey of about 1,050 US users aged 21 to 35 on the app — which has around 20 million users worldwide — found 54% listed financial stability as a top priority and almost 60% called "ambition/drive" a must-have. The report cites broader pressures: a June 2024 US Treasury Department finding that housing costs have risen faster than incomes, US food prices up nearly 25% from 2020 to 2024 per USDA data, and tariffs this year that have forced large retailers to raise prices.

The CEOs urged daters to be judicious about dealbreakers, with Juay saying people can earn higher degrees or promotions over time but are often still early in their careers at 28. Coffee Meets Bagel said that "practical matters still reign supreme," and other studies show more adults living with partners as the percentage living without one fell from 44% in 2019 to 42% in 2023.

Key Topics

Culture, Coffee Meets Bagel, Quincy Yang, Shn Juay, Us Treasury Department, Usda