Coffee Meets Bagel CEO: Gen Z Wants Financially Secure Matches

Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB), the dating app known for curated matches aimed at serious relationships, has highlighted a key shift in Gen Z dating preferences through recent comments from its leadership and user survey data. Co-CEO Quincy Yang told Business Insider that economic pressures are reshaping how younger users approach partnerships, with financial considerations being a key detail in the partners they select.

Yang pointed to the difficulties many young adults face in achieving traditional milestones like homeownership, noting that rising housing costs have made single-income living increasingly unrealistic. Dual incomes are now often essential for affording even a median home or condo, creating a practical incentive to seek partners who demonstrate financial stability and career ambition.

Co-CEO Shn Juay added that this pragmatic outlook contributes to Gen Z’s lower interest in casual hookups compared to previous generations. Instead, users are focusing on realistic, long-term compatibility, viewing ideal partners through a lens of shared economic goals rather than purely romantic or recreational criteria.

These observations stem from a November 2025 CMB survey of approximately 1,050 U.S. users aged 21-35, all working professionals open to or actively seeking relationships. The results showed 54% ranking financial stability as a top life priority – higher than love/relationships or family (both at 47%). Nearly 60% identified ambition/drive as a must-have trait in a partner, surpassing shared interests in importance.

Broader economic context supports this trend. U.S. housing costs have outpaced income growth for years, per Treasury Department reports, while food prices rose nearly 25% from 2020 to 2024 according to USDA data. Recent tariff policies have further increased everyday expenses, making independent living a challenge for many. A Pew Research analysis of Census data also shows a slight uptick in adults living with partners, from 56% in 2019 to 58% in 2023, suggesting shared living arrangements as a response to these rising costs.

This pattern echoes wider 2026 dating industry discussions, including reports from apps like BLK emphasizing intentionality and early screening for values -including financial habits – among Gen Z users.