Prevalence of Hoarding Disorder: Men vs. Women

Clinical research on hoarding disorder shows mixed findings regarding gender prevalence. Epidemiological studies in the general population have often found equal or higher rates of hoarding in men. For example, a large community survey reported a hoarding prevalence of about 4–5% and observed men were roughly twice as likely as women to meet hoarding criteria (5.6% vs. 2.6%). Similarly, a twin study found clinically significant hoarding in 4.1% of male twins versus 2.1% of female twins. These data suggest men may have at least as high a propensity to hoard as women in the broader population. In contrast, clinical samples of hoarding patients tend to be predominantly female. Many hoarding-disorder sufferers who seek treatment or join studies are women – one self-identified hoarder sample was 78% female. This discrepancy implies that male hoarders may be underrepresented in treatment; researchers note clinical hoarding cases “tend to be predominantly female,” suggesting male hoarders are an undertreated population. Indeed, women appear more likely to recognize the problem and seek help, whereas men with hoarding problems may remain hidden or reluctant to engage in treatment. Overall, current evidence indicates no clear-cut gender dominance in hoarding prevalence – the American Psychiatric Association notes that hoarding disorder “occurs with equal frequency in men and women” – but significant gender differences emerge in who gets identified and enters clinical care.

Behavioral and Consumer Patterns in Hoarding

Although the core symptoms of hoarding (difficulty discarding, excessive clutter, and often excessive acquiring) occur in both genders, behavioral patterns and consumer habits can differ. Research suggests women may engage in more acquisition behaviors – compulsive shopping, collecting freebies, and accumulating household items – compared to men. This aligns with findings in consumer psychology: the majority of compulsive buyers who seek treatment (around 80–94%) are female, reflecting that women more often use shopping as an emotional outlet. (Notably, general-population surveys of compulsive buying show similar rates in men and women (~6% each), again hinting that men under-report or do not seek help as frequently.) Women hoarders thus tend to accumulate larger quantities of items, potentially due to higher rates of “retail therapy” and feeling responsible for keeping things that might be useful. Men and women also differ in what they hoard. Case reports and behavioral studies note women are more likely to save clothing, personal care products, and household goods – items tied to daily domestic life or family needs. These are often seen as necessities or sentimental objects (children’s clothes, gifts, décor), which makes them emotionally harder to discard. Men, on the other hand, more often hoard tools, hardware, electronics, magazines, and hobby collectibles. Such items are usually kept for their perceived instrumental or future value (e.g. spare parts “that might be useful,” gadgets, sports memorabilia, model kits). In essence, female hoarders may accumulate a wider variety of everyday items (fueled by shopping and household roles), whereas male hoarders often stockpile niche items related to their interests or work.

Another observable difference is in response to clutter and organization. Clutter in the home tends to induce more stress and mental load in women than in men. In one UCLA study of family homes, mothers who described their houses as cluttered or “chaotic” showed elevated cortisol (stress hormone) patterns, whereas fathers touring the same messy rooms often did not even mention the mess and showed no psychological distress . Surveys echo this “clutter gap”: 79% of women report that a cluttered home makes them feel stressed, compared to about 59% of men. This may reflect cultural expectations that women “should” keep a tidy home, leading to anxiety when possessions pile up. Men are generally less bothered by disorganization, or may frame their accumulations as collections or tools rather than “mess.” These behavioral differences mean women might experience more day-to-day distress from hoarding behaviors (prompting them to attempt decluttering or seek help), while men may tolerate larger piles of stuff without perceiving a problem until it becomes extreme.

Psychological and Biological Factors Behind Gender Differences

Researchers are exploring whether biological or psychological factors can explain these gendered patterns in hoarding. One consideration is comorbidity profiles. Hoarding disorder is often accompanied by other mental health conditions, and these associations vary by gender. Clinical data indicate that male hoarders more frequently have co-occurring generalized anxiety or neurological tics, whereas female hoarders show higher rates of social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), body dysmorphic disorder, and compulsive grooming behaviors (e.g. skin-picking). In other words, women who hoard may be more likely to have trauma-related and anxiety disorders, suggesting their hoarding could be linked to emotional regulation or past loss. Men’s hoarding, tied more to general anxiety or even neurological traits, might stem from more utilitarian saving or difficulty with organization that overlaps with anxiety/tic tendencies. Both genders report high rates of past traumatic events (loss, abuse, deprivation) preceding or exacerbating hoarding, but how they internalize these experiences may differ. For instance, some psychologists note women often cite emotional attachment and memory preservation as reasons for hoarding (“I can’t throw this out; it reminds me of ______”), whereas men might emphasize the instrumental value (“I might need this cable/part someday”). Notably, studies of object attachment find intense sentimental bonds to possessions in both men and women with hoarding – it’s a hallmark of the disorder regardless of gender. Both sexes anthropomorphize items or imbue them with identity and comfort. Thus, the capacity for emotional attachment to belongings appears equally strong in hoarders of all genders, even if the content of cherished items differs (family mementos vs. hobby objects).

Biological and developmental research hints at further differences. A twin study of adolescents found that genetic and environmental influences on hoarding may diverge by sex. In 15-year-olds, girls had a higher prevalence of hoarding symptoms than boys, and environmental factors (both shared and unique) explained most of the variance in girls’ hoarding, whereas in boys genetic factors played a larger role . In other words, teenage girls’ hoarding behavior seemed more linked to upbringing, learned habits, or life events, while boys’ hoarding had a stronger heritable component . This intriguing result suggests biological propensities might be more pronounced in males, whereas social or family influences impact females more – though it’s unknown if this pattern persists into adulthood. There are also evolutionary theories positing that hoarding had survival value (storing resources) for our ancestors. Some speculate that because women traditionally managed the home and provisions in many societies, they might have a stronger instinct or socialization to save and stockpile household necessities. Men’s evolutionary roles in hunting and tool-making might translate into a tendency to accumulate “trophies” or equipment. Consumer-behavior scholars have noted a “hunting” metaphor in male collecting: men often pursue collectibles (coins, sports cards, gadgets) as prized acquisitions, reflecting competitiveness and mastery. Women, conversely, may feel more duty to preserve family heirlooms or keep items “just in case” for others. These are theoretical explanations, but they align with observed trends: women’s hoarding is frequently tied to family and security (e.g. hoarding food, linens, children’s items in fear of future need), whereas men’s hoards can resemble personal museums of hobbies or history (piles of newspapers, records, outdated tech kept for fascination or pride).

Neuroscientific studies have not found any major sex-specific brain differences in hoarding disorder to date – neuroimaging implicates frontal brain regions in all hoarders (involved in decision-making and emotional regulation). However, the interaction of gender with psychology might affect how hoarding symptoms manifest. For example, animal hoarding (accumulating dozens of pets in unhealthy conditions) is an extreme form often linked to attachment and caregiving gone awry, and it appears disproportionately in older women. This could reflect a nurturing impulse mischanneled into keeping animals, combined with isolation. Meanwhile, hoarding in older men sometimes goes unnoticed until a health or safety crisis (since men may live alone and see their collecting as a hobby). In summary, biological and psychological theories suggest that while hoarding disorder’s core features are similar for men and women, the pathways into hoarding may differ – with men perhaps more influenced by genetic/neurological factors and instrumental thinking, and women more by psychosocial factors like trauma, caregiving roles, and emotional coping.

Cultural and Societal Influences

Culture and gender roles strongly shape how hoarding behavior is expressed and perceived. In many societies, women have traditionally been the managers of the home, responsible for childcare, cleaning, and keeping household supplies. This social role can inadvertently encourage hoarding behavior: women may feel obligated to save items that “might be useful someday” for the family or to hold onto sentimental keepsakes for relatives. What starts as sensible thrift (saving hand-me-down clothes, kitchenwares, holiday decorations) can escalate into excessive accumulation if coupled with indecisiveness or attachment. Social expectations about homemaking also mean that a cluttered, messy house reflects more negatively on women – leading to stigma. Women who hoard often face greater shame and secrecy because a disorderly home clashes with cultural norms that women should maintain domestic order. This stigma may delay women from seeking help until the situation is severe. By contrast, men are not as strongly judged by the state of their home; a garage full of tools or stacks of old magazines might be dismissed as a quirky “man cave” habit. In fact, some of men’s hoarding is socially framed as collecting, especially if it involves valuables like stamps, records, or antiques. Historically, prominent collectors (of art, coins, etc.) were predominantly male, and this was seen as a prestigious hobby rather than pathology. This creates a cultural double-standard: a woman with a house overflowing with clothes or knickknacks may be labeled a “packrat” or disparaged as having a problem, where a man with overflowing bookshelves or gadget collections might escape censure or even be admired for his passion.

Media portrayals have reinforced certain gendered perceptions of hoarding. Television shows like Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive often feature middle-aged or older women as the hoarders, contributing to the stereotype of the “hoarder housewife” or “crazy cat lady.” In reality, severe hoarding affects men as well, but male cases have been less visible. Interestingly, the most infamous historical hoarding case – the Collyer brothers in 1940s New York – involved two men who filled their mansion with junk until it became a deathtrap. This reminds us that hoarding is not exclusively female. Nevertheless, cultural narratives frequently tie hoarding to women and the elderly. Aging is indeed a factor: hoarding severity tends to increase with age, and older adults (55+ years) are about three times more likely to be afflicted than younger adults. Because women have longer life expectancy and often outlive spouses, many elderly hoarders living alone are female. Some of these women began hoarding after widowhood or after their children left home, using possessions to cope with loneliness. Others are from the generation that lived through the Great Depression or wartime rationing – they internalized a “save everything” mentality in times of scarcity. Clinical observers note that older people (of either gender) who remember deprivation often hoard as a security blanket, stockpiling food, supplies, and memorabilia as a hedge against uncertainty.

Cultural attitudes also influence help-seeking and intervention. As mentioned, women are somewhat more willing to acknowledge the problem and accept assistance. Men may be less likely to admit they have lost control of their stuff, perhaps due to pride or the belief that their hoard is logical (e.g. “these are valuable tools/gadgets”). Professional organizers and therapists who work with hoarders report that adult daughters are often the ones who call for help to clean out an elderly parent’s hoarded home – reflecting that females in the family take on the burden of addressing clutter. Community responses can differ too: a hoarded house belonging to a woman might prompt quicker judgment or intervention as “unsafe living conditions,” whereas a man’s overstuffed garage might be overlooked longer. Of course, once hoarding poses public hazards (fire risk, vermin), authorities step in regardless of gender. But even those public narratives get gendered labels (e.g. derisive terms like “bag lady” for homeless women with hoarded belongings, versus eccentric inventor tropes for men).

In sum, women do not have a universally greater propensity to hoard than men, but the phenomenon manifests differently across psychological, behavioral, and cultural dimensions. Prevalence studies indicate men hoard at least as often as women, yet women are more visible in clinical and media contexts, partly due to traditional roles and societal pressures. Women may accumulate more household and sentimental items, driven by emotional attachment and caretaking urges, while men accumulate more tools, collectibles, and “projects,” driven by utility or hobby interests. Women also tend to experience more stress and stigma around clutter, whereas men are more likely to normalize their hoards. Psychological factors like comorbid anxiety/trauma can influence each gender’s hoarding motivations (with distinct profiles for men vs. women), and there is some evidence of different genetic vs. environmental influences by sex . Culturally, gender roles shape behaviors – from women’s “saving for the family” mindset to men’s collector ethos – and they affect how hoarders are perceived and when they seek help. Hoarding is a complex, multifaceted disorder, and gender is one lens that reveals important nuances in its expression. Understanding these differences can improve how clinicians tailor interventions (e.g. addressing a female hoarder’s emotional attachments or a male hoarder’s pragmatic justifications) and reduce stigma by dispelling the myth that hoarding is only a “women’s issue.” Both men and women can struggle with pathological hoarding, and both can recover with appropriate support, though the outreach and therapeutic approach may need to be sensitively adjusted to their differing experiences.

Sources:

  • Samuels et al., Prevalence and Correlates of Hoarding Behavior in a Community-Based Sample – Biological Psychiatry, 2008 (community survey data on hoarding rates by gender).
  • Ivanov et al., Prevalence, Comorbidity and Heritability of Hoarding Symptoms in Adolescence – PLoS ONE, 2013 (twin study of 15-year-olds) .
  • APA (American Psychiatric Association), What is Hoarding Disorder? 2023 (overview of hoarding, noting similar rates in men and women).
  • Novara et al., Hoarding Symptoms Are Not Exclusive to Hoarders – Frontiers in Psychology, 2016 (discussion of gender in hoarding; cites Frost 2011 with 78% female sample and epidemiological male prevalence).
  • Belk, “Collecting in a Consumer Society” (as cited in History and Hoarding exhibit, Univ. of Ottawa) – observation on gender differences in compulsive buying vs. collecting.
  • UCLA CELF study (Saxbe & Repetti), Personality and Soc. Psych. Bulletin, 2010 – links between clutter, cortisol, and stress in dual-income families (mothers vs. fathers) .
  • “The Gender Clutter Gap” – Caboodle survey, 2019 (79% of women vs 59% of men report clutter-induced stress).
  • Wikipedia: Hoarding disorder (summary of epidemiology and gender-related comorbidities, citing Grisham & Norberg 2010).
  • WeMove-It Blog, “Are Most Hoarders Male or Female?” Oct 2024 (consolidates research on gender differences in hoarding behavior and item types).
  • Promises Behavioral Health, “Women and Compulsive Hoarding”, 2014 (notes that women more often seek help and tend to hoard personal/domestic items, whereas men hoard hobby items).
  • Herring, “Hoarding, Aging, and the Perfect Mess” – Critical Inquiry, 2014 (cultural analysis linking hoarding stereotypes to older women and historical contexts).