A new category of "lone male households" has emerged from Co Meath's housing assessment survey.
It shows that one-in-seven people seeking a home in the county is a lone male - a total of 97.
Meath's 2002 statutory housing assessment, presented to council members this week, showed 678 people needed to be housed by the council.
One-person households accounted for the greatest number of applicants.
In addition to lone males, there were 57 applications from lone woman, and 298 from lone women with children.
Another indication of the plight of some lone males in Meath is that 20 of them were included in the "homeless" category.
This was the highest grouping of the 43 people in this category.
Some 37 of the 43 are living in B&Bs, with the remainder either in refuges due to domestic violence or sleeping rough.
When analysing the applicants' requirements, it found that 263 were not reasonably able to pay rent for the housing they were in, nor were they able to get a suitable alternative.
A further 167 were living in overcrowded accommodation, and 83 were in unsafe accommodation.
In addition to the 97 men, a further 18 lone males with children were looking for council housing.
Meath County Council official Mr Kevin Stewart suggested increasing levels of marital breakdown accounted for this new category.
The low number of applications from non-nationals from outside the EU was highlighted by Sinn Féin councillor Mr Joe Reilly.
Only two had refugee status, 17 were permitted to remain in the State and three held work permits.
Mr Reilly said this should silence racist suggestions that non-nationals were depriving Irish people of housing.