Best and Worst Cities for Singles in America

Getting tired of hearing “It’s not you, it’s me,”? Well, what if the real reason you may be struggling to find love is that it’s not you, but it’s the city you live in. We’ve read countless articles and claims that this city or that city is the best place for singles in the U.S. But instead of just blindly believing the claims, we decided to get to the bottom of it.

Here’s what our research team looked at:

• Studied the 100 largest cities by population in the United States
• Analyzed each city on 36 different data points
• Aggregated scores and rankings into 3 main scoring categories
• Ranked the cities from best to worst

Table of Contents

• Brief Methodology
• The List of the Best Cities for Singles
• Full Table of Results
• Additional Interesting Findings
• Complete Methodology and Sources

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Brief Methodology

Scoring Category 1 – The Dating Pool (40% of total score)

• % of the population that is single (40% weight)
• % of high school graduates (12% weight)
• Diversity of male and female population (10% weight)
• % with access to the internet from home (10% weight)
• Google search trends for singles (10% weight)
• Prevalence of STDs (13% weight)

Scoring Category 2 – The Cost of Dating (30% of total score)

• Cost of Living Index (25% weight)
• Average cost of dining out (15% weight)
• Average cost of movie tickets (15% weight)
• Average cost of cocktail out (15% weight)
• Average cost of a Lyft ride (15% weight)
• Average cost of a gym membership (15% weight)

Scoring Category 3 – Dating Amenities and Safety (30% of total score)

• Total number of entertainment locations (35% weight)
• Food and bar service locations (20% weight)
• Crime Statistical Index (20% weight)
• Park Score Index (10% weight)
• Waiters per/1000 jobs (7.5% weight)
• Bartenders per/1000 jobs (7.5% weight)

Sources: Census.gov, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), The Center for Disease Control (CDC) City-Data.com, Google Analytics, Expatistan, PayScale.com, EstimateFares, The Trust for Public Land (TPL)

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The Best Cities for Singles – Research Findings

1. Minneapolis, Minnesota

Key Findings About Dating in Minneapolis

• 63% of the women in the city are single (unmarried).
• 65% of the men in the city are single (unmarried).
• The average price of a 10-mile Lyft ride is $11.57.
• The city has 1,877 entertainment locations.
• 81.60% of people have at least a high school education.

Minneapolis, Minnesota stole the trophy for the best city for singles in the United States. The city took 1st place overall in the Dating Pool Score Category, which helped to propel its overall score upwards. The score for Amenities was barely top 20 (20th), and Cost of Dating ranking was slightly above average at 38th. It’s no secret that the city with just under 2/3 of the population unmarried is one of the hottest locations for singles.

Additional Resources

• Best Dating Apps Minnesota

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2. Cincinnati, Ohio

Key Findings About Dating in Cincinnati

• Residents have access to 6,891 acres of parks within the city limits.
• The average price of a 10-mile Lyft ride is $12.49.
• The average price of a cappuccino in Cincinnati is $5.06.
• 75.30% of residents have access to the internet from home.
• 70% of women in the city are single (unmarried).

Cincinnati, Ohio takes the silver medal for the best cities for singles in the entire United States. While the city didn’t break the top 10 in any individual categories, strong showings across the board were still good enough for a second place finish.

Additional Resources

• Best Dating Apps Ohio

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3. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Key Findings About Dating in Pittsburgh

• 92.40% of people in the city have at least a high school diploma
• There are 1,042 entertainment spots in Pittsburgh.
• 52% of the population is female.
• 69% of the females in the city are single (unmarried).
• 66% of the men in the city are single (unmarried).

Pittsburgh came out super strong in the Dating Pool Category, which carries the most weight in the study. With almost 70% of the women unmarried, Pittsburgh ranked 11th for that stat alone. The city was slightly below average when it came to the cost of dating, but made up for it with the options available for daters. If you want to grab a drink with that new special someone, the city has 5,385 drinking establishments ready to serve you the cocktail of your choice.

Additional Resources

• Best Dating Apps Pennsylvania

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4. Atlanta, Georgia

Key Findings About Dating in Atlanta

• The population of Atlanta is 506,811 strong.
• The Cost of Living Index is 1% below the national average.
• 90.30% of the population in Atlanta has at least a high school degree.
• 51% of the population is female.
• There are 11,672 drinking establishments in the city.

HOT-lanta didn’t just get its nickname for the balmy weather and hot temperatures. While those surely contributed, the real reason was for the blazing singles scene in the city. If you want to take that new prospect for a walk outside (when it’s not too hot), the city has just under 5,000 acres of park space within the city limits. And if you need to catch a ride because you’re planning on tossing back a few cervezas, the average for a 10-mile Lyft ride in the city is $12.89 (not counting surge pricing or waiting in traffic).

Additional Resources

• Best Dating Apps Georgia

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5. St. Paul, Minnesota

Key Findings About Dating in St. Paul

• 62% of the men and women in the city of St. Paul are single (unmarried).
• There are more females than men in the city (51% to 49%).
• The city has 1,877 entertainment venues you can use for dates.
• There are 6,763 restaurants if grabbing a meal is more your style.
• 86.30% of the people in St. Paul have at least a high school education.

Whoa! Slow down there, Minnesota. This is the second time we’ve seen the state on our list of the best cities for singles, and we’re not even out of the top five. Unlike Minneapolis that stole the show in one category and did okay elsewhere, St. Paul had a good showing across the board. The biggest jump to the total score came from the Amenities and Safety category with a top 10 showing.

Additional Resources

• Best Dating Apps Minnesota

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6. Boise, Idaho

Key Details About Dating in Boise

• 94.90% of people have at least a high school degree (3rd highest).
• There are 293 entertainment establishments in the city.
• The Cost of Living Index in Boise is 8% below the national average.
• The percentage of homes with internet access is 80%.
• The population is an even split of females to males.

Additional Resources

• Best Dating Apps Idaho

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7. Columbus, Ohio

Key Details About Dating in Columbus

• There are 15,155 acres of parks within the city limits.
• The Cost of Living Index is 10% below the national average.
• The average cost of two movie tickets is $21.
• 63% of women in Columbus are single (unmarried).
• 61% of men in the city are single (unmarried).

Additional Resources

• Best Dating Apps Columbus

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8. Richmond, Virginia

Key Details About Dating in Richmond

• The Cost of Living Index in Richmond is 4% below the national average.
• The average price of a cocktail downtown is $10.
• 73% of homes in Richmond have internet access.
• 85% of residents have at least a high school diploma.
• 53% of the population is female.

Additional Resources

• Best Dating Apps Virginia

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9. Arlington, Texas

Key Details About Dating in Arlington

• 52% of the 398,854 people in Arlington are single (unmarried).
• There are 4,714 acres of parks accessible within the city limits.
• The average price of a cappuccino is $4.08.
• 82.40% of homes have internet access.
• 49% of the population is male.

Additional Resources

• Best Dating Apps Texas

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10. Raleigh, North Carolina

Key Details About Dating in Raleigh

• There are 13,619 acres of parks that you can use withing the city limits.
• The Cost of Living Index is 5% below the national average.
• The average cost of a fancy dinner out is $68.
• 91.70% of people have at least a high school education (15th).
• There are 2,667 food and drinking establishments in Raleigh.

Additional Resources

• Best Dating Apps North Carolina

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Full Table of Results – The Best Cities for Singles

Data was accumulated for the 100 largest cities in the United States based on population. If a city had too few of data points, it was removed from the study. The final rankings are for 90 major US cities.

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Additional Interesting Findings

While the main goal of the data study was to find the best cities for singles (and the worst), we also found a lot of other interesting data along the way. Here are some of the things our stats nerds just had to share.

As much as we wish the above pictures was a real shot of our stats team, it’s not.

Cities with the Highest Percentage of Single Men

Winner: Cleveland, Ohio

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Cities with the Highest Percentage of Single Women

Winner: Detroit, Michigan

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Cities with the Most Entertainment Establishments

Winner: Los Angeles, California

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States with the Lowest Prevalence of STDs

Winner: Wyoming

Data looked at instances of AIDS diagnoses, Chlymidia, Early Latent Syphilis, Gonorrhea, HIV Diagnosis, and Primary and Secondary Syphilis per 100,000 residents.

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States with the Highest Prevalence of STDs

Winner: District of Columbia

Data looked at instances of AIDS diagnoses, Chlymidia, Early Latent Syphilis, Gonorrhea, HIV Diagnosis, and Primary and Secondary Syphilis per 100,000 residents.

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Average Cost of a 10-Mile Lyft Ride By City

Winner (Least Expensive): Greensboro, North Carolina

Data comes from EstimateFares. The company is not affiliated with Lyft directly. Please consult Lyft for actual rates in your area for your ride. Rate estimates include base fare, service fee, and mileage charge.

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Complete Methodology and Sources

• The study consisted of the 100 largest cities in the United States by population.
• If a city failed to have sufficient data points, it was removed from the study. 10 cities were removed leaving a total of 90.
• In some instances, state data or data from a neighboring town was used when data was not available. Replacement was done at the discretion of the review team.
• Raw data was ranked from best to worst and an appropriate ranking number was given to each city. Ranking numbers were used to calculate category scores.
• In instances of no appropriate data, a neutral placeholder was put in place for the data point. Again, if too many data points were unavailable, the city was removed from the study.

Scoring Categories

Scoring Category 1 – The Dating Pool (40% of total score)

This category aimed to capture the availability and quality of the dating pool in a particular geographical area. Extensive weight was placed on the number of the population that is single. The remaining data points looked for education, diversity, access to online dating, search trends, and sexually transmitted disease prevalence.

• % of the population that is single (40% weight)
• % of high school graduates (12% weight)
• Diversity of male and female population (10% weight)
• % with access to the internet from home (10% weight)
• Google search trends for singles (10% weight)
  • Search volume for “City singles” and “City dating sites” was researched
• Prevalence of STDs (13% weight)
  • AIDS diagnoses instances per 100,000 people
  • Chlymidia instances per 100,000 people
  • Early Latent Syphilis instances per 100,000 people
  • Gonorrhea instances per 100,000 people
  • HIV Diagnosis instances per 100,000 people
  • Primary and Secondary Syphilis instances per 100,000 people

Scoring Category 2 – The Cost of Dating (30% of total score)

This category aimed to look at the cost of dating in a specific geographical area. While salaries may compensate for some more expensive areas, it’s our belief that the best cities for singles have affordable dating options.

• Cost of Living Index (25% weight)
• Average cost of dining out (15% weight)
• Average cost of movie tickets (15% weight)
• Average cost of cocktail out (15% weight)
• Average cost of a Lyft ride (15% weight)
• Average cost of a gym membership (15% weight)

Scoring Category 3 – Dating Amenities and Safety (30% of total score)

This category looks at the available amenities that can be used for dates. Additionally, this category looks at the safety of dating in the area. In some areas, extra weight was given for the availability of entertainment and food venues in closely neighboring towns.

• Total number of entertainment locations (35% weight)
• Food and bar service locations (20% weight)
• Crime Statistical Index (20% weight)
• Park Score Index (10% weight)
  • Population within a 10-minute walk to a park
  • % population within a 10-minute walk to a park
  • Spending per resident
  • Basketball hoops per 10,000 residents
  • Dog parks per 100,000 residents
  • Playgrounds per 10,000 residents
  • Recreation and senior centers per 20,000 residents
  • Restrooms per 10,000 residents
  • Splashpads per 100,000 residents
• Waiters per/1000 jobs (7.5% weight)
• Bartenders per/1000 jobs (7.5% weight)

Sources

Census.gov, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), The Center for Disease Control (CDC) City-Data.com, Google Analytics, Expatistan, PayScale.com, EstimateFares, The Trust for Public Land (TPL)

For study inquiries, please contact [email protected]

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