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Whether you’re looking for a long-term romantic partner or hoping to put yourself out there more often, where you live might impact your dating life.
There’s no doubt that dating is stressful regardless of where you live, but positioning yourself in an environment that’s more friendly for singles doesn’t hurt. Several factors, including the number of single people in a given city and the cost of going out for dinner, play a role in whether dating feels accessible and fun rather than expensive and overwhelming.
To determine the best U.S. cities for dating, we selected the 25 most populous metropolitan areas in the country and created our ranking based on the following criteria:
Number of single households: It’s true that there are lots of fish in the sea, but it doesn’t hurt the dating game when a larger share of people in your city are single.
Average personal income: Meeting new people for dinner or a movie can add up. We compared the cost of dating to the average income to show where salaries go the furthest.
Cost of a cell phone plan: Texting, swiping through dating apps, and making plans by phone are each important aspects of an active dating life.
Price of a pizza and a bottle of wine: Grabbing a pizza and a bottle of wine is a great casual activity that can include meeting your date at a restaurant or taking your pie to a local park.
Cost of a haircut: There’s nothing like a fresh haircut to make you feel confident ahead of a date.
Price of a movie ticket:. While streaming services have made watching movies at home cheaper and easier, taking your date to a theater in person is a great way to enjoy each other’s company and may spark a conversation about the film afterward.
Cost to attend a yoga class: If you’re fitness-oriented, taking a yoga class with your date is a great way to get out of the repetitive cycle of dinner or drinks and fit in some exercise.
Ready to find out whether your city is among the best places for dating? Here are the 25 largest U.S. cities ranked according to single status and affordability.
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New York, New York
Boston, Massachusetts
Miami, Florida
Washington, D.C.
Los Angeles, California
Baltimore, Maryland
San Francisco, California
Detroit, Michigan
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Denver, Colorado
St. Louis, Missouri
Austin, Texas
Chicago, Illinois
Charlotte, North Carolina
Seattle, Washington
Tampa, Florida
Atlanta, Georgia
Minneapolis, Minnesota
San Diego, California
Houston, Texas
Dallas, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Phoenix, Arizona
Orlando, Florida
Riverside, California
Detroit and Baltimore have the highest percentages of single households. More than 49 percent of households in each region are considered single.
Charlotte, Detroit, and Orlando have the lowest total cost of dating. However, when income is factored in, those cities drop in our ranking because salaries are significantly lower there.
Pizza prices are the lowest in Austin and Charlotte. The average cheese pizza in those cities goes for $11 or less.
In every city on our list, there are more single women than men. Research shows that women generally have more life satisfaction than men when they’re single.
Wondering how each region ranks based on individual data points? Read on to get the breakdown on relationship status and price data:
Largest share of single households:
Detroit, Michigan (49.6%)
Baltimore, Maryland (49.4%)
New York, New York (49.1%)
Smallest share of single households:
Riverside, California (40.7%)
Seattle, Washington (43.6%)
San Diego, California (43.6%)
Cheapest movie ticket:
Phoenix, Arizona ($11.12)
Detroit, Michigan ($11.25)
Houston, Texas ($11.25)
Most expensive movie ticket:
New York, New York ($21.21)
Riverside, California ($19.74)
Los Angeles, California ($19.74)
Cheapest haircut:
Charlotte, North Carolina ($19)
Orlando, Florida ($20)
Miami, Florida ($21.83)
Most expensive haircut:
Seattle, Washington ($52.20)
Boston, Massachusetts ($50.20)
Chicago, Illinois ($48.33)
Cities where the cost of dating is the smallest share of income:
San Francisco, California
Boston, Massachusetts
Washington, D.C.
Cities where the cost of dating is the largest share of income:
Riverside, California
San Antonio, Texas
Orlando, Florida
We started by selecting the largest U.S. metropolitan areas based on population, to keep our list contained to the places with the largest dating pools. From there, we used the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey data to find the percentage of single households in each of the 25 regions.
To calculate the cost of dating in each place, we used the quarterly Cost of Living Index from The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). From this dataset, we pulled prices for six items commonly associated with dating: a cell phone plan, a cheese pizza, a barber shop haircut, a movie ticket, a yoga class, and a bottle of wine. We also collected the average per capita income in each region from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Our final ranking came together using two primary criteria: the percentage of single households in each region and the cost of dating as a share of average income. The places with more single people and a relatively lower dating cost were ranked highest. When two regions tied, the place where the total cost of dating was lower was prioritized.
Get the data.
Even though it might be easier to find a romantic partner in some cities over others, here are a few strategies for dating confidently regardless of where you live.
Invest in medical care that makes you feel like your best self. If conditions like hair loss or low libido are weighing on your confidence, it’s worthwhile to connect with a healthcare provider who can create a treatment plan that will help you get out there and feel like your best self.
Prioritize mental health. Take time to process past relationships, manage stress, and build self-esteem so you can show up emotionally grounded and open to connection. A 2017 research review found that individuals who are more mentally healthy are more likely to start romantic relationships.
Take care of your body. Regular exercise, sleep, and a balanced diet can boost your mood and make you feel more confident in social situations, including dating. A recent study found that regular exercise increases self-esteem and body awareness.
Surround yourself with a strong support system. Meeting new people—especially potential romantic partners—can be exhausting. A strong support system of friends and family will remind you of your self-worth and keep dating in perspective. Research shows that this kind of social connection is key to maintaining strong physical and mental health.
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