The 10 Best (And Worst) Places To Live If You're Still Single
Where is the best place to find love?
Pexels It's a question we've all asked ourselves at least once in our lives, and it goes a little something like this: why am I still single?
You have a good job, you're smart and funny, and according to the mirror, good-looking as well. So what's the deal? Well, according to a new Wallet Hub study, you might be able to blame your perpetual singleness on where you live.
Looking for a place to live is stressful — there’s no doubt about that. There are loads of variables to take into consideration. Rent, mortgage, career, proximity to friends and family. Then, of course, there’s the city’s vibe, entertainment and dining options, and so on.
If you’re single and looking to move, your priorities are going to shift. Especially if you’re totally over being single and looking for a relationship — you’re going to want to live somewhere affordable, but with a lot of dating potential and plenty of fish in its sea. You might be willing to take a risk and venture out somewhere totally new in the hopes of finding someone new and different, or maybe you'd rather find someone from somewhere familiar.
There are pros and cons to doing either, but overall, sometimes it seems meeting other single men and women is impossible.
Thankfully, Wallet Hub has the hook-up for the best cities for singles. They took a look at over 180 cities across the United States and measured them on the basis of three different dimensions: economics, fun and recreation, and dating opportunities.
Within those categories are 34 relevant metrics to evaluate the dimensions on a more nuanced level; for example, average price for a two-personal meal, or a date at a restaurant, is taken into account for the economics of the city, while the amount of active Tinder users is a measure used to evaluate dating opportunities. So the best cities for single people will have lower prices for two-person meals, and a larger pool of people to swipe left or right through.
Some of those 180-plus cities, then, are at the bottom. Where is your city ranked? Should you stay or start looking elsewhere?
Best Places To Live If You’re Single
1. Atlanta, GA
Georgia peaches are evidently looking for love, with Atlanta coming in at number one for singles. It had the overall highest score of all the cities on the list. While it’s one of the more expensive cities of the ones observed, it ranked very high for fun and recreation and is number two for dating opportunities.
2. Denver, CO
This city may be cold, but you should have no problem finding someone to warm up with. There are plenty of dating opportunities up in the mountains, with Denver ranked at number four.
3. San Francisco, CA
San Francisco may be one of the most expensive cities on the list, but near-perfection comes at a price, of course. It ranked number two for fun and recreation, and six for dating opportunities.
4. Portland, OR
Portland is overall one of the best places to live in the United States, so naturally, it’s great for singles. Its unofficial city motto is “Keep Portland Weird,” so anyone looking for a relationship here is bound to have an interesting one.
5. Los Angeles, CA
LA is a cultural hub of the U.S.; naturally, there are plenty of things to do and people to see here. Who knows, you might match with a celebrity on a dating site.
6. Seattle, WA
Home to Microsoft and Amazon, Seattle is a techie capital of the U.S. There are plenty of fun things to do on dates in Seattle, along with dating opportunities—if your date gets rained out, however, cuddling with Sleepless in Seattle on your screen may be a good alternative.
7. Chicago, IL
The Windy City is another fantastic location for singles—it comes in as number five for fun and recreation, and 22 for dating opportunities, just after Seattle.
8. San Diego, CA
West Coast, best coast! San Diego is the fifth West Coast city to land in the top 10 cities for singles across the country.
9. Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis may seem a little surprising, in comparison with the coastal superstars on this list, but it comes in at number three for dating opportunities, so clearly there’s plenty waiting in this city for you if you’re single.
10. Portland, ME
The second Portland at the top of the list! This city joins Atlanta as an East Coast representative with a better economics rank than all the others in the top 10, as well as ranks in fun and recreation and dating opportunities in the top 20.
Worst Places To Live If You’re Single
173. Laredo, TX
You’re much better off heading to Austin, ranked at 17, if you’re single and ready to mingle in Texas. To its credit, Laredo has a great economics rank, but in regards to things to do and other singles, it’s not ideal.
174. Yonkers, NY
Yonkers is one of the most expensive cities on this list. It also has less dating opportunities than most other cities. The food looks pretty good, though, if you're looking for another foodie.
175. Lewiston, ME
This city did not rank too well across the board — its best category is economics, where it’s ranked 116. Lewiston is less than an hour away from Portland, so at least you could take a little road trip to one of the better ranked cities on the list.
176. Glendale, CA
While Glendale is more affordable than the three California cities in the top 10, it’s not by much. You’ll have much better luck in Los Angeles, less than 10 miles south.
177. Warwick, RI
Rhode Island is a small state, with a proportionately small population, so there are not as many singles. Nor is there much to do.
178. South Burlington, VT
South Burlington is actually ranked pretty decently in terms of economics and things to do. When it comes to dating opportunities, however, it is ranked 180.
179. Pearl City, HI
Hawaii is a paradise in many respects. Honolulu is ranked in the top 20 of this list … but Pearl City comes in at the bottom with one of the lowest percentages of singles. It’s also pretty expensive, and is not “fun” in the context of this list, as it’s ranked number 180 in the fun and recreation category. Perhaps it's better to take a closer look at Honolulu instead.
180. Hialeah, FL
Miami is under 15 miles away from Hialeah, and ranked 137 places higher than Hialeah at number 43. This is a city singles should skip, and instead drive a few miles southeast.
181. Pembroke Pines, FL
This city is under 15 miles north of Hialeah, and thus about 30 miles away from Miami—so again, a skip for singles.
182. Brownsville, TX
Like Laredo, Brownsville is one of the more economically friendly cities on this list. But it comes in dead last for dating opportunities — guess true love doesn’t come from a lower-priced meal for two. It may be quaint, but it's not one for singles.
Alison Cerri is an editorial intern at YourTango. When she's not writing, she can be found on a run or at rugby practice. Follow her on Instagram.