2022's Best & Worst Cities for Singles

Adam McCann , WalletHub Financial WriterNov 28, 2022

Adam McCann , WalletHub Financial Writer
Nov 28, 2022

Finding love can be tough, especially during a year of high inflation that has left many people strapped for cash. The average date costs over $90 and 19% of people in Gen Z and 22% of millennials report going into debt for dates. Therefore, it certainly pays to live in a place where dating activities, such as dining out or watching a movie, are relatively cheaper.

More entertainment choices and a low cost of living don’t matter much, however, if the number of potential mates to meet are limited in your area. Nearly 50% of the U.S. adult population is unmarried (never married, divorced or widowed), according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates. The share may be higher or lower in an individual city, though, and the ratio of women to men also will differ in each. Some singles may boost their chances of meeting others through online dating, which got a boost in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To help America’s singles find love, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 36 key indicators of dating-friendliness. Our data set ranges from the share of the population that is single to the number of online dating opportunities to the average price for a two-person meal.

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Best Cities for Singles

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Economics	Fun & Recreation	Dating Opportunities
1	Seattle, WA	64.77	167	7	2
2	Madison, WI	62.62	80	29	1
3	Denver, CO	62.05	138	19	3
4	San Francisco, CA	61.53	176	1	9
5	Portland, OR	60.32	149	13	10
6	Minneapolis, MN	59.24	122	33	5
7	Austin, TX	59.20	107	18	23
8	Honolulu, HI	59.15	173	2	37
9	San Diego, CA	59.01	170	9	14
10	Atlanta, GA	58.92	147	14	19
11	Las Vegas, NV	58.91	151	5	71
12	Tempe, AZ	58.74	29	46	24
13	Reno, NV	58.66	54	37	15
14	Tucson, AZ	58.32	87	23	35
15	Boise, ID	57.98	46	41	25
16	Rapid City, SD	57.81	3	112	22
17	Missoula, MT	57.41	22	113	12
18	Pittsburgh, PA	57.00	105	25	40
19	Colorado Springs, CO	56.97	45	38	44
20	Manchester, NH	56.92	104	129	4
21	Portland, ME	56.92	141	20	39
22	Las Cruces, NM	56.91	38	88	7
23	Fargo, ND	56.86	11	139	27
24	Phoenix, AZ	56.49	56	62	28
25	Burlington, VT	56.33	127	73	8
26	Orlando, FL	56.21	143	6	110
27	Columbia, SC	56.07	60	75	29
28	Cincinnati, OH	56.02	85	26	57
29	Tampa, FL	55.86	121	17	72
30	Lincoln, NE	55.80	35	92	31
31	Wilmington, DE	55.78	115	67	6
32	Los Angeles, CA	55.61	179	10	33
33	Columbus, OH	55.41	30	49	66
34	Chicago, IL	55.33	177	8	63
34	Tacoma, WA	55.33	150	71	11
36	Chandler, AZ	55.08	2	80	69
37	St. Paul, MN	54.91	52	83	36
38	Salt Lake City, UT	54.90	71	31	78
39	Miami, FL	54.85	175	3	107
40	Boston, MA	54.76	180	16	21
41	Cedar Rapids, IA	54.40	23	143	41
42	Rochester, NY	54.37	148	42	30
43	Grand Rapids, MI	54.28	40	66	73
44	San Jose, CA	54.15	159	39	26
45	St. Louis, MO	54.11	89	32	80
46	West Valley City, UT	54.10	33	148	16
47	Fort Lauderdale, FL	54.09	156	15	95
48	Richmond, VA	54.03	100	58	48
49	Worcester, MA	54.01	111	114	17
50	Sioux Falls, SD	53.99	6	131	64
51	Albuquerque, NM	53.94	73	34	89
52	Knoxville, TN	53.57	50	68	76
53	Garden Grove, CA	53.45	125	70	43
54	Glendale, AZ	53.45	28	115	54
55	Anchorage, AK	53.38	155	69	20
56	Tallahassee, FL	53.28	53	138	46
57	Lubbock, TX	53.16	9	172	52
58	Scottsdale, AZ	53.13	94	22	115
59	Des Moines, IA	52.91	24	144	60
60	Huntington Beach, CA	52.68	126	47	62
61	Juneau, AK	52.65	128	119	32
62	Omaha, NE	52.64	43	51	106
63	Jersey City, NJ	52.60	152	55	42
64	Fayetteville, NC	52.47	78	145	38
65	El Paso, TX	52.35	25	40	126
66	Fontana, CA	52.33	117	130	45
67	Mesa, AZ	52.20	10	85	105
68	Cheyenne, WY	52.17	7	169	61
69	Houston, TX	52.00	129	44	77
70	Washington, DC	51.87	181	11	70
71	Spokane, WA	51.76	113	56	83
72	Pearl City, HI	51.64	169	141	13
73	Salem, OR	51.56	116	123	18
74	Wichita, KS	51.52	15	167	81
75	Ontario, CA	51.48	120	147	34
76	Aurora, CO	51.46	79	121	59
77	Raleigh, NC	51.45	65	48	112
78	Long Beach, CA	51.44	171	35	47
79	Lexington-Fayette, KY	51.39	72	91	93
80	Nashua, NH	51.35	19	132	67
81	New Orleans, LA	51.27	172	12	111
82	Norfolk, VA	51.19	136	97	49
83	San Antonio, TX	51.13	102	61	96
84	Providence, RI	50.95	131	64	78
85	Buffalo, NY	50.91	118	60	91
86	Riverside, CA	50.85	137	94	55
87	Dallas, TX	50.84	144	52	82
88	Charleston, SC	50.84	99	21	149
89	Philadelphia, PA	50.79	162	24	109
90	Cleveland, OH	50.76	130	76	68
91	Oxnard, CA	50.67	145	117	51
92	St. Petersburg, FL	50.64	84	28	138
93	Santa Ana, CA	50.57	142	90	58
94	Corpus Christi, TX	50.44	58	146	85
95	Sacramento, CA	50.43	165	27	101
96	Oklahoma City, OK	50.31	34	89	117
97	Nampa, ID	50.28	64	166	50
98	Milwaukee, WI	50.26	119	79	87
99	San Bernardino, CA	50.13	157	125	53
100	New Haven, CT	50.13	161	93	56
101	Irvine, CA	50.05	154	63	75
102	Gilbert, AZ	49.93	1	105	127
103	Nashville, TN	49.77	108	30	132
104	Fort Worth, TX	49.64	57	81	119
105	Springfield, MO	49.60	14	159	116
106	Virginia Beach, VA	49.49	93	50	128
107	Billings, MT	49.46	37	156	103
108	Fresno, CA	49.45	103	100	97
109	Bismarck, ND	49.44	12	168	118
110	Augusta, GA	49.43	76	181	74
111	Oakland, CA	49.18	174	36	84
112	Vancouver, WA	49.09	158	59	102
113	Irving, TX	49.04	98	161	65
114	Overland Park, KS	49.03	21	84	142
115	Toledo, OH	48.89	83	137	99
116	Charlotte, NC	48.88	55	57	148
117	Jacksonville, FL	48.63	70	78	134
118	Anaheim, CA	48.56	112	65	113
119	Santa Clarita, CA	48.50	153	101	88
120	Oceanside, CA	48.31	109	54	130
121	Tulsa, OK	48.27	32	108	144
122	Kansas City, MO	48.23	77	103	123
123	Aurora, IL	48.10	134	134	94
124	Huntsville, AL	48.05	20	136	147
125	Bakersfield, CA	47.83	86	107	122
126	North Las Vegas, NV	47.82	90	152	90
127	Akron, OH	47.77	48	150	124
128	Louisville, KY	47.75	97	72	136
129	Baton Rouge, LA	47.48	123	116	108
130	Chula Vista, CA	47.46	164	87	100
131	Indianapolis, IN	47.41	66	98	143
132	Amarillo, TX	47.38	4	173	157
133	Plano, TX	47.32	16	82	162
134	Moreno Valley, CA	47.21	140	160	86
135	Fort Wayne, IN	47.16	31	162	137
136	Stockton, CA	46.98	59	149	131
137	Fremont, CA	46.95	132	74	121
138	Baltimore, MD	46.93	166	45	125
139	Detroit, MI	46.43	160	120	104
140	Henderson, NV	46.35	82	109	135
141	Newark, NJ	46.23	146	104	114
142	Arlington, TX	46.18	68	142	141
143	Bridgeport, CT	46.01	163	118	92
144	Lewiston, ME	46.00	135	140	98
145	Durham, NC	45.88	13	111	168
146	Casper, WY	45.76	17	174	150
147	South Burlington, VT	45.73	88	153	120
148	Gulfport, MS	45.71	36	178	133
149	Mobile, AL	45.41	26	157	164
150	Huntington, WV	45.25	41	165	146
151	New York, NY	45.21	182	4	167
152	Modesto, CA	45.17	91	127	155
153	Columbus, GA	44.76	61	180	129
154	Garland, TX	44.69	74	154	139
155	Cape Coral, FL	44.61	75	106	159
156	Peoria, AZ	44.57	5	124	172
157	Birmingham, AL	44.53	110	133	153
158	Charleston, WV	44.53	39	155	158
159	Chattanooga, TN	44.42	44	126	169
160	Laredo, TX	44.39	63	95	165
161	Newport News, VA	44.13	96	170	140
162	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	43.99	124	122	152
163	Chesapeake, VA	43.96	69	164	151
164	Greensboro, NC	43.93	51	77	177
165	Grand Prairie, TX	43.38	101	151	154
166	Yonkers, NY	43.36	133	99	160
167	Port St. Lucie, FL	43.08	8	163	171
168	Jackson, MS	42.98	47	175	170
169	Little Rock, AR	42.89	95	171	163
170	Pembroke Pines, FL	42.70	81	102	175
171	Memphis, TN	42.64	92	158	166
172	Santa Rosa, CA	41.99	178	53	161
173	Montgomery, AL	41.78	27	176	174
174	Columbia, MD	41.74	114	86	176
175	Dover, DE	41.71	106	179	145
176	Winston-Salem, NC	41.57	67	135	178
177	Shreveport, LA	41.54	42	177	179
178	Fort Smith, AR	41.15	62	182	156
179	Hialeah, FL	40.94	139	96	173
180	Brownsville, TX	40.33	18	110	182
181	Glendale, CA	39.83	168	43	180
182	Warwick, RI	38.68	49	128	181

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

% of Singles

Highest

Highest
1. Burlington, VT
2. Detroit, MI
3. New Heaven, CT
4. Cleveland, OH
5. Rochester, NY

Lowest

Lowest
178. Overland Park, KS
179. Chesapeake, VA
180. Gilbert, AZ
181. Plano, TX
182. Fremont, CA

Singles Gender Balance

Highest

Highest
1. Manchester, NH
2. Denver, CO
3. Oxnard, CA
4. San Jose, CA
5. Lincoln, NE

Lowest

Lowest
178. Dover, DE
179. Columbia, MD
180. Durham, NC
181. Jackson, MS
182. Greensboro, NC

Online-Dating Opportunities

Most

Most
1. Gilbert, AZ
2. Plano, TX
3. Irvine, CA
4. Fremont, CA
5. Overland Park, KS

Fewest

Fewest
T-177. Cleveland, OH
T-177. Huntington, WV
179. Detroit, MI
180. Newark, NJ
181. Miami, FL
182. Brownsville, TX

Nightlife Options per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Las Vegas, NV
T-1. New Orleans, LA
T-1. San Francisco, CA
4. Chicago, IL
5. Orlando, FL

Fewest

Fewest
178. Garland, TX
179. Garden Grove, CA
180. Columbia, MD
181. Moreno Valley, CA
182. Fontana, CA

Restaurant-Meal Costs

Lowest

Lowest
1. Glendale, AZ
2. Casper, WY
T-3. El Paso, TX
T-3. Amarillo, TX
T-5. Stockton, CA
T-5. Gilbert, AZ

Highest

Highest
T-171. Miami, FL
T-171. Honolulu, HI
T-173. New York, NY
T-173. Irvine, CA
T-173. Pearl City, HI
T-173. Santa Rosa, CA

Avg. Beer & Wine Price

Lowest

Lowest
1. Brownsville, TX
2. Gulfport, MS
3. Missoula, MT
4. Durham, NC
5. Indianapolis, IN

Highest

Highest
178. Rochester, NY
179. Salem, OR
180. New York, NY
181. Seattle, WA
182. Atlanta, GA

Movie Costs

Lowest

Lowest
1. Port St. Lucie, FL
2. Montgomery, AL
3. Jackson, MS
4. Akron, OH
5. Corpus Christi, TX

Highest

Highest
178. San Francisco, CA
179. Oxnard, CA
180. Santa Rosa, CA
T-181. Long Beach, CA
T-181. Los Angeles, CA

Beauty Salon Costs

Lowest

Lowest
1. Brownsville, TX
2. Rapid City, SD
3. El Paso, TX
4. Sioux Falls, SD
5. Cheyenne, WY

Highest

Highest
178. Washington, DC
179. Louisville, KY
180. Santa Rosa, CA
T-181. Long Beach, CA
T-181. Los Angeles, CA

Rent for One-Bedroom Apartment (Adj by Median Annual Household Income)

Lowest

Lowest
1. Columbia, MD
2. Cedar Rapids, IA
3. Overland Park, KS
4. Cheyenne, WY
5. Bismarck, ND

Highest

Highest
178. Jersey City, NJ
T-179. Miami, FL
T-179. Hialeah, FL
181. Boston, MA
182. New York, NY

Ask the Experts

The dating scene in each city is unique. In every situation, cost and budget will play a key role in finding your soul mate. We therefore turned to a panel of experts for advice on money, what makes a good city for singles and how to draw singles to those areas. Click on the experts’ profiles to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:

With the rise of dating apps and therefore dates, what financial advice do you have targeted to singles on a budget?
What should singles be looking for when choosing a city?
Do you think virtual dating is a viable option for single people to save money and safely enjoy dating at the same time?
When evaluating the best cities for singles, what are the top five indicators?
Should local authorities work to make cities more attractive to singles? If so, how?

Ask the Experts

Nelly Sta Maria
Academic Chair and Professor of Psychology – Suffolk County Community College
Read More

Karin Sternberg
Lecturer/Research Associate, Department of Psychology – Cornell University
Read More

Steven C. Hayes
Ph.D. – Foundation Professor of Psychology – University of Nevada, Reno
Read More

Vivian Zayas
Ph.D. – Professor, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Psychology – Cornell University
Read More

Mike Botwin
Professor, Department of Psychology – California State University, Fresno
Read More

Anita L. Vangelisti
Jesse H. Jones Centennial Chair in Communication, Moody College of Communication – University of Texas at Austin
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to determine the best cities for singles, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: 1) Economics, 2) Fun & Recreation and 3) Dating Opportunities.

We evaluated those dimensions using 36 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for singles. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), we calculated the population size using the square root of the population in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. In determining our sample, we considered only the city proper in each case, excluding cities in the surrounding metro area.

Economics – Total Points: 25

Restaurant-Meal Costs: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Average Beer & Wine Price: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Average Cocktail Price: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Average Price for Two-Person Meal: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Note: This metric measures the average price of a basic two-person dinner in a neighborhood pub.
Movie Costs: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Average Price for Two Tickets to the Theater: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Taxi-Fare Cost: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Beauty-Salon Costs: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Haircut Costs: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Average Price per Party Ticket: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Average Monthly Fitness-Club Fee: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Median Annual Household Income: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Note: This metric was adjusted by the cost of living.
Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Note: This metric was measured using the rent of a one-bedroom apartment (adjusted by the median annual household income).
Job Growth Rate: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Sharecare’s Community Well-Being Index Score: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Note: This metric is based on Sharecare’s Community Well-Being Index, which is a comprehensive measure that evaluates health risk across ten domains, five that represent individual well-being and five that contextualize the social determinants of health.

Fun & Recreation – Total Points: 25

Percentage of Residents Who Are Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
Number of Attractions: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Note: “Attractions” include, for instance, museums, cultural performances and zoos.
Restaurants per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Coffee & Tea Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Parks per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Nightlife Options per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Shopping Centers per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Wellness Centers & Spas per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Fitness Centers per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Social Clubs per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Presence of Music Festivals: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Note: This binary metric considers the presence of music festivals in each city. The cities that have music festivals receive 1, the others receive 0. In case a city has more than one music festival, it receives the exact number of music festivals it hosts.
City Accessibility: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Walkability: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Weather: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub “Cities with the Best & Worst Weather” ranking.
Safety: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)

Dating Opportunities – Total Points: 50

Share of Single Population: Double Weight (~12.50 Points)
Singles Gender Balance: Double Weight (~12.50 Points)
Online Dating Opportunities: Full Weight (~6.25 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of households with a broadband connection.
Mobile Dating Opportunities: Full Weight (~6.25 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of adults who own a smartphone.
Google Search Traffic for the Term “Tinder”: Double Weight (~12.50 Points)
Note: This metric was used as a proxy for the cities that search Tinder the most.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Council for Community and Economic Research, Numbeo, Esri's Updated Demographics - 2022 estimates (Market Potential: GfK MRI), Department of Housing and Urban Development, Trust for Public Land, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Walk Score, Sharecare’s Community Well-Being Index, Expatistan, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Google Trends, Eventbrite, Music Festival Wizard and WalletHub research.

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Questions & Answers(1 question)

What are the numbers relative to, aside from rank?

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