These Are the Best Cities for Singles, According to One Study

Finding love can be rough, especially during a recession and global pandemic. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that 50% of the United States’ adult population is single — never married, divorced, or widowed. Of course, even amidst the rise of online dating and apps, where you live is bound to have an impact on your love life.

To help people out with the dating game, WalletHub compared over 180 U.S. cities across 36 key indicators of dating-friendliness, from the percentage of the population that is single to the average price of a two-person meal.

First place goes to Seattle, Washington. The Pacific Northwestern city has an almost even ratio of single men and women. Meanwhile, Seattle came in No. 2 for dating possibilities and No. 7 for fun and recreation.

Madison, Wisconsin comes in second place. Despite containing a population of just over 269,000, it ranked No.1 in the nation when it comes to dating opportunities. The city is also a college town, home to the University of Wisconsin.

As psychology professor Nelly Sta Maria told Wallet Hub, cities with universities can also be great for singles of all ages.

“They are usually more affordable and have many bright people who are interested in education and their careers,” she says. “Plus, they are typically walkable.”

Third place goes to Denver, Colorado, which coincidentally also ranked third in the dating opportunities category.

These are the top 10 best cities for singles, according to WalletHub data:

1. Seattle, Washington
2. Madison, Wisconsin
3. Denver, Colorado
4. San Francisco, California
5. Portland, Oregon
6. Minneapolis, Minnesota
7. Austin, Texas
8. Honolulu, Hawaii
9. San Diego, California
10. Atlanta Georgia

But you can’t make a list of the best cities for singles without also pointing out which ones aren’t so great.

So here are the top 10 worst cities for singles, according to WalletHub data:

1. Warwick, Rhode Island
2. Glendale, California
3. Brownsville, Texas
4. Hialeah, Florida
5. Fort Smith, Arkansas
6. Shreveport, Louisiana
7. Winston-Salem, North Carolina
8. Dover, Delaware
9. Columbia, Maryland
10. Montgomery, Alabama

You can check out WalletHub’s full study here.