If you’re single and looking for love, you’re probably no stranger to the frustrations of the dating world. From being ghosted or getting played to people who are non-committal and just want to hook up, it’s not easy to find a forever partner (or even one for something more than just the night). However, have you ever considered that you might just be living in the wrong city?
A new study by ApartmentList has revealed the top 10 cities for single people based on four different metrics: dating satisfaction, social satisfaction, dating affordability, and the percentage of single people living there. The places that came out on top may just surprise you—and perhaps inspire you to make a big move!
- Atlanta, Georgia This southern city came out with an overall score of 91.3 out of 100, making it a pretty sweet place to be single. In fact, a whopping 93% of people there seem pretty happy with the dating scene there. They don’t call it Hotlanta for nothing, I suppose.
- Madison, Wisconsin Admittedly, the only time I’ve ever been to Wisconsin was during a layover for a flight to Minneapolis and I bought a lot of cheese at the airport. However, I was also single at the time, which makes me sad that I didn’t check out the dating scene, which gets a score of 88.3 out of 100 by the study authors.
- Washington, DC The nation’s capital may not seem like a particularly romantic place, especially not while Trump is in the White House, but it comes in at number three on the list with a score of 88.3. It’s just behind Madison only due to it’s slightly higher costs associated with dating. Either way, it still seems like a pretty good place to meet people.
- Bloomington, Indiana I’ve never been to Bloomington so I have no idea what it’s like there, but given its 86.6 out of 100 score on this list, something tells me I’m missing out.
- New Orleans, Louisiana You may associate New Orleans with Mardi Gras and Creole culture, but it also apparently has a really vibrant dating scene. While dating can get a little bit expensive in The Big Easy, they have a really high dating satisfaction score, so laissez les bons temps rouler, as they say!
- Arlington, Virginia Another city I’ve never been too but always wanted to. Its appearance on this list confirms something I’ve kind of subtly suspected for a while now: dating is better in the south. Maybe it’s all that southern charm coming to the surface?
- Minneapolis, Minnesota A fun city full of hipsters, hippies, and generally cool people who probably came from another major city but wanted a more manageable pace of life, Minneapolis is a really great place to be. It also has a really vibrant queer culture, so if you’re not straight but you’re single and ready to mingle, this could also be a great place to hang up your hat.
- Boston, Massachusetts Finally, a city on the East Coast! Boston can sometimes seem a bit of a sleepy New England version of a city, but it’s actually a really romantic place to date (hello, walk along the Charles River Esplanade).
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh comes in at a 78.9 score out of 100, meaning while it’s not the best place to date, it’s certainly far from the worst. All I know about Pittsburgh is that the Steelers are their football team and a friend of mine from high school wanted to go to college there. I’m sorry for my ignorance, but I still suggest going there to find dates!
- Alexandria, Virginia Rounding out the Top 10 cities for dating is Alexandria, another southern city that is apparently full of lots of people who are solo but looking for partnership. Even they come out with a 78.9 score out of 100, so it seems like a pretty good place to meet romantic prospects.
As for the worst cities to date, they are Waterbury, Connecticut; Fresno, California; Buffalo, New York; Hartford, Connecticut; Norfolk, Virginia; San Bernardino, California; Bakersfield, California; Anaheim, California; Fayetteville, North Carolina; Stockton, California. Bottom line? Stay out of California if you want to find love, I guess.
