The 10 Best (And Worst) American Cities For Singles in 2021

Hot guy with food Finland

Single and ready to mingle? Some cities are better than others. This is according to My Dating Adviser, which recently unveiled the 150 best and worst American cities for singles.

best cities for singles
MyDatingAdviser.com

In the new study that shows the best and worst cities for singles in 2021, affordability, population attributes, romance, and quality of life were taken into account from the most populous metro areas in the U.S. Nashville, Tennessee is the worst city for singles, and Lincoln, Nebraska is the best city for singles.

Blantyre hiking trail
Blantyre hiking trail

Here are the top 10 best cities for singles.

  1. Lincoln, Nebraska
  2. New Haven, Connecticut
  3. Buffalo, New York
  4. Lakeland, Florida
  5. Jacksonville, Florida
  6. Springfield, Massachusetts
  7. Kalamazoo, Michigan
  8. Albany, New York
  9. San Diego, California
  10. Ocala, Florida

The report shows Florida topping the list with three cities. New York has two cities in the top 10.

Four Seasons Downtown NY Gym
Single at Gym

Here are the top 10 worst U.S. cities for singles.

  1. Brownsville, Texas
  2. New Orleans, Louisiana
  3. Louisville, Kentucky
  4. Las Vegas, Nevada
  5. Allentown, Pennsylvania
  6. Mobile, Alabama
  7. San Juan, Puerto Rico
  8. Memphis, Tennessee
  9. Worcester, Maine
  10. Nashville, Tennessee

For the top 10 worst cities, the majority were in the south. Tennessee is the only state that made the list twice.

Shandaken Inn Hotel
Shandaken Inn Hotel

For the report, MyDatingAdviser.com compared 150 of the most populated U.S. cities across four key dimensions: 1) Population Attributes, 2) Romance, 3) Quality of Life, and 4) Affordability.

They evaluated each of those dimensions using 20 relevant metrics. These are listed below with their corresponding weights. The metrics were combined to create a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for singles.

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

Shangri-La Covid coverage
Single at check-in.

Population Attributes – Total Points: 25

  • Share of single adults: Full Weight (~5 Points) Note: This metric measures the percentage of the population that is unmarried from the U.S. Census. American Community Survey.
  • Population diversity: Full Weight (~5 Points)
    Note: This metric measures the percentage of foreign-born residents on a state level from the U.S. Census. American Community Survey.
  • Educational Attainment: Full Weight (~5 Points)
    Note: This metric measures the percentage of the population with a bachelor’s degree or higher from the U.S. Census, American Community Survey.
  • Wellbeing: Full Weight (~5 Points)
    Note: The composite score from the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index (which analyzes resident satisfaction in the following areas: purpose, social, financial, community, and physical) as a representation of whether residents of each metro area are generally happy with their day-to-day lives.
  • Life Expectancy: Full Weight (~5 Points)
    Note: This metric measures the average life expectancy on a state level, based on reports from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and National Center for Health Statistics.

Romance – Total Points – 25

  • Marriage Rates (~5 Points) Note: This metric measures marriage rates in the U.S. by thousand people, by state 2019 from the U.S. Census, American Community Survey.
  • Sexual activity: Full Weight (~5 Points) Note: This metric measures the Promiscuity Index Score on a state level from a study by BestLifeOnline. This is based on STDs per 100,000 people, active Ashley Madison users per 100,000 people, sexually active high schoolers per 100,000 people, and median household income.
  • LGBT Dating (~5 Points) Note: This metric measures statewide laws and policies that affect LGBTQ people based on the State Equality Index (SEI) from the Equality Federation and HRC.
  • Bottle of wine: Full Weight (~5 Points) Note: This metric measures one bottle of mid-range wine.
  • Dining: Full Weight (~5 Points) Note: This metric measures a meal for 2 people, mid-range restaurant, three-course.

Quality Of Life – Total Points – 25

  • Weather: Full Weight (~5 Points) Note: This metric measures the climate likeability of a given city using Weather Underground data. An ideal climate is defined as having moderate temperatures, low humidity, and no major weather conditions.
  • Commute: Full Weight (~5 Points) Note: The U.S. Census’ calculation of average commute time, which factors the time spent traveling door to door, whether by foot, public transit, car, or bicycle.
  • Safety: Full Weight (~5 Points) Note: This metric measures the number of violent crimes committed per 100,000 people, as determined by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports.
  • Pollution: Full Weight (~5 Points) Note: The pollution index is an estimation of the overall pollution in the city based on surveys from Numbeo. The biggest weight is given to air pollution, than to water pollution/accessibility, two main pollution factors. Small weight is given to other pollution types.
  • Health Care: Full Weight (~5 Points) Note: Using data from the U.S. News Best Hospitals rankings, this is a measure of the availability of quality health care by determining the number of ranked facilities within 50, 100, and 250 miles of each metro area.

Affordability – Total Points: 25

  • Utilities (Monthly): Full Weight (~5 Points) Note: This metric measures an estimate of monthly utilities per city looking at electricity, heating, cooling, water, and garbage for an 85m2 apartment.
  • Unemployment rate (~5 Points) Note: This value measures the 12-month moving unemployment rate using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This represents whether the job market is growing, struggling, or remaining stable.
  • Median monthly rent (~5 Points) Note: To determine the housing cost for renters, we collected the median gross rent of each metro area, which includes utilities if paid by renters.
  • Median home price (~5 Points) Note: To determine the annual cost of a mortgage in each metro area, we consulted the U.S. Census, which collects data on the amount homeowners pay for housing (including mortgage, utilities, and taxes).
  • Average salary (~5 Points) Note: The average salary, as calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is the best indicator of earning potential in a metro area.

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Jimmy Im has traveled to 113 countries, stayed in over 600 hotels and has flown a million airmiles. He lives in New York City.

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