The best US cities for singles, based on dating populations, activities and more

By Daniel Miller
Published  December 3, 2024 11:03am CST
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FILE-A couple enjoys a date at an event. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Prime Video)

The Brief

    • Atlanta is the number one city for singles when it comes to the dating scene.
    • Cities were ranked in categories like economics, fun and recreation and dating opportunities.

The dating scene can be challenging depending on who you ask, but finding that special someone may not be as daunting as you think if you live in certain areas.

There are cities nationwide that can offer quality dating opportunities and WalletHub took a closer look at this in a new report.   

RELATED: Love in the states: WalletHub ranks best and worst states for singles in 2024

WalletHub put together its list of the best cities for singles, comparing 182 cities using three key categories: Economics, fun and recreation and dating opportunities. 

Those categories were quantified against other key metrics, including the share of the population that is single to the number of online dating opportunities, to the average price for a two-person meal, and were graded on a 100-point case, with a score of 100 being the highest for optimal conditions for singles. 

The team then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score.

Top cities for singles

  1. Atlanta
  2. Las Vegas
  3. Seattle
  4. Pittsburgh
  5. Tampa
  6. Portland, Oregon
  7. Madison, Wisconsin
  8. Cincinnati
  9. Denver
  10. Austin, Texas
  11. Minneapolis, Minnesota
  12. St. Louis
  13. Rapid City, South Dakota
  14. Boise, Idaho
  15. Miami
  16. Tucson, Arizona
  17. Lincoln, Nebraska
  18. Reno, Nevada
  19. Columbia, South Carolina
  20. Orlando

A closer look at the top three cities for singles 

Atlanta

Atlanta has a sizable number of attractions, restaurants, and nightlife activities, giving people a wide variety of venues for dates. The city also has a lot of shopping centers, spas, and social clubs per capita.

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According to WalletHub, more than 69% of Atlanta’s population is single (never married, widowed, or divorced), the eighth-highest percentage in the U.S.

The city is also accessible for people who bike, walk, or take public transportation, which is convenient for singles to travel on dates. 

Las Vegas 

Las Vegas has the most diverse nightlife in the nation and a substantial number of attractions and restaurants. And it’s an ideal city to enjoy music festivals, spas, shopping centers, fitness centers and social clubs.

The city is also affordable for dating-related expenses, including haircut and beauty salon costs and fitness club memberships. WalletHub noted that Las Vegas also has the 23rd-closest gender balance among single people.

Seattle 

Seattle offers an array of choices in terms of attractions and restaurants for singles, as well as social clubs, music festivals, shopping centers and parks, offering plenty of quality dating meetups. 

The city also has the highest-median household income in the nation at more than $80,000 annually, and it also makes it convenient to meet people virtually, offering the third-best mobile dating opportunities and 15th-best online dating opportunities in the country. The city has the 32nd-best gender balance among singles, per WalletHub. 

To see the complete list and where your city ranks, click here. 

The Source

  • Information for this story was provided by WalletHub which ranked its best cities for singles comparing 182 cities using the three key categories: Economics, fun and recreation and dating opportunities. Those categories combined with key metrics were graded on a 100-point case, with a score of 100 being the highest for optimal conditions for singles. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.