Best states for singles
Dating in the digital age isn't easy, but living in a single-friendly location can surely help. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 45 percent of Americans over 18 are unmarried — which means the bigger the pool in your area, the better your chances of finding a special someone. But sheer volume of singles isn't the only factor that makes for a great dating scene. Economic factors, like whether people are able to spend money on activities you'd normally do on a date, and, of course, whether those activities are relatively affordable play key roles.
As a resource for those looking to navigate the 21st-century dating landscape, Stacker adopted WalletHub's 2017 Best and Worst Cities for Singles which ranks the 50 states and the District of Columbia "across 23 key indicators of dating-friendliness." These indicators included factors ranging from the average cost of a cocktail, to the number of nightlife options per capita and the share of the population that is single. Read on to discover the 25 best spots for singles across the U.S.
#25. Idaho
Total score: 44.3
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #26
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #10
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #23
#24. Arizona
Total score: 44.3
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #11
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #19
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #47
#23. Pennsylvania
Total score: 44.7
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #15
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #35
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #20
#22. Oregon
Total score: 44.9
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #19
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #50
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #4
#21. Iowa
Total score: 45.2
'Dating opportunities' rank: #38
'Dating Economics' Rank: #4
'Romance & Fun' Rank: #18
#20. Illinois
Total score: 45.5
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #8
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #49
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #30
#19. Nebraska
Total score: 45.9
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #35
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #5
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #14
#18. New Hampshire
Total score: 45.9
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #32
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #15
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #7
#17. Vermont
Total score: 46.0
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #40
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #37
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #1
#16. New York
Total score: 46.4
'Dating opportunities' rank: #5
'Dating Economics' Rank: #51
'Romance & Fun' Rank: #11
#15. North Dakota
Total score: 47.3
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #37
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #1
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #10
#14. Minnesota
Total score: 47.4
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #16
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #8
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #25
#13. Wisconsin
Total score: 47.7
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #21
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #11
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #9
#12. Wyoming
Total score: 48.2
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #34
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #6
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #5
#11. Utah
Total score: 48.5
'Dating opportunities' rank: #12
'Dating Economics' Rank: #2
'Romance & Fun' Rank: #45
#10. Florida
Total score: 48.5
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #6
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #40
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #26
#9. Washington, D.C.
Total score: 48.6
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #9
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #46
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #6
#8. Nevada
Total score: 48.6
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #7
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #44
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #19
#7. Hawaii
Total score: 48.7
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #10
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #16
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #28
#6. Texas
Total score: 50.5
'Dating opportunities' rank: #3
'Dating Economics' Rank: #17
'Romance & Fun' Rank: #42
#5. South Dakota
Total score: 51.2
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #24
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #3
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #8
#4. Montana
Total score: 52.4
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #22
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #9
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #2
#3. California
Total score: 52.8
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #1
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #48
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #27
#2. Colorado
Total score: 55.4
‘Dating opportunities’ rank: #4
‘Dating Economics’ Rank: #7
‘Romance & Fun’ Rank: #13
#1. Washington
Total score: 55.7
'Dating opportunities' rank: #2
'Dating Economics' Rank: #30
'Romance & Fun' Rank: #16
