Single in Dallas? It could be worse. A little. Like, you could be single and looking for love in Laredo or Brownsville.
The bad news is, researchers determined 76 cities more single-friendly than ours (Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Tallahassee, Florida among them, which is a little depressing).
Dallas occupies spot 77 on WalletHub’s Best/Worst Cities for Singles in 2021.
The personal finance website compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 32 key indicators of dating-friendliness, notes financial writer Adam McCann.
“Our data set ranges from the share of the population that is single to the number of online dating opportunities to the average price for a two-person meal,” he explains.
The analysts point out that a good dating environment comes two fold. You have to look at the cost and choices of entertainment. Nationwide, they point out, an average date totals about $100 these days. (No wonder Americans saved so much money during the pandemic lockdowns).
But date-night options mean little if the number of potential partners are limited. While almost 50% of the U.S. adult population is unmarried (never married, divorced or widowed), according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the share may be higher or lower in every city, and the ratio of women to men also will differ in each, the authors of the study point out.
Separate from the study at hand, we broke down a few Advocate-reader ZIP codes in that respect (from U.S. Census data by way of bestplaces.net):
75231, 75214 (Lake Highlands, East Dallas)
-44.9% are married
-9.1% are divorced
-32.1% are married with children
-24.3% have children, but are single
Female to male population is about 52%/48%.
75208 (Oak Cliff)
-43.8% are married
-11.2% are divorced
-36.3% are married with children
-23.3% have children, but are single
Female to male population 48%/52%
75230 (Preston Hollow)
-54.5% are married
-12.9% are divorced
-30.6% are married with children
-14.3% have children, but are single
Female to male population is about 52%/48%. (We would need to dig deeper for stats outside male-female self identification or based on sexual preference of the dating pool).
So where do lonely hearts stand the best chance, all things considered? Madison, Wisconsin.
A little closer, Austin, comes in at No. 5.
In categories such as percentage of singles, singles gender balance, online dating opportunities, restaurant meal costs, beer and wine prices, movie salon costs, apartment rents, Dallas is middle-of-the-road.
If you’re having trouble finding romance here in the neighborhood, some of the experts point out the pandemic has led to more long-distance dating.
“At this point, online interactions via Zoom or other modalities have become so normalized that it does not feel weird anymore to have a virtual date,” says university professor Sylvia L. Mikucki-Enyart. “In addition to helping save money and stay safe, it is also a great way to be able to date people that you are not close to, thus expanding your potential dating pool.”
She adds that “the great outdoors—exploring local hiking/biking trails or finding a historic neighborhood to stroll through” makes for a good, cheap date. We have no shortage of new parks and trails and historic neighborhoods through which to wander, hand in hand, in slow motion, to an Iron & Wine soundtrack …
But you know what? From riding the trails to hitting the local pub or theater, flying solo is also cool. Embrace that freedom.
The full list and methodology is here on WalletHub.