Dating in the modern age can be hard, but does the place you live make it even harder? I must admit, I initially saw the 2018 Best & Worst Cities For Dating list complied by Wallet Hub and assumed Los Angeles would be the worst city for dating. I, myself, fled the City of Angels for New York after realizing dating options for girls who looked like me were minimal, if not, dismal.
LA was also a city where I felt like everyone was looking for a come up and made decisions on where to place you in their life based on what you do versus who you are. Granted, New York can be pretty superficial too. But I have noticed there are so many different types of people here that there seems to be someone for everyone.
But my subjective “worst city for dating” analysis was wrong. The experts at WalletHub looked at an array of factors to determine the best cities for dating including: entertainment options, percentage of singles, gender balance, online dating opportunities, nightlife options, movie cost and rent, among other considerations.
With all of these factors combined, the analysts determined Atlanta, Georgia was the best city for dating. Denver, Colorado came in at second. Much to my surprise, Los Angeles landed at number 5 on this list, with New York coming in all the way down at 28.
The worst city in the country to date? Brownsville, Texas, coming in all the way at 182. Bleak.
Detroit has the highest number of singles, and New York, the city that never sleeps, unsurprisingly had the most nightlife options per capita.
Glenn Geher, Founding Director of Evolutionary Studies, Professor of Psychology, State University of New York at New Paltz, explained to Wallet Hub that when it comes to choosing a great city for dating, there is a lot to take into consideration.
“Several factors matter, of course. Having strong social connections is actually a critical part of effective dating. Having a solid friend group provides networking opportunities to meet potential dates. So choosing a place to which you have substantial social connections is usually a good idea,” Geher explained.
“Also, choosing a city that includes a high proportion of others with similar interests and values to oneself can help. If you’re Jewish and are only interested in dating others who are Jewish, you might not want to move to Talladega, Alabama, for instance.”
