Carrie Bradshaw suggested it, and now a study confirmed it: NYC is the worst city for dating, so don’t be hard on yourself if that Hinge meetup felt disastrous.
While our lovely metropolis is chock-full of fantastic first date ideas — a walk through the park! chic bars! botanical gardens! — research from FetishFinder suggests that those looking for love might want to search elsewhere — particularly in Seattle, a.k.a. the best city for dating.
“New York may have the highest population of single individuals, but it’s also the worst city in the U.S. to start dating,” the study suggests.
Using statistics from United States Census Bureau, Google Keyword Planner, and Numbeo, FetishFinder took several factors into consideration when looking at the country’s top 20 biggest cities and their dating criteria:
- The population of single people
- The likelihood of marriage
- The annual divorce rate
- The rate of individuals actively searching for a relationship
- The quality of life
- The cost of living
While we aren’t one to point fingers, especially since we haven’t done the science, we’re willing to bet the cost of living put us in detrimental standings. Another study says NYC is the third most expensive city in the world — not the country, not the continent, but the world — and that rent in NYC is rising a whopping seven times faster than wages. We rest our case!
What are the best cities for dating?
If you’re curious about the locales that understood the assignment and ranked atop of the list, they are:
- Seattle
- Denver
- Dallas
- Indianapolis
- Austin
What are the worst cities for dating?
So, who joined NYC at the bottom of the barrel? Drumroll, please…
- Los Angeles
- Philadelphia
- Chicago
- San Antonio
But science aside, perhaps it’s how you look at things. Let’s not forget that a mere two years ago NYC was voted the city where you’re most likely to meet your soulmate. Things couldn’t have changed that drastically, right? Right!?
If you need us, we’ll be treating ourselves to NYC’s best solo dates, something we know we’ve aced.