The Best & Worst Cities for Dating 2019
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, Apartment List compiled our 2019 list of the best cities for dating, using survey data from over 9,000 of our single users across the U.S. For single renters looking for love and a new place to call home, these cities are where you may have the most success.
Austin ranks #1 best city for dating
Our list of best cities for dating is lead by three booming economies: Austin, TX, Nashville, TN, and San Francisco, CA. In general, cities that have large populations and strong job markets ranked the highest on our list, with plenty of tech hubs taking center stage. Austin held the top spot, with 39.8% of singles reporting satisfaction with their dating opportunities.
Top 10 Cities for Dating
| City | Satisfaction % | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | 39.8% | 1 |
| Charlotte, NC | 37.74% | 2 |
| San Francisco, CA | 36.75% | 3 |
| Minneapolis, MN | 36.74% | 4 |
| Little Rock, AR | 36.15% | 5 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 34.91% | 6 |
| Washington, DC | 34.87% | 7 |
| Durham, NC | 34.57% | 8 |
| Columbus, OH | 34.39% | 9 |
| Denver, CO | 33.59% | 10 |
Palm Bay, New Haven, and Providence are the worst cities for dating
Wondering where you might struggle to find your better-half? A trio of Eastern cities scored the lowest for dating. Palm Bay, FL was our lowest ranking city with only 10.7% of singles satisfied with their dating opportunities. New Haven, CT and Providence, RI were not too far behind, both at around 12%.
Outside of Palm Bay, Riverside, and Albuquerque, Mid-Western and North-Eastern cities tended to score lowest on our list.
Bottom 10 Cities for Dating
| City | Satisfaction % | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland, OH | 18.19% | 57 |
| Worcester, MA | 18.16% | 58 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 17.3% | 59 |
| Des Moines, IA | 17.17% | 60 |
| Albany, NY | 17.1% | 61 |
| Kansas City, MO | 16.84% | 62 |
| Riverside, CA | 13.78% | 63 |
| Providence, RI | 12.92% | 64 |
| New Haven, CT | 12.84% | 65 |
| Palm Bay, FL | 10.72% | 66 |
Men are most satisfied with dating in Charlotte, Women rank Austin first
These results tell two different narratives on how men and women view dating. Men, in general, are significantly more satisfied with dating than women. The 14th ranked city for men (Minneapolis, MN) has a higher satisfaction rate than the 1st ranked city for women (Austin, TX). Men are the most satisfied with dating opportunities in Charlotte, while women are the most content in Austin.
Best Cities for Dating - Male vs. Female
| Men | Satisfaction % | Women | Satisfaction % | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | 52.36% | 1 | 39.24% | 1 |
| San Francisco, CA | 51.59% | 2 | 36.52% | 2 |
| Chicago, IL | 47.88% | 3 | 33.88% | 3 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 47.7% | 4 | 33.75% | 4 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 47.34% | 5 | 32.09% | 5 |
| Washington, DC | 46.88% | 6 | 31.99% | 6 |
| Dallas, TX | 45.66% | 7 | 31.57% | 7 |
| Austin, TX | 44.52% | 8 | 30.38% | 8 |
| Houston, TX | 41.96% | 9 | 29.07% | 9 |
| New York, NY | 41.68% | 10 | 28.57% | 10 |
Millennials dating scene best in Charlotte, Minneapolis, and Austin
When looking at the survey results from just millennial respondents, a new number one best city for dating appeared. Millennials are loving the dating scene in Charlotte... way more than the general population. Charlotte's satisfaction share saw a huge increase when segmenting out this age group, with satisfaction share increasing by over 12%. While the general population is 37.7% satisfied with dating in Charlotte, millennials are 49.1% satisfied. The usual bustling and up-and-coming cities like Nashville, TN, and Minneapolis, MN are featured on this list. Texas has two cities on this list, with Austin in 3rd and Dallas in 8th.
Top 10 Cities for Dating - Millennials
| City | Satisfaction % | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | 49.1% | 1 |
| Minneapolis, MN | 47.27% | 2 |
| Austin, TX | 46.82% | 3 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 45.16% | 4 |
| Orlando, FL | 43.3% | 5 |
| Nashville, TN | 43.07% | 6 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 42.5% | 7 |
| Dallas, TX | 42.39% | 8 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 40.77% | 9 |
| Columbus, OH | 40.37% | 10 |
Riverside and Sacramento dating satisfaction lowest for Millennials
Three states stand out in our list of the worst cities for dating for millennials. California is the biggest loser here, with Riverside and Sacramento taking our bottom two spots respectively. Missouri is also home to two of the bottom five spots, with St. Louis and Kansas City both included. Florida isn't doing so hot in the eyes of millennials either, with Jacksonville and Miami included in our bottom 10.
Bottom 10 Cities for Dating - Millennials
| City | Satisfaction % | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Miami, FL | 30.23% | 30 |
| San Antonio, TX | 29.97% | 31 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 29.37% | 32 |
| Raleigh, NC | 28.51% | 33 |
| Detroit, MI | 28.21% | 34 |
| Kansas City, MO | 28.11% | 35 |
| St. Louis, MO | 26.71% | 36 |
| Baltimore, MD | 23.38% | 37 |
| Sacramento, CA | 18.18% | 38 |
| Riverside, CA | 16.21% | 39 |
College-Educated singles most satisfied with dating in Minneapolis, Non-college educated rank Nashville #1
Educational attainment can also determine where you will be happier with the dating scene, according to our survey. For individuals with a bachelor's degree or higher, some familiar city names appear at the top of the satisfaction list, like Minneapolis, Denver, Austin, and Charlotte. However, a big surprise jumps out when looking at the bottom of the list. San Diego, CA was the worst city for dating ranked by college-educated individuals. Considering that San Diego is home to two major universities, this was a rather unexpected result.
Nationwide, it seems that there are better dating opportunities for singles with higher levels of education. Comparing the top 10 for each group, we observe big differences in satisfaction rates. Overall, 32.5% of college-educated singles were satisfied with dating opportunities, while only 25.3% of non-college-educated singles were satisfied. That said, Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia are the places to be if you are looking for love without a college degree under your belt. Six cities in these states were ranked in the top 10 by people who didn't have a bachelor's degree.
Complete List - Education Level
| College Educated | Satisfaction % | Ranking | Non-college Educated | Satisfaction % | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis, MN | 48.66% | 1 | Nashville, TN | 41.42% | 1 |
| Denver, CO | 45.28% | 2 | Dallas, TX | 34.76% | 2 |
| Austin, TX | 43.37% | 3 | Columbus, OH | 34.47% | 3 |
| Charlotte, NC | 43.35% | 4 | Austin, TX | 34.14% | 4 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 42.92% | 5 | Virginia Beach, VA | 33.34% | 5 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 42.74% | 6 | Raleigh, NC | 33.26% | 6 |
| Chicago, IL | 41.9% | 7 | Charlotte, NC | 32.77% | 7 |
| San Francisco, CA | 41.78% | 8 | Salt Lake City, UT | 32.31% | 8 |
| Las Vegas, NV | 41.23% | 9 | Phoenix, AZ | 31.64% | 9 |
| Washington, DC | 40.12% | 10 | Richmond, VA | 31.56% | 10 |
For those not having the best of luck finding love in their current city, we'd suggest giving Austin, Charlotte, San Francisco, or Minneapolis a shot. Whether you're happily married, looking for love, or perfectly content with being single, we at Apartment List wish you a happy Valentine's Day.
The table below contains full data for the cities we analyzed:
| City | Ranking | Overall Satisfied % | Male Satisfied % | Female Satisfied % | Millennial Satisfied % | College Satisfied % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | 1 | 39.8% | 44.52% | 39.24% | 46.82% | 43.37% |
| Charlotte, NC | 2 | 37.74% | 52.36% | 33.75% | 49.1% | 43.35% |
| San Francisco, CA | 3 | 36.75% | 51.59% | 29.07% | 38.69% | 41.78% |
| Minneapolis, MN | 4 | 36.74% | 39.56% | 36.52% | 47.27% | 48.66% |
| Little Rock, AR | 5 | 36.15% | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Phoenix, AZ | 6 | 34.91% | 47.34% | 28.57% | 40.77% | 42.92% |
| Washington, DC | 7 | 34.87% | 46.88% | 30.38% | 38.19% | 40.12% |
| Durham, NC | 8 | 34.57% | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Columbus, OH | 9 | 34.39% | 37.95% | 33.88% | 40.37% | 34.23% |
| Denver, CO | 10 | 33.59% | 38.15% | 32.09% | 37.1% | 45.28% |
Methodology
Data is based on results from the Apartment List renter survey between February 15, 2018 and December 31, 2018. The results above are based on responses from over 26,000 renters. Renters who are married or in a long-term committed relationship are excluded from the study. Renters were asked: “How would you rate your current city or neighborhood for opportunities to date?” Possible responses are as follows: Very Satisfied, Somewhat Satisfied, Neutral, Somewhat Unsatisfied, Very Unsatisfied.
Rankings are based on the share of renters who report being very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with opportunities to date. The minimum sample size for each city was 25. Gender satisfaction breakdowns are included for cities with a minimum of 20 responses for both men and women. The city rankings incorporate ratings from both heterosexual and LGBTQIA respondents.
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