10 Best Cities for Single Women

Last Updated: Nov 13, 2018
6 min read

We’ve already covered the best cities for young professionals. But what happens when those young women are looking for love?

Maybe you’ve already got a special friend in your life that you love to dance with & hug.

As for meeting a great guy, we’ve got you covered ladies.

Obviously, some factors are more important than others when it comes to the place you want to be looking for Prince Charming. The number of bars within walking distance and gender ratios are super important.

We want to find you places with lots of single guys and plenty of places to meet them.

So, we came up with a detailed formula for ranking the best cities for all the single ladies in the United States.

1 bedroom average rent: he less money you spend on an apartment the more you can spend on accessories
Yelp results for nightlife/square mile: the more bars and clubs in a city, the more places you’ll have to meet single guys
% of population age 20-30: the more people around who are close to you in age, the more friends you’ll make and fun you’ll have
Median age: ditto
Unemployment rate: jobs are a great place to meet people, plus you’ll need money to go out
Male/Female ratio: the higher this is, the more men there are for each woman
% of population unmarried: nobody wants to be a homewrecker

Let’s get to it!

10. St. Louis, Missouri

Index Score: 58.39/100

One Bedroom Average Rent: $820
Yelp results for nightlife/square mile: 20
Percent of population age 20-30: 18%
Median age: 35
Unemployment rate: 4.3%
Male/Female ratio: 1.07
Percent of population unmarried: 63%

For having a population that’s a bit on the older side (median age of 35), a remarkable number of people in St. Louis are unmarried (63%). There is also a very happening nightlife—International Tap House is an especially classy and popular chain of four bars.

St. Louis is also a HUGE sports town, and Cardinals baseball games in the summer are a popular date destination.

9. Tucson, Arizona

One Bedroom Average Rent: $570
Yelp results for nightlife/square mile: 1
Percent of population age 20-30: 19%
Median age: 33.6
Unemployment rate: 4.8%
Male/Female ratio: 1.04
Percent of population unmarried: 57%

Tucson is a desert oasis with a surprisingly happening scene—think San Diego with more heat and less ocean. The University of Arizona is a huge sports and party scene, and it keeps the town young, but not too young.

Rent in Tucson is extraordinarily cheap, so it’ll give you more money to spend at the Frog & Firkin.

8. Orlando, Florida

Index Score: 60.46/100

One Bedroom Average Rent: $1,070
Yelp results for nightlife/square mile: 12
Percent of population age 20-30: 22%
Median age: 33.1
Unemployment rate: 4.5%
Male/Female ratio: 1.06
Percent of population unmarried: 59%

Florida might have a rep as the state full of crazy people and retirees, but that’s not true about Orlando. It’s actually a fairly young place—younger even than famously youthful Seattle (the next city on our list).

You probably know it more as the home of Disneyworld! There’s tons of Disney employees that live here, and if you choose to as well it’s entirely possible you’ll find one to start a fairytale with.

7. Seattle, Washington

Index Score: 61.72/100

One Bedroom Average Rent: $1,720
Yelp results for nightlife/square mile: 18
Percent of population age 20-30: 21%
Median age: 35.5
Unemployment rate: 4.2%
Male/Female ratio: 1.01
Percent of population unmarried: 55%

Seattle might be super expensive, but it makes up for that with great job prospects and a favorable gender ratio. We don’t need to tell you that Seattle is the coffee capital of the world, so you’ll always have a place for a cute little date.

6. Lincoln, Nebraska

Index Score: 61.95/100

One Bedroom Average Rent: $690
Yelp results for nightlife/square mile: 2
Percent of population age 20-30: 20%
Median age: 32.3
Unemployment rate: 2.8%
Male/Female ratio: 1.01
Percent of population unmarried: 49%

Of all the cities on our list, Lincoln has the best combination of low rents and positive job prospects. To wit: you should be able to find a great job and a nice, inexpensive apartment here.

It’s also a college town, but you should know that Nebraska’s culture is very conservative. If you’re looking to settle down with a nice country boy, Lincoln could be the place for you.

5. Dallas, Texas

Index Score: 62.36/100

One Bedroom Average Rent: $1,220
Yelp results for nightlife/square mile: 5
Percent of population age 20-30: 17%
Median age: 32.6
Unemployment rate: 3.6%
Male/Female ratio: 0.984
Percent of population unmarried: 54%

Though it has the least favorable gender ratio for women on our list, Dallas makes up for it with a booming economy and nightlife. Plus, you won’t have to pay state income tax!

4. Denver, Colorado

Index Score: 65.41/100

One Bedroom Average Rent: $1,400
Yelp results for nightlife/square mile: 10
Percent of population age 20-30: 18%
Median age: 34.1
Unemployment rate: 2.9%
Male/Female ratio: 0.999
Percent of population unmarried: 56%

Denver is like Dallas, but much colder. It’s expensive, but the job prospects are great. The population is a bit older, but the nightlife is poppin’.

This is the place to be if you’re looking to settle down with an established gentleman who’ll take you skiing on the weekends.

3. Atlanta, Georgia

Index Score: 68.1/100

One Bedroom Average Rent: $1,350
Yelp results for nightlife/square mile: 12
Percent of population age 20-30: 20%
Median age: 33.8
Unemployment rate: 4.9%
Male/Female ratio: 1.01
Percent of population unmarried: 66%

Atlanta ranks so high on our list for single women because it has a large, young, unmarried population with more men than women. Choose Atlanta for your single years and maybe you’ll wind up on a TV show.

Also, check out our guide to Atlanta nightlife for ideas on where to go with your date.

2. Salt Lake City, Utah

Index Score: 76.26/100

One Bedroom Average Rent: $800
Yelp results for nightlife/square mile: 3
Percent of population age 20-30: 23%
Median age: 32.1
Unemployment rate: 3%
Male/Female ratio: 0.958
Percent of population unmarried: 55%

Utah is known for being a very conservative state, but Salt Lake City is actually very progressive and gay-friendly. You know what that means, ladies: lots of dance parties at gay bars.

But when it comes time for meeting a guy you can date, SLC has them in spades too—it’s been ranked the second best city in the country to meet single men over 35.

1. Providence, Rhode Island

Index Score: 79.77/100

One Bedroom Average Rent: $880
Yelp results for nightlife/square mile: 18
Percent of population age 20-30: 21%
Median age: 32.7
Unemployment rate: 4.1%
Male/Female ratio: 1.01
Percent of population unmarried: 66%

Coming in at number one on our list is…Providence, Rhode Island. It’s near or at the top in every category, you should be looking for as a single woman. It has a very young population, a full two-thirds of which is unmarried.

It’s fairly inexpensive and has a great nightlife scene. It’s also close enough to both Boston and New York that you can make a day trip out of it!

Go get ’em, Tigress!

Sources:
^1. www.census.gov
^2. www.yelp.com
^3. www.rentjungle.com

If you’re thinking about moving, check out our moving price calculator and helpful city guides to answer all those burning questions you have.