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It's not you. Really. It's them. Single people, that is. The cities that ranked poorly for dating may be quite lovely for couples, families, tourists and retirees. But based on economic and demographic factors, we found these cities to be far from perfect matches for singles.
For one thing, each city's percentage of unmarried people (i.e., the dating pool) falls well below the national average of 51.7%. Financial indicators didn't boost the cities' attractiveness, either. Household incomes came in far short of the national median of $50,054 and couldn't cover the spread even in cities with lower than average living costs, as reported by the Council for Community and Economic Research.
We also factored in education level, keeping in mind that people with bachelor's degrees are more likely to be gainfully employed. After all, broke and jobless are hardly attractive qualities. We didn't consider metropolitan areas with populations under 125,000 people. Finally, we threw in a date-night tab for each city that shows the typical cost of two movie tickets, a pizza and a bottle of wine.
Take a look at our list of the ten worst cities for singles.
Metro population: 299,379
Percentage of unmarried adults: 47.5% (U.S. average: 51.7%)
Cost of living: 13.7% below U.S. average
Median household income: $35,965 (U.S. median: $50,054)
Date-night tab: $34.64 for a pizza, bottle of wine and two movie tickets (U.S. average: $35.47)
Fort Smith, hard by the border of Oklahoma and embraced by the Arkansas River, may actually be one of the better cities for budget-conscious families — just not so much for the single set. The nearby Ozarks offer opportunities for affordable family getaways, and kids get a kick out of the area's Wild West legacy. The city's cost of living is low enough to make it a regular contender in our annual rankings of the cheapest places to live in the U.S.
But a shallow dating pool is a high price to pay for any social single. The local population consists of 52.5% married adults, and families make up 68.9% of households (compared to 66.0%, on average, nationally). Besides, with a median income more than $14,000 below the national level, the lower expenses may not add up to many dollars saved.
Metro population: 138,894
Percentage of unmarried adults: 48.5%
Cost of living: 0.6% below U.S. average
Median household income: $39,767
Date-night tab: $33.97
The Sunshine State proves tempestuous toward the single set. (Spoiler alert: Two more Florida cities show up on this list.) More suited for retirement than bachelorhood, this coastal metro area, including Sebastian, leans toward the more mature with a median age of 48.9, the second-highest among the finalists, as well as the married crowd. The population also happens to be highly educated, with 32.2% holding bachelor's degrees, the largest share on this list and well above the 25.8% national average.
But financial factors are what really bog down this beach community. Median household income is 20.6% below the national level although living costs are on par with the U.S. average. Put those figures together and you get a mighty squeezed budget that's unlikely to have much room for a vibrant social life. Plus, the unemployment rate stands at 9.1% (as of December 2012), a vast improvement from 11.1% a year earlier, but still higher than the December national rate of 7.8%.
Metro population: 206,161
Percentage of unmarried adults: 48.4%
Cost of living: 7.8% below U.S. average
Median household income: $37,998
Date-night tab: $35.99
This area of northern Alabama might pick you up when you're feeling blue (so says Lynyrd Skynyrd), but Florence, along with nearby Muscle Shoals, is no sweet home for singles, who find themselves in the marital-status minority. And while the low cost of living may seem attractive, incomes actually fall below the national median by more than $12,000. That means your budget, for dating and otherwise, is still likely to be pinched.
On the bright side, the local unemployment rate is just 6.3%, as of December 2012, down from 7.3% a year earlier. And singles-friendly Memphis is only about three hours away across the border in Tennessee. (More recommending Memphis later.)
Metro population: 162,488
Percentage of unmarried adults: 48.5%
Cost of living: 5.4% below U.S. average
Median household income: $39,314
Date-night tab: $32.37
There's little about the term "Rust Belt" that screams single and ready to mingle. That's certainly the case in Parkersburg. Sure, the West Virginia city is relatively safe and quiet, making it attractive to families, but the dating scene holds little appeal.
That might help to explain the low unmarried head count in Parkersburg. Younger bachelors and bachelorettes may be particularly put off by the area's seasoned dating pool. The median age is 42.7, versus the U.S. median of 37.3 years old. Plus, the 5.4% lower-than-average cost of living doesn't balance out a median household income that falls 21.5% below the national median.
Metro population: 332,529
Percentage of unmarried adults: 48.9%
Cost of living: 5.0% below U.S. average
Median household income: $36,255
Date-night tab: $32.68
If you're in the market for a thoroughbred, Ocala is the place to be — just so long as you're aware that any thoroughbred you find will come with four legs and a silky mane. Known as the "Horse Capital of the World," this city in central Florida has less to offer singles in search of human companionship. Younger daters, in particular, could struggle given the area's median age is 47.6 years old, a decade older than the nation's median.
Plus, Ocala sports the lowest median income of all the Florida representatives on this list, falling nearly $14,000 below the national level. Its population is also the least-educated of our Floridian finalists with just 15.0% of people holding bachelor's degrees (the U.S. average is 25.8%).
Metro population: 797,810
Percentage of unmarried adults: 46.2%
Cost of living: 14.0% below U.S. average
Median household income: $31,077
Date-night tab: $34.79
The financial situation is bleak for McAllen residents, regardless of marital status. The metro area's median household income ranks lowest in the country, and its poverty rate ranks highest with 37.7% of households living below the poverty line, compared to 15.0% for the nation. The local unemployment rate comes in at 10.3%.
The scene isn't so appealing for the singles set, either. The area boasts one of the highest percentages of families, 81.9% of households, of which 54.9% include kids younger than 18. The nearby Brownsville metro area posts similarly discouraging economic statistics — the second-lowest median income in the country and the second-highest percentage of people living in poverty. Coupled with a below-average percentage of unmarried households, the numbers add up to a negative singles scene in South Texas.
Metro population: 160,511
Percentage of unmarried adults: 43.2%
Cost of living: 6.1% below U.S. average
Median household income: $41,190
Date-night tab: $37.54
The worst for singles among our trio of Florida cities, Punta Gorda, with its quaint historic district and Harborwalk, might be better suited for a relaxing retirement than an active dating life. The local crowd comes in as the most senior of our ranked cities with a median age of 56.1 (the national median is 37.3), and 34.9% of the population is 65 and up. Only about four in ten adults are unmarried, the second-lowest share on our list.
And we don't mean to hate on Florida. Seven Florida cities pulled above-average scores for our singles rankings. Jacksonville, Miami and Tallahassee were our top three in-state cities for singles with unmarried populations of 53.0%, 56.8% and 61.2%, respectively.
Metro population: 204,822
Percentage of unmarried adults: 48.4%
Cost of living: 5.9% below U.S. average
Median household income: $39,138
Date-night tab: $41.51
Single people might enjoy visiting Medford and Oregon's Rogue Valley to take in the scenery and taste the local wines. But living there proves less attractive.
Not only is the dating pool limited, with less than half of the population unmarried, the financial situation is not pretty, either. Median household income is 21.8% lower than the national level, and living costs fall just 5.9% below the U.S. average. And, with the unemployment rate at 9.5% as of December 2012 — compared with that month's national rate of 7.8% — the majority of locals aren't likely to be getting raises anytime soon. Plus, the date-night tab is the priciest of any city on this list.
Metro population: 137,494
Percentage of unmarried adults: 43.6%
Cost of living: 10.0% below U.S. average
Median household income: $35,027
Date-night tab: $38.98
Tennessee didn't fare well in our rankings. Clarksville, Cleveland, Johnson City and Kingsport were among the 20 worst cities for singles. But Morristown, where living costs are low but pay is even lower, trumped them all. The abundance of married folks, at 56.4% of the population, and families, 70.2% of households, also puts a damper on singles life. Plus, Morristown's share of bachelor's degree holders is just 12.7%, far below the national average of 25.8% and the lowest on this list.
But before you brand us with a bias against Tennessee, allow us to recommend Memphis for a strong singles setting: 59.5% of the population is unmarried; the cost of living is 14.4% below the U.S. average; and though the median household income still falls short of the national level, it's about $10,000 more than that of Morristown.
Metro population: 200,870
Percentage of unmarried adults: 43.0%
Cost of living: 4.7% above U.S. average
Median household income: $38,390
Date-night tab: $32.34
Our worst city for singles might be a bad choice for anyone, at least based on the local job market. As of December 2012, this border town suffered the nation's worst unemployment rate at 27.3% — a striking figure that was three and a half times the national average at the time and moving in the wrong direction. A year earlier, Yuma's jobless rate was 25.4%.
Piling on to the financial woes of local residents, despite the low median income, the cost of living actually inches above the national average. If it's any consolation, our proposed date night in Yuma rings up the lowest tab of any city on our list. But good luck finding another singleton to join you for dinner and a movie. Yuma has the lowest percentage of unmarried adults on this list and the eleventh-lowest in the nation.
All contents © 2013 The Kiplinger Washington Editors
