10 Best Cities for Singles

Being awesomely single ain't cheap.

(Image credit: Thinkstock)

Being awesomely single ain't cheap. To help you find the best place to rock your bachelor(ette) lifestyle, we scanned the country for dating scenes that are as financially attractive as they are socially satisfying.

We focused on metropolitan areas with populations above 125,000 and a high percentage of singles, including the divorced and widowed, promising a deep pool of potential mates. Factoring in the financial aspect of being unattached, we screened for cities where household incomes typically are above the national median, increasing the likelihood that you can actually afford to go out. Plus, we eliminated areas with a high unemployment rate and favored places with a highly educated population because people with bachelor's or advanced degrees have a better chance of being gainfully employed.

We added the cost of living into the equation, to ensure that paychecks are plump enough to cover dating expenses. (Some pricier areas made the cut because incomes were high enough to handle inflated living costs.) Finally, we calculated a date-night tab — the average cost of a pizza, a bottle of wine and two movie tickets — to help you budget for your next night out.

Disclaimer

Population and income data come from the U.S. Census Bureau. Cost-of-living data, including date-night tabs, is provided by the Council for Community and Economic Research, which tracks living expenses nationwide.

Stacy Rapacon
Online Editor, Kiplinger.com

Rapacon joined Kiplinger in October 2007 as a reporter with Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine and became an online editor for Kiplinger.com in June 2010. She previously served as editor of the "Starting Out" column, focusing on personal finance advice for people in their twenties and thirties.

Before joining Kiplinger, Rapacon worked as a senior research associate at b2b publishing house Judy Diamond Associates. She holds a B.A. degree in English from the George Washington University.