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February 2012

10 Best Cities for Singles

6. Philadelphia

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Metro population: 5,911,638

Unmarried households: 53.1%

Cost-of-living score: 123.8

Median household income: $60,259

Date-night tab: $27.65

Think of Philadelphia as the cheaper alternative to New York or D.C. Thousands of singles see it that way already: Since 2000, the number of college-educated young adults living in downtown Philly has jumped by 57%. Young people have long flocked to the area for college, as more than a dozen universities lie within city lines. But increasingly, trendy neighborhoods and high incomes at companies such as Comcast and Sunoco are pulling singles in to stay. Now, one in two Philadelphians is unmarried, one in five is between 20 and 34, and one in three holds at least a bachelor's degree. Young people congregate in Northern Liberties, Fishtown and Fairmount, where rent for a two-bedroom apartment averages about $1,000.