Glendale, CA
Glendale came in as the worst of the worst on this list--all the way down at number 182. They suffered in all three categories that this list was based on: cost of living, entertainment options and the number of singles. In terms of dating opportunities alone, the city ranked at 181.
When it came to entertainment options, however, it did a little better, coming in at 81 in that category. The problem though is that, while there might be more entertainment options than other places, the cost of living is higher, so people have less money to spend on entertainment. When it comes to the cost of living, Glendale ranks at number 171.
Brownsville, TX
Hope you're not looking for love in Brownsville, Texas. They ranked low for both the number of potential partners and things to do on a date, coming in at number 181. So, in other words, there’s nobody to date and nothing to do, even if you just want to go out by yourself. Yikes.
The area where Brownsville did the best, and that’s a bit of an overstatement, is when it came to the cost of living. But even if getting your haircut, going to the movies, eating out or grabbing a beer is a lot cheaper, there aren’t many options, so you might have to leave the area for dates anyway.
Detroit, MI
Poor Detroit can't catch a break, even when it comes to love. The Michigan city ended up with an overall rank of 140, which is nonetheless an improvement over last year's rank of 157. In Detroit, the 2020 census revealed a population of 639,111, making it the 27th most populous city in the country.
Detroit, Michigan earned a ranking of 138 for living expenses and a ranking of 122 for entertainment. These were Detroit's worst two areas. As for the number of available singles, Detroit earned a rank of 113 - far from the best and far from the worst in that regard.
Hialeah, FL
Hialeah may be the sixth biggest city in Florida, but people are still struggling to pair up in town. Although it didn't rank well in any of the three ranking factors, it did particularly poorly in terms of the cost of living and potential partners. Hialeah, Florida ranks 180 in the Best and Worst Cities for singles, making it clearly one of the worst.
Hialeah, Florida ranks number 99 as for entertainment options, making it moderately suitable in that category. As for the cost of living and dating options, it ranks much lower than the other cities on the list and it has a population of over 233K. All those people, and few dating options? Everyone is either married or completely undatable.
Montgomery, AL
These days, most of the residents of Montgomery, Alabama are already taken. They ranked particularly poorly in terms of available single people, leading to an overall rank of 161. Montgomery is the capital city of Alabama. It has a population of over 200K and there are very few single people, making finding a partner a matter of pure luck.
Where Montgomery does fare better is in terms of the cost of living. There it ranks 72 in that category. Meanwhile, for dating options it ranks in a staggering 172nd place. Entertainment options are far and few in between as well, ranking 162nd in that category. Hopefully the dating pool gets a little bigger in the future.
Pembroke Pines, FL
Pembroke Pines may be in beautiful southern Florida, but love is not in the air here--ranking number 177 out of 182. Their biggest weak spot was a lack of potential mates in which it ranks 179. However, it should be noted that it is doing a little bit better than in previous years.
Previously, Pembroke Pines was in 180th place. While it’s not a huge improvement, it’s something…and really it’s not the worst in terms of cost of living and entertainment options, so it has that going for it at least. In those categories, it places 100 and 103rd, respectively. Maybe we’ll see it a little further up on the list in the coming years.
Moreno Valley, CA
Moreno Valley, California didn't fare too well in the rankings, coming it at number 176, which was the same position as last year. It ranked so badly because of the high cost of living coupled with a lack of dating activities in the city and none of that has changed really.
And make no mistake, Moreno Valley is also on the low side for dating options, ranking 130 out of 182. The city's population is over 208K. Located in the county of Riverside, it is the second-largest city there. So, if you can't find a date there, I guess try going to the largest city in terms of population - Riverside.
Oakland, CA
Oakland has never really had a reputation as a city where people fall in love and raise a family, so it should come as no surprise that they ranked number 137 on the list. They ranked poorly for all three factors, but did especially bad when it comes to cost of living.
Oakland went up 30 points in Wallethub's ranking compared to last year. It's a notable improvement, yet Oakland is still no singles paradise. If you are looking for entertainment alone, Oakland is on the better side of things. It offers more options for couples, so there's more to do on dates and you could potentially never have the same date twice.
Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem is a major urban area but still managed to rank at number 174. So, you might be able to find a job, but don't expect to find the love of your life here. It is up from one ranking point compared to last year but that's hardly an improvement.
Winston-Salem earned a ranking of 73 for its cost of living, making it one of the better cities for affordability. Unfortunately, entertainment options are low, ranking 147 in that category, so there isn't anywhere to go. As for dating options, the city ranks 175th out of 182 - and that really tells you all you need to know.
Laredo, TX
Laredo isn't expensive for a single person--it's got one of the best cost of living ranks on the list. However, it still ranks number 177 thanks to a lack of entertainment and a lack of dateable people. So, having extra money is great and all, but if you have nothing and no one to spend it all on, what good does it do?
Laredo ranked 47 out of 182 in terms of cost of living, meanwhile, entertainment options ranked 128 and dating options ranked 177. What makes these numbers even more interesting is that the city has an estimated population of 262K, which means the people getting together are staying together, which would be good unless you were single.
Shreveport, LA
Shreveport, Louisiana ranked number 168 on the list thanks to their poor rankings for date activities and the number of singles in the area. That being said, the cost of living didn't seem to have a significant impact on their low rank, because as for that category, it received a ranking of 67.
Easily one of Shreveport's weakest areas when it comes to dating is entertainment options, where the city ranks 172 out of 182. As for dating options, the city ranks 167th. One reason for this may be the city's decreasing population. In 2010, the city had over 199K and now it has under 188K as of 2020. That's a significant decrease in 10 years' time.
Warwick, RI
Warwick might look like a cozy town, but if you're single, you might not want to settle here. This city ranks at number 171 thanks to a high cost of living and low number of singles already living there. It does fare better in terms of entertainment, wherein it has a ranking of 68.
Warwick, Rhode Island is a city with only around 83K people, so it's not a huge shock that there are not many singles in the area. In that category, it ranks 174 out of 182. The cost of living is high as well, with the city ranking 131 out of 182.
Gulfport, MS
Gulfport did okay in terms of cost of living, but their rankings for entertainment and available partners really did them in. They ended up ranking number 169 overall. For the cost of living, the city placed number 45 in that category, which means getting ready for your date and eating out are sure to fit in your budget.
Easily the worst area for Gulfport in terms of dating are the entertainment options, a category in which Gulfport ranks 171. As for the number of singles, the dating pool is limited as you can see with its 162 ranking. Gulfport is the second-largest city in Mississippi with a population of around 73K.
Grand Prairie, TX
There's just not enough going on for singles in Grand Prairie, Texas. Their poor showing when it comes to entertainment options led it to be ranked number 168 overall. Entertainment in Grand Prairie ranks the lowest of any category, getting a rank of 168 out of 182. And what's a date without entertainment?
Grand Prairie ranks 144 out of 182 for the number of singles available to date. The population is estimated to be around 195K. Dating opportunities in this ranking are determined by the share of the population that is single, the gender balance and the online or mobile dating opportunities available in the area.
Modesto, CA
Modesto didn't fare well with any of the ranking factors, but they did especially poorly when it came to activities for dates. Modesto ranked as having some of the highest movie costs. With their 139 cost of living ranking and 159 entertainment ranking, it seems Modesto is not all about the dating scene.
All in all, Modesto ended up ranking as number 167. In 2020, the United States census showed that the city had a population of over 218K. It's the 19th largest city in the state of California and it's an area surrounded by rich farmland. The modest town, however, may require that you, yourself should probably not be too modest if you want to get one's attention
Peoria, AZ
When it comes to cost of living, you can't do much better than Peoria, AZ--which came in at number 6 for that. However, their horrible rankings for entertainment (153) and available singles (176), led them to be ranked at number 165 overall. But with so much extra cash and nothing to do, it seems your only options are a night inside with your cat or doggo.
Peoria, Arizona has a population of about 176K. It is the sixth-largest city in the state of Arizona and the ninth-largest in population. But even if the city has a somewhat decent-sized population, it doesn't mean everyone in the area isn't already in a relationship. Get out of Peoria or stay single.
Greensboro, NC
Greensboro had one of the worst rankings in America in terms of potential mates, but their other rankings weren't too terrible, which landed them at an unimpressive (but not catastrophic) overall rank of 164. Needless to say, there's a lot more room for improvement...well, I mean if you are single.
Of course, if you are not single, you don't really want to the single number to improve. When it comes to these rankings, there's a give and a take. Greensboro may have a number 48 rank in cost of living but their ranking for the number of singles available is a horrendous 180.
South Burlington, VT
South Burlington is a great place if you're looking for cheap living, as they rank 92 in that category. It's not the best ranking but it's certainly on the better half of the list. But if you're looking for a fun date, you may want to search elsewhere. They ended up ranked at number 109 in that category.
Interestingly, the ranking for the number of singles in the area matched the city's overall ranking of 163. The population of South Burlington is a little over 20K. It's not a huge city, so there aren't even a whole lot of possible options to begin with, even if everyone got a divorce .
Garland, TX
Garland, Texas may be near Dallas, but people are still struggling to pair up here. The city ranked particularly poorly for a lack of entertainment and a lack of available singles. For entertainment, Garland received a ranking of 158 which is not the very worst but pretty low on the list nonetheless.
Garland, Texas has a population of around 240K, meaning there are plenty of people in the area. But unless you are planning on having an affair and wrecking some households, you really aren't going to find many opportunities for love as a single person. For the number of singles, Garland ranks 149.
Yonkers, NY
While Yonkers fared decently in terms of date activities, they suffered in the areas of cost of living and number of potential partners. They ended up at 171 on the list, overall. Its ranking of 53 in terms of entertainment, undoubtedly kept it from the bottom of the list but there are areas where it did far worse.
As of the 2020 census, Yonkers, NY had a population of around 211K. As an inner suburb of New York City, it's no surprise that singles are hard to come by there. The city ranks 168 out of 182 for the number of singles available. The cost of living is fairly high too, ranking 134.
Pearl City, HI
Hawaii may be one of the most romantic places on earth, but the sparks definitely aren't flying in the city of Pearl City. They fared poorly across all dimensions and ended up ranked number 158. This is, however, a significant improvement from last year's ranking, where the city had ranked 173.
Pearl City, Hawaii has a population of just about 45K. Yet even with this few amount of people, the city is actually one of the better options for the number of available singles. The problem, however, is that there are very few entertainment options and the cost of living is high. So, unless your date just wants to watch some Netflix, you are out of luck.
San Bernardino, CA
San Bernardino had a decent ranking in terms of the number of single people there, but their cost of living and entertainment rankings were so bad that they still ended up at number 157 on the list. This is still an improvement over last year's ranking where it was 170. But decidedly not an improvement, if you consider being single a bad thing.
San Bernardino's worst area would have to be the sheer lack of entertainment options, a category in which the city ranks 176. On top of this, the city has a high cost of living that ranks it 164 out of 182 in that category. But hey, at least there are a moderate amount of singles in the area.
Santa Rosa, CA
Santa Rosa is in a prime, beautiful location, but that's just not enough to make love happen there. They ended up at number 162 on the list and did particularly bad in terms of cost of living. For that category, the city is close to the bottom as one of the worst, ranking number 176.
The city has over 178K residents and most of them are unavailable. The city ranks 140 out of 182. But hey, at least it's not in the top 25 worst for that regard! One thing it does have going for it are entertainment options. Whether you enjoy the indoors or the outdoors, there's plenty to do on a date.
Fremont, CA
The city of Fremont didn't do particularly well in any of the three ranking categories. Their numbers were pretty underwhelming across the board, leading to an overall rank of 154. If you are single in Fremont, you are going to have to do a lot of searching to find some true love.
Fremont's best area was in terms of the number of entertainment options, so there are at least some places to have a good time. Nevertheless, it ranks 90, so you'll likely be going to the same places more than once. For the cost of living, the city ranks 137 and for the number of singles, it ranks 147.
Ontario, CA
There are plenty of single people ready to mingle in Ontario, CA and they ranked rather well for available partners. However, a lack of entertainment and a high cost of living led them to be ranked 154 overall. Ontario ranked number 152 for cost of living and 160 for entertainment options.
Picking the right spot for a first date can go far in making a good first impression, but it's a little difficult to do when there is no interesting place to take a first date. And, sadly, Ontario's ranking of 93 isn't really enough to generate any buzz for the city as a hip scene for singles.
Stockton, CA
Stockton, California didn't have one single factor that drove its rank down--faring pretty terribly across all three dimensions. The city ended up at number 147 on the list. This was, however, up from 165 from last year. The area where it has done the worst is in entertainment as the city offers limited options.
The two areas in which Stockton fares slightly better but at the same time does consistently poorly is the cost of living and the number of singles available. Couples who can afford to be together are staying together and all the singles are being left to fend for themselves.
Columbia, MD
Columbia, Maryland is just too close to Washington D.C. to be a good choice for singles. Nothing takes away that loving feeling faster than politics. They ranked at number 133 and were particularly low on the list of entertainment options for dates. No fun to be had in Columbia it seems.
Columbia, Maryland is up 33 rankings from the previous year. The worst area of all is in the number of singles available, ranking 150 on the list. The second worst area is in entertainment options, ranking 119 on the list. The one area where it does do okay is with the cost of living, getting a ranking of 57.
Lewiston, ME
Lewiston, Maine has a fantastic cost of living if you don't mind being single for the rest of your life. While they ranked well for that factor, they didn't do so hot in terms of available entertainment or potential partners. Lewiston, Maine ranks 141 on the list, making it another one of the worst states for singles.
If you think you are going to get a date in Lewiston, your chances are fairly low as the city ranks 116 in that category. Entertainment options ranked at 140 in that list. As for the cost of living, that's where Lewiston does a little better, ranking 101 in that category.
Santa Ana, CA
Santa Ana did best when it came to the number of singles available. In the city of over 310K, it ranked 66 for available dates which means you'll have plenty of people consider in the dating pool. By comparison, the entertainment ranking was 117, which means fewer options for stuff to do in the area.
Philadelphia, PA
Clearly, Philadelphia is so concerned with brotherly love that their other relationships suffer, which is why they ranked number 118 on the list. Considering the size of the city, it was shocking to see them perform so poorly in terms of the number of available people. You'd think a place as prominent as Philadelphia would offer a bigger dating pool, but it seems Philly is more of a tourist scene.
Philadelphia's ranking for dating activities has gone up significantly. And actually, out of all of the cities on this list, Philly has the best ranking in that category an impressive 30th place. The cost of living is still hindering the quality of life, nevertheless, earning an unfortunate 165th place.