The Worst States For Single Men Looking For A Date
Looking for love in all the wrong places?
Turns out that might be more than just a saying. We analyzed all 50 states to find where single men have the best chance of finding love (or just a Valentine’s day date). The results? It might not be your fault you haven’t had a date in months.
It’s all about location, location, location.
The Worst States For Single Men To Get A Date
- Hawaii
- New Jersey
- Utah
- Montana
- Kansas
- Virginia
- New Hampshire
- Wisconsin
- Maryland
- Florida
Your state not in the top 10? Scroll down to see how single men are faring in your state’s dating scene. Otherwise, keep reading to see why these states are the worst for single men trying to find a date.
How We Determined The Worst States For Single Guys To Find A Date
We evaluated each state in 4 areas:
- Percent Of Residents Married
- Ratio Of Men To Women
- Percent Living With Their Parents
- Affordability
Our date on marriage rates for each states came from the 2018 Census American Community survey. The lower the marriage rate, the more singles and the better chance a single guy has of convincing one of them to date him. While marriage might signify lots of formerly single men found happily ever after, that doesn’t do much good to guys currently struggling to even find a date.
Our ratio of men-to-women also came from the ACS- the number of women for every 100 men. Typically, women out number men. Once again, the more women to men, the better for a single guy trying to snag a date. We also received out data on the percent of young adults living with their parents from the ACS. While dating isn’t impossible while you live with mom and dad, it’s definitely a lot harder.
Finally, we ranked each state on affordability. While getting a date is well and good, being able to afford a date helps obtain a second date. For affordability, we compared cost of living to average wage from the BLS. The more money left over after scrapping by, the more money to spend on grooming products to attract a mate and on dates a little more inciting than Netflix and chill.
1. Hawaii
Marriage Rating: 50.7%
Men-to-Women: 100.1
Living with parents: 35%
Hawaii may be paradise, but single guys in Hawaii have a hard time finding someone to share it with. There are a roughly even number of men and women, so guys have a lot more competition than in other states. Combine that with high prices, and single guys in Hawaii might not want to make any dinner reservations for Valentine’s day unless it’s for one.
2. New Jersey
Marriage Rating: 53%
Men-to-Women: 95.4
Living with parents: 46%
New Jersey is the 2nd worst state for a single guy trying to score a date. High prices mean paying for dates hits them hard in the wallet, but that isn’t the hardest part of dating for single men in New Jersey. New Jersey has the highest rates of adults living with their parents– which isn’t exactly a great pickup line. This DOES make New Jersey the #1 state for brunch with mom and dad, because when their unsuspecting date wakes up a New Jersey guy’s parents are probably making breakfast.
3. Utah
Marriage Rating: 57.2
Men-to-Women: 101.5
Living with parents: 27.83%
Why is Utah so hard to get a date in? Everyone is already married! For Utah guys who don’t get married young, they may find themselves with slim pickings. Throw in a gender balance that favors single women finding a date and it’s easy to see why single Utah men have a hard time finding a date.
4. Montana
Marriage Rating: 53.1
Men-to-Women: 101.4
Living with parents: 22.06%
Montana may be known as the “The Last Best Place” but it’s not so great for single men. Single Montana men trying to get a date have some hurdles to overcome- high marriage rates and an unfavorable ratio of men-to-women.
5. Kansas
Marriage Rating: 53.7
Men-to-Women: 99.2
Living with parents: 24.10%
Kansas is the 5th hardest state to be a single guy looking for a date. If a Kansas guy sees a woman he’d like to date, he better check for a wedding ring first. Marriage rates are high in Kansas.
6. Virginia
Marriage Rating: 51.6
Men-to-Women: 96.9
Living with parents: 32.06%
Virginia is not for lovers. Virginian men might be outnumbered by Virginian women, but that isn’t enough to overcome high prices. Single Virginian men better be creative, because after necessities there isn’t a lot left over for dates. Maybe they can go dutch?
7. New Hampshire
Marriage Rating: 52.4
Men-to-Women: 97.4
Living with parents: 34.65%
There isn’t any one outstanding reason single New Hampshire men struggle to find a date. It’s more lackluster scores in every category. Of course, the high percentage of adults living with their parents probably isn’t helping anyone (adult children or single parents) score a date.
8. Wisconsin
Marriage Rating: 51.7%
Men-to-Women: 98.9
Living with parents: 27.03%
From the outside, Wisconsin seems like a lovely state to split a cheese tray and beer with a date. But single guys in the cheese state know snagging a date in Wisconsin can be tricky.
9. Maryland
Marriage Rating: 50.8%
Men-to-Women: 94.2
Living with parents: 38.36%
Single Maryland may stay single. The biggest stumbling block? High prices keep Maryland men broke and working long hours just to pay for the basics. Never mind dinners for two.
10. Florida
Marriage Rating: 48.4%
Men-to-Women: 95.5
Living with parents: 38.43%
Florida may be the sunshine state, but getting a date in Florida is tricky for even the suavest of single Floridian gents. While there are a lot of single Floridians, a lot of them call their roommates “mom” and “dad.” Of course, since paying the bills doesn’t leave Floridians with a lot of extra cash, it’s no surprise so many of them are living with their parents- even if it does hurt them in the love department.
Summary On The Worst States For Single Guys To Get A Date
There you have it, the dates where it’s hardest for a single guy to get a date. However, while it may be harder in these states than others for single guys to find a date, they shouldn’t give up hope. Harder isn’t impossible, after all. Of course, if they’ve really given up hope, they can always move to a state where single men have the easiest time snagging date.
The best states for a single guy looking for a date?
- Ohio
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Vermont
- Maine
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- Kentucky
- North Dakota
- Michigan
Check out the full data below:
Rank | State | Marriage Rate (%) | # Of Men To 100 Women | Adults Living With Parents |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hawaii | 50 | 100 | 35.02% |
2 | New Jersey | 53 | 95 | 46.42% |
3 | Utah | 57 | 101 | 27.83% |
4 | Montana | 53 | 101 | 22.06% |
5 | Kansas | 53 | 99 | 24.1% |
6 | Virginia | 51 | 96 | 32.06% |
7 | New Hampshire | 52 | 97 | 34.65% |
8 | Wisconsin | 51 | 98 | 27.03% |
9 | Maryland | 50 | 94 | 38.36% |
10 | Florida | 48 | 95 | 38.43% |
11 | Arizona | 48 | 98 | 31.57% |
12 | Delaware | 50 | 93 | 37.18% |
13 | Illinois | 50 | 96 | 35.83% |
14 | Wyoming | 53 | 102 | 20.69% |
15 | Idaho | 55 | 101 | 24.88% |
16 | South Dakota | 53 | 101 | 19.03% |
17 | West Virginia | 50 | 98 | 32.28% |
18 | Texas | 50 | 98 | 33.15% |
19 | Minnesota | 52 | 99 | 26.44% |
20 | New York | 48 | 94 | 39.87% |
21 | Arkansas | 51 | 96 | 27.0% |
22 | California | 48 | 98 | 38.26% |
23 | Oregon | 51 | 98 | 25.37% |
24 | Nebraska | 54 | 99 | 21.72% |
25 | Pennsylvania | 50 | 96 | 35.99% |
26 | Indiana | 50 | 97 | 29.91% |
27 | Nevada | 46 | 100 | 30.89% |
28 | Washington | 52 | 100 | 26.13% |
29 | Massachusetts | 48 | 94 | 36.25% |
30 | Colorado | 51 | 101 | 24.36% |
31 | Iowa | 52 | 98 | 21.7% |
32 | North Carolina | 51 | 94 | 30.45% |
33 | Oklahoma | 51 | 97 | 25.81% |
34 | New Mexico | 46 | 98 | 34.34% |
35 | Tennessee | 51 | 95 | 30.48% |
36 | Louisiana | 46 | 95 | 33.65% |
36 | Alabama | 50 | 94 | 34.29% |
38 | Alaska | 50 | 108 | 29.26% |
39 | Georgia | 49 | 94 | 34.0% |
40 | Connecticut | 49 | 95 | 41.15% |
41 | Michigan | 49 | 97 | 34.01% |
42 | North Dakota | 50 | 106 | 14.46% |
43 | Kentucky | 51 | 96 | 28.89% |
44 | Mississippi | 47 | 94 | 36.06% |
45 | Missouri | 51 | 96 | 28.27% |
46 | Maine | 51 | 96 | 29.69% |
47 | Vermont | 49 | 96 | 27.65% |
47 | South Carolina | 49 | 94 | 32.63% |
49 | Rhode Island | 44 | 95 | 36.97% |
50 | Ohio | 49 | 96 | 30.56% |
Want the latest research first? Email kmorris@zippia.com to be added to our weekly newsletter
Author
Kathy Morris
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
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