Texas is the fourth best state for singles, partly because of its high online dating participation rate, according to a new study.
“Texas also offers a lot of opportunities for romance and fun as it has a high number of restaurants, fitness and recreational facilities, movie theaters, and amusement parks per capita, and a large number of attractions, nature parks, and other similar institutions,” said Jill Gonzalez, an analyst with WalletHub.
California landed the top spot in the WalletHub 2022 Best and Worst States for Singles study because of its online and mobile dating opportunities and openness to relationships.
“To catch up with California, Texas would need to have a bigger share of single adults, more online and mobile dating opportunities, a higher online dating participation, more openness to relationships, but also more vaccinated people,” Gonzalez told The Dallas Express. “It would also need to have a lower average price for wine, a higher median credit score, and a higher community well-being index.”
The study further found that the Lone Star State has low movie costs (about $9.97 for a ticket), a high median annual household income, and a high job-growth rate, while the share of single adults in Texas is 48.72%, according to the data.
“Being among the top states for singles means that the state is very attractive for young people and has a thriving economy,” Gonzalez said in an interview. “Plus, singles tend to go out more and spend money, which can only contribute to the economy.”
Texas ranked 28th for online dating opportunities with 81.9% of households having a broadband internet subscription, and 16th for mobile dating opportunities with 90.1% of adults owning a smartphone, according to Gonzalez. For online dating participation, Texas ranked second.
“To attract more singles, states should have plenty of economic opportunities, affordable housing, and they should also be safe,” Gonzalez said. “They should also have easily accessible healthy foods [and] social activities, and offer opportunities for entertainment. The number of restaurants and movie theaters account for the available fun and romance opportunities in the state.”
When it comes to singles who are fully vaccinated, the study found that Texas ranked 26th at 67.4%.
“COVID-19 vaccination was included as it increases the opportunities for dating in person,” Gonzalez said. “We have not surveyed singles to find out whether they are demanding it but it offers some safety when it comes to going on a date.”
At No.50, West Virginia was ranked the worst state to be single, due to its low number of online and mobile dating opportunities and low online dating participation.
“The state also has high movie costs, a low median annual household income, a low median credit score, a low community well-being index, and a high unemployment rate for the single population,” Gonzalez added. “In terms of romance and fun, West Virginia lacks restaurants, attractions, nature parks, and other similar institutions, fitness and recreational facilities, movie theaters, amusement parks, and nightlife options.”