The 10 metros, side by side
Sorted by unmarried men per 100 unmarried women at 25–34. Above 100 there are more single men than women. Click a city for the full picture.
| Metro | Men per 100 women, 25–34 | 35–44 | Men $100k+ | Women $100k+ | Women with a degree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 130 | 123 | 37.6% | 23.1% | 48% |
| Austin | 126 | 120 | 30.7% | 16.9% | 51.7% |
| San Francisco | 118 | 118 | 41.8% | 31.5% | 53.5% |
| Dallas | 115 | 97 | 25.6% | 13.2% | 39.8% |
| Los Angeles | 114 | 115 | 25.1% | 17.6% | 38.6% |
| Miami | 114 | 108 | 19.5% | 10.7% | 37.4% |
| Chicago | 111 | 105 | 27.1% | 15.6% | 42.8% |
| Boston | 111 | 101 | 35.3% | 22.2% | 52.7% |
| Washington, DC | 109 | 97 | 38.3% | 27.7% | 54.6% |
| New York | 108 | 102 | 31.2% | 21.2% | 45.1% |
| United States | 118 | 108 | 22.6% | 12.5% | 36.9% |
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, metro areas. “Unmarried” means never married, divorced or widowed, and includes people living with a partner. Methodology.
City by city
- Seattle and Austin have the most single men per woman. Austin is also the smallest metro, so strict standards run out of people quickly.
- San Francisco is where a six-figure income narrows things least: 41.8% of men with earnings make $100k+.
- Miami is the opposite, at 19.5%, below the US figure of 22.6%.
- Dallas and Washington, DC flip by 35–44, with more single women than men.
- Boston and DC are where a degree is least useful as a filter: around half of adults have one.
- Los Angeles has the highest share of unmarried young adults, New York the most even split, and Chicago sits near the middle on most measures.
Questions people ask
What is the best city for single women?
If you go by how many single men there are per woman, Seattle (130 per 100 at 25–34) and Austin (126) lead our list. If you also want high earners, San Francisco is the strongest: 41.8% of men with earnings make $100k+ and there are 118 single men per 100 women.
What is the best city for single men?
New York (108 per 100 at 25–34) and Washington, DC (109) are the most balanced at younger ages. At 35–44, Dallas (97) and Washington, DC (97) are the only two metros with more single women than men.
Why do US cities have more single men than women?
Nationally there are 118 unmarried men per 100 unmarried women at 25–34. Men marry later on average, so at younger ages the gap favors women, and it narrows with age.
Why these 10 cities?
They're among the largest US metros. We use Census metro areas, not city limits, so each figure includes the suburbs.