Most people spend a significant portion of their youth single. Whether you consider tying the knot as something to defer to the future or something to avoid altogether, the truth is, there’s much less pressure to get married at a young age. And where you live may influence your current relationship status.
To identify the places with the most single people, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 15 and older populations in every metropolitan area who have never married, who are divorced, and who are widowed. In 25 cities a strong majority of the population is technically single.
Marital status of the U.S. population has changed significantly over the years, with some of the most notable changes taking place in just the past five decades. The shares of married men and women in the U.S. declined from approximately 70% in the 1960s to just over 50% last year.
Perhaps the age at which people are choosing to get hitched has contributed to the perceived plummet in marriages. While most people still marry today, they marry much later in life, according to the Census Bureau. If 8 in 10 people were married by 30 years old in the 1970s, today it is not until the age 45 that 8 in 10 are married.
Click here to see thee 25 places with the most single people.
Click here to read our detailed findings and methodology.
Source: Thinkstock
25. Corvallis, OR
> Single population: 55.1%
> Never married population: 42.4% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 8.5% (bottom 10%)
> Widowed population: 4.2% (bottom 10%)
> Population 15+ years: 75,492
> Median household income: $52,015
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Source: bowie15 / iStock
24. Ann Arbor, MI
> Single population: 55.1%
> Never married population: 42.4% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 8.8% (bottom 10%)
> Widowed population: 3.9% (bottom 10%)
> Population 15+ years: 300,415
> Median household income: $62,484 (top 25%)
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock
23. Macon-Bibb County, GA
> Single population: 55.2%
> Never married population: 35.8% (top 25%)
> Divorced population: 12.2%
> Widowed population: 7.2% (top 25%)
> Population 15+ years: 184,442
> Median household income: $40,375 (bottom 10%)
Source: g-stockstudio / iStock
22. Albany, GA
> Single population: 55.2%
> Never married population: 36.6% (top 25%)
> Divorced population: 11.9%
> Widowed population: 6.7%
> Population 15+ years: 122,752
> Median household income: $38,674 (bottom 10%)
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Source: Thinkstock
21. Pine Bluff, AR
> Single population: 55.3%
> Never married population: 35.4% (top 25%)
> Divorced population: 12.6%
> Widowed population: 7.3% (top 25%)
> Population 15+ years: 77,394
> Median household income: $36,656 (bottom 10%)
Source: bedya / iStock
20. Tuscaloosa, AL
> Single population: 55.7%
> Never married population: 39.7% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 10.0% (bottom 25%)
> Widowed population: 6.0%
> Population 15+ years: 195,856
> Median household income: $45,348 (bottom 25%)
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Source: KQconcepts / iStock
19. Chico, CA
> Single population: 55.8%
> Never married population: 36.1% (top 25%)
> Divorced population: 13.3% (top 25%)
> Widowed population: 6.4%
> Population 15+ years: 186,313
> Median household income: $44,366 (bottom 25%)
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Source: Thinkstock
18. New Orleans-Metairie, LA
> Single population: 56.0%
> Never married population: 37.3% (top 25%)
> Divorced population: 12.4%
> Widowed population: 6.3%
> Population 15+ years: 1,014,317
> Median household income: $48,319
Source: Thinkstock
17. Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
> Single population: 56.7%
> Never married population: 41.9% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 10.6%
> Widowed population: 4.2% (bottom 10%)
> Population 15+ years: 174,389
> Median household income: $48,143
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Source: tzm23 / Shutterstock.com
16. Champaign-Urbana, IL
> Single population: 56.7%
> Never married population: 43.0% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 9.0% (bottom 10%)
> Widowed population: 4.7% (bottom 25%)
> Population 15+ years: 198,298
> Median household income: $50,268
Source: Thinkstock
15. Springfield, MA
> Single population: 56.8%
> Never married population: 39.9% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 10.8%
> Widowed population: 6.1%
> Population 15+ years: 523,509
> Median household income: $53,609
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Source: Wikimedia Commons
14. Muncie, IN
> Single population: 57.0%
> Never married population: 38.3% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 12.1%
> Widowed population: 6.6%
> Population 15+ years: 98,436
> Median household income: $39,537 (bottom 10%)
Source: Jae69376 / Wikimedia Commons
13. Morgantown, WV
> Single population: 57.3%
> Never married population: 42.8% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 9.5% (bottom 25%)
> Widowed population: 5.0% (bottom 25%)
> Population 15+ years: 117,040
> Median household income: $46,484
Source: Cypress Landing / Wikimedia Commons
12. Greenville, NC
> Single population: 57.3%
> Never married population: 43.2% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 9.2% (bottom 25%)
> Widowed population: 4.9% (bottom 25%)
> Population 15+ years: 142,762
> Median household income: $42,308 (bottom 25%)
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Source: Smallbones / Wikimedia Commons
11. Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ
> Single population: 57.9%
> Never married population: 40.8% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 11.1%
> Widowed population: 6.0%
> Population 15+ years: 124,677
> Median household income: $49,537
Source: Thinkstock
10. College Station-Bryan, TX
> Single population: 58.1%
> Never married population: 46.4% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 7.7% (bottom 10%)
> Widowed population: 4.0% (bottom 10%)
> Population 15+ years: 200,427
> Median household income: $42,948 (bottom 25%)
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Source: Tim Kiser / Wikimedia Commons
9. Ames, IA
> Single population: 58.1%
> Never married population: 48.7% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 6.2% (bottom 10%)
> Widowed population: 3.2% (bottom 10%)
> Population 15+ years: 81,248
> Median household income: $51,201
Source: Nick Fox / Shutterstock.com
8. Flagstaff, AZ
> Single population: 58.2%
> Never married population: 45.0% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 9.9% (bottom 25%)
> Widowed population: 3.3% (bottom 10%)
> Population 15+ years: 113,254
> Median household income: $51,106
Source: Thinkstock
7. Athens-Clarke County, GA
> Single population: 58.2%
> Never married population: 43.7% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 9.3% (bottom 25%)
> Widowed population: 5.2%
> Population 15+ years: 166,172
> Median household income: $40,955 (bottom 10%)
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Source: Wikimedia Commons
6. State College, PA
> Single population: 58.3%
> Never married population: 47.0% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 7.1% (bottom 10%)
> Widowed population: 4.2% (bottom 10%)
> Population 15+ years: 139,070
> Median household income: $54,407
Source: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com
5. Tallahassee, FL
> Single population: 59.1%
> Never married population: 43.5% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 11.0%
> Widowed population: 4.6% (bottom 25%)
> Population 15+ years: 315,746
> Median household income: $47,011
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Source: Jeff Zehnder / Shutterstock.com
4. Lawrence, KS
> Single population: 59.6%
> Never married population: 46.9% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 8.8% (bottom 10%)
> Widowed population: 3.9% (bottom 10%)
> Population 15+ years: 97,852
> Median household income: $52,698
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock
3. Gainesville, FL
> Single population: 60.7%
> Never married population: 45.5% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 10.4%
> Widowed population: 4.8% (bottom 25%)
> Population 15+ years: 232,149
> Median household income: $44,337 (bottom 25%)
Source: Patawee / Shutterstock.com
2. Bloomington, IN
> Single population: 60.9%
> Never married population: 45.3% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 11.2%
> Widowed population: 4.4% (bottom 10%)
> Population 15+ years: 141,516
> Median household income: $43,828 (bottom 25%)
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Source: Maeshima hiroki / Wikimedia Commons
1. Ithaca, NY
> Single population: 61.6%
> Never married population: 49.6% (top 10%)
> Divorced population: 8.1% (bottom 10%)
> Widowed population: 3.9% (bottom 10%)
> Population 15+ years: 91,251
> Median household income: $54,133
Detailed Findings & Methodology
Single people comprise over half of the population 15 and older in the 25 metropolitan areas with the largest single populations. Nearly 62% of the 15 and older population in Ithaca, New York is single, making it the metropolitan area with the highest concentration of singles.
While more Americans are single, at least legally, this is not to say people aren’t dating, in relationships, or have serious commitments to a partner other than marriage. The exact number of people who are currently in a relationship is constantly changing, but what we do know is many more are becoming actively engaged in the online dating realm. According to Pew Research Center, the percentage of people ages 18-24 using online dating platforms roughly tripled from 10% in 2013 to 27% in 2015.
The distribution of people who have never married, are divorced, or are widowed, is very consistent across the nation. In all of the metro areas with the highest concentration of singles, the percentage of residents who never married is overwhelmingly higher than the percentage of those who are divorced, which in turn is always a greater percentage than the populations of widowed individuals.
Meeting people can be challenging, especially when work schedules exceed the traditional 40-hour week. Aside from time, the number of places where members of a community can come together and mingle also impacts one’s chances of meeting someone. Six of the 25 metro areas with the most singles have less than the national average concentration of social associations, such as religious organization and fitness centers, of 9.4 for every 10,000 people. A social association is a group or facility that allows people to join and socialize.
As mentioned, people are getting married later in life, and indeed most of the 25 metro areas on this list are relatively young. Only three of the 25 metro areas have a higher median age than the national median of about 37 years. Similarly, the percentage of the population 18 to 24 years old is greater than 10% in 22 of the 25 metro areas. That age group makes up 20% or more of the population in 11 of the 25 metro areas. For reference, that age group makes up 9.8% of the U.S. population. With such a young population, it’s no wonder there are relatively fewer married people in those metro areas.
These areas with large populations of single people also share a generally lower median household income. This is likely because many more households are single earners rather than dual income households. The median household incomes in all except one of the 25 metro areas listed are below the national median of $55,322 a year. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the exception, with a median household income of $62,484 a year.
In contrast, nine of the 20 metropolitan areas with the lowest concentration of single individuals have median household incomes far greater than the national median. Of course, this trend is not true of all metro areas with a lower share of single people.
To identify the 25 metro areas with the largest single populations, 24/7 Wall St. summed the percentage of individuals 15 and over who have never been married, who are divorced, and who are widowed in 384 metropolitan areas. We retrieved this data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey. These population data are five-year averages through 2016. The median household income in each metro area also came from the ACS. Not included is the percentage of those who separated but not divorced. The number of social associations per 10,000 people for each metro area came from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program.
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