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The 10 worst places to live if you're single

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Wallethub ranked 182 cities using factors like online dating opportunities, nightlife, and population of singles to determine the worst cities for singles. Rocketclips, Inc. / Shutterstock
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If you're single and ready to mingle, your location could factor into your chances of finding love.

WalletHub compared 182 cities across the United States, including the 150 most populated cities in the country and at least two of the most populated cities in each state. The company then used 35 different indicators of "dating-friendliness" to rank them. Factors like the number of nightlife options, online dating opportunities, and the cost of various dates (think dinner out or a trip to the movies) were used to rank the cities, with one being the best place to live if you're single and 182 being the worst.

Read on to learn more about the worst cities for singles.

10th worst: Hialeah, Florida

Hialeah, Florida
Hialeah, Florida. City of Hialeah

In Hialeah, Florida, there are only 0.006 social clubs per capita and 0.0742 nightlife options per capita, making it difficult for residents to find common areas to mix and mingle with other singles. Hialeah was also named the least diverse city in Florida in 2017.

9th worst: Shreveport, Louisiana

Shreveport, Louisiana, at night
Shreveport, Louisiana, at night. Newcastle/Shutterstock

Although Shreveport, Louisiana, ranked 174th out of 182 for fun and recreation in the WalletHub study, there are still plenty of entertaining spots for first dates — from testing your luck at one of Shreveport's riverfront casinos to visiting the IMAX at the 92,000-square-foot Sci-Port Discovery Center.

8th worst: Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem. Jon Bilous/Shutterstock

While Winston-Salem has a plethora of fun dating activities, from historic houses to walks around Quarry Park, the city ranked 176th for dating opportunities, in part due to its gender imbalance.

One study found it had one of the highest ratios of single women to single men. It also had the greatest number of singles in their 40s.

7th worst: Yonkers, New York

Yonkers Empire City Casino
Yonkers, New York is home to Empire City Casino. Lucas Jackson/Reuters

WalletHub found that Yonkers has some of the highest restaurant meal costs out of the 182 cities being analyzed, so going on lots of dinner dates could really rack up a bill. It makes sense: Yonkers is located in the second richest county in New York state, Westchester County.

That said, Yonkers is also home to Empire City Casino, Palisades Interstate Park, and LEGOLAND Discovery Center. So although your singledom might cost you, there are a handful of date activities to choose from in Yonkers.

6th worst: Columbia, Maryland

Columbia, Maryland
Wilde Lake Park in Columbia, Maryland. John Bilous/Shutterstock

Columbia, Maryland, ranked low in every category of the WalletHub study. Out of 182 cities, it came 178th for fun and recreation, and 164th for dating opportunities. It also ranked 132nd for economics, which included factors such as grooming costs, restaurant costs, average household income, and unemployment rates.  

5th worst: South Burlington, Vermont

Burlington, Vermont
South Burlington has a singles gender balance of 0.2474. Win McNamee/Getty Images

South Burlington's biggest claim to fame may very well be Ben & Jerry's headquarters. Residents of the Vermont city can also check out Lake Champlain and Overlook Park for outdoor activities.

With all its recreational activities, why did South Burlington rank so low? According to WalletHub data, the city has a major singles gender imbalance, which could make it hard for someone to find a love interest they mesh with.

4th worst: Brownsville, Texas

Brownsville, Texas
Only 35.5% of dating opportunities in Brownsville, Texas are available online. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Brownsville, Texas has few dating opportunities — there are only 0.1148 nightlife opportunities per capita. Plus, only a third of dating opportunities are online, increasing the barrier to entry for singles interested in the dating scene.

3rd worst: Glendale, California

Glendale Galleria
Glendale, California has 0.1394 nightlife options per capita. Fred Prouser/Reuters

According to WalletHub, Glendale, California had some of the highest movie costs of the 182 cities, along with New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Oxnard, and Garden Grove. 

The city is home to theaters, the Museum of Neon Art (MONA), the Glendale Galleria shopping center, and even a rollerskating rink. Despite this, the city ranked pretty low in terms of dating opportunities, meaning the single population, access to mobile dating apps, and number of active Tinder users are pretty low in this city.

2nd worst: Pembroke Pines, Florida

Pembroke Pines, Florida
Pembroke Pines has just 0.0049 social clubs per capita. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Pembroke Pines, Florida had one of the lowest singles gender balances in WalletHub's study, giving heterosexual singles a lesser opportunity to find dating prospects. The city is located between Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, two more populous and well-known areas in Florida. Around 170,000 people live in Pembroke Pines.

The worst US city for singles: Pearl City, Hawaii

Pearl City, Hawaii
Pearl City. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mark Logico/Wikimedia Commons

Pearl City is located on the island of Oahu. The harborside city is best known as the location of Pearl Harbor, where the Japanese held a surprise attack on the United States during World War II.

It ranked 181st for "fun" in the WalletHub study. The city has only 0.0828 nightlife options per capita, meaning there are few options for bars and clubs to find potential love interests.

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Julia Naftulin
Julia Naftulin is an editor on Business Insider's Special Projects team, where she leads editorial initiatives spanning the business, tech, and lifestyle spaces.She has launched and managed series covering how companies adopt and implement AIthe business of food, the 2026 World Cup, and innovation in supply chain management, as well as projects like the AI Power List.Previously, Julia served a five-year tenure as health reporter at Business Insider, covering general wellness and the intersection of relationships, psychology, and culture.Julia reported on the life of a Wall Street accountant-turned-professional-girlfriend, took readers inside Goop's first cruise, explored the dating industry, and delved into the latest plastic surgery trends. She was also Business Insider's resident relationship advice columnist, penning the now-defunct column Doing It Right.She has held editor roles at Health.com and Dotdash Meredith. Her work has been published in Health magazine and on Time, Apartment Therapy, The Knot, and Bicycling.com.Julia graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science in Magazine Journalism. Julia lives in Philadelphia with her dachshund, Gretchen.
Lydia Warren
Lydia is the deputy editor for the Editorial Partnerships team, leading coverage for Business Insider's partnerships with Microsoft, Yahoo, Apple, and other publishers.She oversees editors and reporters who tell visual stories across Business Insider's verticals, including food, travel, entertainment, real estate, aviation, politics, educationdefense, and history. The team's coverage also spans multiple storytelling formats, including tours, lists, first-person essays, as-told-to essays, features, and video.Lydia joined Business Insider in 2019. Previously, she worked for CBS, where she grew the digital team at Inside Edition, first as managing editor and then as editor in chief. During her tenure, the team won its first New York Emmy and New York Press Club Award. She was also a reporter for the Daily Mail in London and New York.Lydia has a master's in journalism from City St George's, University of London, and a master's in English and philosophy from the University of St. Andrews.