Famously Single – The 71st Place for Singles is Washington, DC. By the Numbers…
– Famously Single in D.C.
Washington DC, formally known as the District of Columbia, or informally known as the District or simply DC, is famous for its politics. It is also famous for the two-mile strip of iconic monuments, the country’s most famous museums as well as the iconic buildings that house the Federal Government’s three branches: the Capitol, the White House and the Supreme Court.
So, it is famous for many iconic places and things, why is the area ranked 71st place for singles? This is not something it desires to be famous for, however.
Famously Single- Washington, DC Area (or DMV)
Washington, DC, the U.S. capital, is a compact city on the Potomac River, bordering the states of Maryland and Virginia. The area is among the Top 12 places to visit in the US, with the National Mall in DC at number 3, and the mountains in Virginia at 10.
According to new ranking from the Wallethub.com, a personal finance website, however, Washington, DC, ranked 71st place for singles – out of 182 cities ranked. It is probably not a surprise to those dating in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) or DC and its suburb areas, that it is tough to be single in DC.
Move.org’s Methodology – “Each state was ranked based on two factors: state’s percentage of singles and a loneliness index. The loneliness index was determined based on search queries using Google Trends. We divided these queries into “loneliness index categories” and assigned each category a rating from one to three (of course, one is the loneliest number).” We agree.
Per Move.org, DC is home to the nation’s loneliest group of people. According to the author, “It’s not all bad news, however. DC residents search for “best dating apps” more than any of the other queries on our list, so at least they’re looking for love!”
In terms of ranking of the best place for singles, Wallethub ranks the area’s cities based on dating opportunities, affordability as a single person and outlets for recreation, as follows:
41 – Richmond, VA
71 – Washington, DC
95 – Norfolk, VA
101 – Virginia Beach, VA
132 – Baltimore, MD
156 – Newport News, VA
166 – Chesapeake, VA
182 – Columbia, MD
It turns out that the home to iconic museums and performing arts venues such as the Kennedy Center boasts that 70.1 percent of the adult population in D.C. is single, the highest percentage in the country according to the U.S. Census Bureau (which is also located in DC, BTW). This is more than 20% higher than any other region in the country. Something most didn’t know it was famous for.
District of Columbia’s Loneliness Data
| Rank | Singles (%) | Most searched query | Index category |
| 1 | 70.10% | Best dating apps | Moderately lonely |
To round out the DMV, overall, it is not all bad new, it is more mediocre to bad news, as Maryland ranks 33rd with 49.08% single people and Virginia ranks 44th with 45.78% single people. DC has an economic ranking of 179, while cities like Richmond, Virginia ranks 87th, while Baltimore, Maryland ranks 164.
By the numbers, DC is 14th with the most single people in US cities (8th for most single women), based on US Census Data. For the DMV, Richmond, VA is No. 1 (6th for single men- 2nd for most single women), and Baltimore is 15th (10th for most single women).
Washington DC at night – a mother and daughter silhouette in front of the reflection pool of United States Capitol grounds.
Politics and Other Barriers to Relationships
Politics of course plays a big role in singledom, not just Republican and Democrat but the extension of their movements associated with their memberships and mantras. People’s attitudes towards dating have been warped over time because of these movements as well.
The #MeToo movement may have had some positive outcomes to empower situations where women were exploited, but some unintended consequences have ensued.
Per Chris Williamson of the Modern Wisdom Podcast, “80% of men report that they don’t approaching women, they are afraid to approach women due to being seen as creepy,” which reduces their likelihood of interacting with women.
Williams says, “84% of women expect men to approach them and make the first move. Women are terrified of being approached by men, because of stories of sexual assault, of dangers in the workplace, of overreach by men that are both in power and out of power. Men are terrified of approaching women, as they are afraid of being accused of all of that.”
Additionally, Logan Ury of Hinge, coined a phase “maximizer,” or a person who is always on the lookout for someone better and in search of the perfect person – the tallest, smartest, richest, thinnest, sexist, best looking mate. The dating apps provide too many choices or what is known as the paradox of choice. This is more an illusion than a reality, as most don’t have a choice in truly dating or marrying all of the people that they see on dating apps, but they are constantly looking for the best that they may be able to get, based upon little information that dating apps provide beyond looks in a couple of pictures.
There are on-going Gender Wars today, we all know this. However, that war is somewhat self-imposed, based upon what society tells us. This unfortunately, has a negative affect across the country and isn’t specific to the DMV.
Positive Idioms
Again, it is not all doom and gloom for the area’s singles. Relatively, NYC, a.k.a., the Big Apple, is a healthy 144th out of the 182 major cities based on dating opportunities, affordability as a single person and outlets for recreation.
Much like NYC, many DC singles struggle to separate their work lives from their personal lives. A shining light in the storm is the attitude of the Washington residents, who dream of a promising love life and full social calendars.
DC residence can and do take the high road and the optimistic glass half-full approach. Again, looking at the numbers, DC has a 100 in dating opportunity score, and is 12th in Fun and Recreation ranking.
DC ranks high in education attainment, with 26.04% Men and 24.92% Women with Bachelor’s degrees, and 20.57% Men and 22.02% Women with Master’s degrees. D.C. also ranks No. 1 for average educational attainment of recent immigrants.
Opportunities to Meet a Quality Mate are Abundant.
According to Wiki, “The Washington metropolitan area has ranked as the highest-educated metropolitan area in the nation for four decades. As of the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the three most educated places with 200,000 people or more in Washington–Arlington–Alexandria by bachelor’s degree attainment (population 25 and over) are Arlington, Virginia (68.0%), Fairfax County, Virginia (58.8%), and Montgomery County, Maryland (56.4%).
Forbes magazine stated in its 2008 “America’s Best- And Worst-Educated Cities” report: “The D.C. area is less than half the size of L.A., but both cities have around 100,000 Ph.D.’s.”
Virginia ranks No. 20 for best state economies, but it ranks No. 1 for median household income. Maryland ranks No. 16 overall.
With the area having great economies, offers the DMV increased opportunities, overall more than other region can attain. There are many social events and groups of interest.
There is a fair balance of men to women, according to the area’s demographics, DC has 47.5% male population with a median age of 34.7, and a 52.48% female population with a median age of 35.2. Taking the half-full idiom, that is a pretty good balance. Of course, the glass half empty could call this a shortage of single educated men, but we are not among the ‘nay sayers.’
The highest percentage of the population is 25-34 years old, followed by 35-44 and 45-54 age ranges, covering roughly 50% of the population of DC.
Being that DC is a true representation of the countries melting pot. There are many diverse people with their own cultures and activities as well. Racial composition of the Washington metropolitan area, per the 2021 American Community Survey:
- Non-Hispanic White: 43%
- Black or African American: 24% (including African 5.4%, West Indian 1.2%, and Ethiopian 0.8%)
- Hispanic or Latino: 17%
- Asian: 11%
- Mixed and Other: 6%
This diversity of culture brings much diversity of thought and cultural events to the area. To quote the Thought Catalog,” Everyone has a different opinion about what the “real” DC is, or what you have to show people when they come to visit. None of them are right, but none of them are wrong, either. It’s not a city of incredible history, or rising foodie culture, or extreme culture clash — it’s all of the above”
In addition, “Half of Virginia is “liberal, Ivy-league-or-almost-Ivy-league people with good jobs and condos,” and half of Virginia is “people who smoke in bars and would rather secede than give up their concealed carry permit.” And no one’s ever sure where one ends and one begins.” “Maryland does lacrosse and crabs…it does football,”
They also point to the interesting features of DC such as “Go-go” style Rap among many other differences and celebrations. And you just have to look at the food to see the diversity. “Old Bay, Mumbo Sauce, Malt Vinegar. The trinity.” A new trinity in lieu of carrots, celery and onions I guess. Either way, a lot of good food options to share with your dates.
There is a true blending of the culture of the DMV. For the culture, it has to be noted of the relatively recent shift in the demographics of DC proper, and the population of Black residents has decreased. The cost of living has been the major cause of this change. “Forty percent of the city has been gentrified, and 20,000 black residents have been displaced between 2000-13,” according to NCRC.
Either way, DMC and DC residents maintain a good lifestyle and a positive vibe. All of which are required when you rank 71st place for singles and want to find your person.
Famously Single in DC.
D.C. has the highest share of one-person households in the nation, at 48.2% of all households, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. That’s considerably more than the 28.6% average nationally — and those living alone pay a price for it.
https://wtop.com/business-finance/2024/02/dcs-apartment-rental-singles-tax-is-almost-12k/