10 Best States for Singles in 2024 - The Compass Blog | Digital Identity and People Search

Online dating is as common as ever for most singles. In 2023, three in 10 adults said they’ve used an online dating platform, and about 4 in 10 said that online dating has made it easier to find a long-term partner.

However, connecting online makes it easier for people to lie about their interests and hide who they are. If you spend more time weeding out bots and kittenfishers than getting ready for your next date, it may be time to look outside your local dating pool.

We conducted a study on the best states for singles to give hopeless romantics a data-backed starting point to find their next date. We used modern dating trends to inform the criteria for ranking all 50 states.

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For example, we learned that today’s singles are open to discussing mental health, care about aligning on social and political causes, and are sensitive to debt. We included data like state unemployment ratios, mental health providers in the area, the number of registered voters, and more to see what states align with what singles care about most.

In our study, we looked at the following factors and weighted their impact based on how much they would influence the dating experience:

Percent of never-married adults above 15 per state based on our analysis of American Community Survey data from 2022 as maintained by the US Census Bureau – 20% (high percent means higher ranking)
Confidence/romance crime victims per state per capita – 15% (high number of victims means lower ranking)
Mental health providers per state per capita – 15% (high number of providers means higher ranking)
Unemployment rate per state – 15% (high unemployment rate means lower ranking)
Cost of living annual average – 15% (high cost of living means lower ranking)
States most likely to ghost you – 10% (high likelihood to ghost means lower ranking)
Formal volunteers per state per capita – 5% (high number of formal volunteers means higher ranking)
Registered voters per state per capita – 5% (high number of registered voters means higher ranking)

Read our methodology section at the end for a full explanation of our criteria and the data utilized from the American Community Survey data maintained by the US Census Bureau.

In the sections below, we highlight our most important criteria (percent of never-married adults) and two top criteria related to personal safety and wellbeing (confidence/romance crime victims and mental health providers) to help you compare these specific stats across all states. Love (or just a date) may be difficult to find if there aren’t many singles in your area, if romance scammers are active, or if there isn’t enough professional support to help you navigate it all.

Key Findings

Massachusetts is the best state for singles in 2024.
New York has the highest percentage of never-married adults above age 15, while Wyoming has the lowest.
South Dakota has the least confidence and romance scams per 100,000 residents, while Arizona has the most.

Map and list summarizing the best states for singles in the U.S.

1. Massachusetts

Massachusetts comes in as the best state to find love in the U.S. This state ranks well in terms of mental health and safety since it’s the top state for mental health providers and has a low count of romance and confidence scams per 100,00 residents.

Beyond safety, Massachusetts has a lot to do. You can catch pro and college games with one of Massachusetts’s many teams (let’s go, Red Sox!) or spend some time outdoors in nearby mountains or beaches. The state has the second highest cost of living, but the higher cost may be worth the benefits.

Percent of never-married 15+: 37.8%
Confidence/romance scams per 100,000 residents: 3.74
Mental health providers per 100,000 residents: 735.28

2. Mississippi

Mississippi is the second-best state for singles. This state had the second-lowest number of confidence and romance scams and the second-lowest cost of living. “The Hospitality State” is also known for having friendly people and delicious Southern comfort food. However, severe weather conditions in the state are something to consider, especially if you come from a milder climate.

Percent of never-married 15+: 34.1%
Confidence/romance scams per 100,000 residents: 3.33
Mental health providers per 100,000 residents: 216.01

3. Louisiana

Louisiana is among the top 10 states with a high percentage of never-married adults and among the top three with the least number of confidence and romance crimes. This state is a melting pot with influences from French, Creole, Spanish, and many other cultures. You can see these impacts when diving into the local music scene or eateries. It can get pretty hot in Louisiana, but that may work out for you if your ideal state is someplace warm.

Percent of never-married 15+: 36.8%
Confidence/romance scams per 100,000 residents: 3.59
Mental health providers per 100,000 residents: 340.2

4. Michigan

Michigan was a fairly balanced state in our rankings and tended to fall in the middle in most categories — with one exception. Michigan appeared in Forbes Health’s recent ghosting survey as one of the top three least likely states to ghost you. Although a single survey may not be a perfect science, that’s one solid point for Michigan, given that nearly a one-third of Americans have experienced ghosting firsthand.

Beyond this, Michigan is an affordable place to live compared to other states and has a great balance of outdoor recreation, cultural centers, sports, and food (like the beloved Detroit Coney Dog).

Percent of never-married 15+: 34.4%
Confidence/romance scams per 100,000 residents: 4.3
Mental health providers per 100,000 residents: 336.25

5. South Dakota

South Dakota has the lowest percentage of never-married adults among our top 10 list. However, what it lacks in the dating pool is made up in other areas. South Dakota has the lowest percentage of confidence and romance scams of all 50 states, with the second-lowest state unemployment rate (only behind North Dakota).

Life is also much slower in this state since there aren’t many large cities. South Dakota may be your ideal dating haven if you’re ready to trade in fast-paced city lights for natural scenery and community-oriented areas.

Percent of never-married 15+: 31.1%
Confidence/romance scams per 100,000 residents: 3.15
Mental health providers per 100,000 residents: 225.17

6. Connecticut

Connecticut is one of the more financially challenging states on our list when considering state unemployment rates and cost of living, but don’t write off this state just yet. This state has the second-highest percent of never-married adults and mental health providers of the states in our top 10 (only behind Massachusetts for both categories). Connecticut may be for you if you want to experience all four seasons and want access to both rural and urban areas.

Percent of never-married 15+: 36.4%
Confidence/romance scams per 100,000 residents: 4.09
Mental health providers per 100,000 residents: 456.16

7. Iowa

Iowa is another state that has a lower percentage of never-married adults but ranks between the top 10-20 for most other categories. Iowa also ranked particularly high for both the number of formal volunteers per 100,000 residents and registered voters per 100,000 residents. Although Iowa may not have the hustle and bustle of other states, you may find the close-knit community, easy commutes, and general affordability more than enough to make up for it.

Percent of never-married 15+: 31.4%
Confidence/romance scams per 100,000 residents: 3.99
Mental health providers per 100,000 residents: 198.32

8. Nebraska

Nebraska shines most in financial categories, ranking well with low unemployment rates and cost of living. It’s also among the top 10 states of formal volunteers, which reflects Nebraska’s reputation for having kind and helpful locals. Combine these pros with beautiful natural scenery, and you’ve got yourself a relaxing state to find love.

Percent of never-married 15+: 31.6%
Confidence/romance scams per 100,000 residents: 5
Mental health providers per 100,000 residents: 318.44

9. Minnesota

There’s nice, then there’s “Minnesota Nice.” Minnesota lives up to its reputation for friendliness and community engagement by having fairly high numbers of formal volunteers and registered voters. In fact, Minnesota has the highest number of formal volunteers among our top 10 best states for singles. If you think you’re up for long and cold Minnesota winters, you may be able to have your next date at a local fair or around one of the state’s many lakes.

Percent of never-married 15+: 33%
Confidence/romance scams per 100,000 residents: 5.04
Mental health providers per 100,000 residents: 334.09

10. Kansas

Kansas rounds out the list as our 10th-best state for singles. Similar to the past few states on our list, Kansas is another state that has a low unemployment rate and cost of living. The Sunflower State is great if you’re on the lookout for a quiet, slow-paced, and friendly community — not to mention some of the country’s best barbecue finds its home in Kansas City.

Percent of never-married 15+: 31.1%
Confidence/romance scams per 100,000 residents: 4.66
Mental health providers per 100,000 residents: 237.37

States That Surprisingly Didn’t Make The Cut

We know what you’re thinking—what about big states like New York and California?

Though these states are the settings of many rom-coms, New York and California may not be the best states for dating based on our methodology. These states have the highest and second-highest percentages of never-married adults but fall short in other categories we analyzed.

For example, both states were among the top five states with the highest cost of living. Singles may struggle to make room in their budget for dating while trying to make ends meet. New York was also among the bottom three states with the lowest number of registered voters per 100,000 residents, and California had the highest state unemployment rate of all 50 states.

Don’t let this crush your dreams of dating in New York City or having a whirlwind first date in LA. No state can beat a romantic nighttime view at Griffith Observatory or a chance meeting at the Empire State Building. If your heart’s set on finding love in these or any state lower on the list, remember to stay realistic about what you want and who you can meet in that area.

Ranking for Best States for Singles

Wondering where your current state ranks? Below is the full list of the best states for singles in 2024.

Overall Rank	State	Percent Never-Married Above 15 Per State Ranking	Confidence/Romance Crimes by State (victim count) Per Capita Ranking	Mental Health Providers Per State 2023 Per Capita Ranking	State Unemployment Rates March 2024 Ranking	Cost of Living 2023 Annual Average Ranking	States Most Likely to Ghost You Ranking	Formal Volunteers Per State 2021 Ranking Per Capita	Registered Voters Per State Nov 2022 Per Capita Ranking
1	Massachusetts	4	4	1	11	49	19	30	30
2	Mississippi	19	2	40	14	2	13	39	8
3	Louisiana	5	3	19	42	13	31	37	23
4	Michigan	16	18	20	35	10	3	26	37
5	South Dakota	39	1	38	2	17	19	5	24
6	Connecticut	7	10	8	43	39	19	13	26
7	Iowa	37	8	44	11	8	12	12	10
8	Nebraska	35	25	24	4	12	15	6	40
9	Minnesota	24	27	21	7	21	37	4	11
10	Kansas	39	24	37	7	3	14	8	16
11	Wisconsin	21	17	32	14	24	19	25	18
12	Vermont	31	39	4	3	43	5	11	15
13	Georgia	11	11	48	17	11	37	44	12
14	Oklahoma	45	30	12	27	1	10	33	7
15	Illinois	7	7	25	46	16	46	16	47
16	Hawaii	14	26	27	17	50	2	47	3
17	Marlyand	9	35	18	4	45	29	32	44
18	New Mexico	5	45	11	32	20	43	43	5
19	Pennsylvania	16	15	30	26	27	29	22	43
20	Indiana	33	21	43	27	13	7	18	13
21	Rhode Island	3	29	7	38	38	50	42	1
22	North Carolina	29	12	26	27	25	31	31	14
23	Wyoming	50	16	13	9	17	48	1	31
24	Virginia	23	34	36	11	32	15	19	21
25	Alabama	37	6	50	14	5	31	46	27
26	Delaware	28	23	23	35	31	17	10	17
27	Tennessee	41	14	45	20	8	19	29	28
28	New York	1	13	17	40	47	40	38	48
29	California	2	33	10	50	48	4	48	35
30	Missouri	32	40	35	22	6	19	9	42
31	Utah	33	42	14	9	34	31	2	33
32	New Hampshire	43	22	15	6	41	43	14	9
33	Oregon	24	46	3	39	42	1	15	32
34	Ohio	20	19	22	32	23	46	28	49
35	Colorado	21	36	9	31	35	41	20	19
36	Kentucky	41	5	28	43	15	19	36	38
37	North Dakota	26	47	39	1	22	48	21	2
38	Maine	48	28	5	22	37	37	3	6
39	South Carolina	30	31	41	17	24	8	35	45
40	New Jersey	11	9	29	46	40	26	45	46
41	Alaska	10	48	2	45	46	26	23	22
42	Washington	26	37	6	46	44	10	24	20
43	Arkansas	47	32	31	27	7	8	40	34
44	Montana	43	44	16	22	33	26	7	4
45	Texas	18	20	49	35	19	41	41	36
46	Idaho	49	38	34	22	28	5	17	39
47	West Virginia	46	43	47	40	4	18	34	25
48	Nevada	13	49	33	49	30	31	49	41
49	Arizona	14	50	46	32	36	43	27	29
50	Florida	35	41	42	20	29	31	50	50

Finding your next brush with love may be easier to come by in one of the best states for singles in the U.S. However, safety should be a top priority regardless of where you’re dating. A few quick searches may be all you need to protect yourself from romance scammers and dishonest serial swipers.

Use Spokeo’s people search engine to look up your next date to know what you’re getting into before taking things too far.

Methodology

This study was conducted in April 2024. To determine the best states for singles, we compared eight ranking factors across all 50 states.

Here are the factors we considered when weighing our rankings:

Percent of never-married adults above 15 per state – 20%
Confidence/romance crime victims per state per capita – 15%
Mental health providers per state per capita – 15%
Unemployment rate per state – 15%
Cost of living annual average – 15%
States most likely to ghost you – 10%
Formal volunteers per state per capita – 5%
Registered voters per state per capita – 5%

We gave each state a score based on these factors and assigned a ranking. We deemed the states with the highest scores the best states for singles in the U.S.

More on why we picked these factors and how we analyzed them:

Percent of never-married adults above 15 per state (20%): We referred to the most recent American Community Survey Data from 2022 to get the percentage of never-married adults per state. We included this data to consider the number of singles in each state. States with a high number of adults in this category were ranked higher. Note: Data from Spokeo’s own databases was not used in this analysis, as Spokeo only maintains data on adults 18 and over.
Confidence/romance crime victims per state per capita (15%): We referred to the most recent data from the Internet Crime Complaint Center to find the total number of confidence/romance crime victims per state. To make the data more relevant across states, we calculated the average number of victims per 100,000 people. To do so, we divided the number of scams by the state’s population, then multiplied that value by 100,000 to get the number of confidence/romance crime victims per capita. Some states may have higher crime rates due to higher population size. We included this data since this can indicate how safe a state may be from catfishers and romance scammers. States with a high number of victims per capita were ranked lower.
Mental health providers per state per capita (15%): We referred to County Health Rankings & Roadmaps‘ most recent data on the number of mental health providers in each state. Similar to crime victims, we also calculated mental health providers per 100,000 residents. We included this data since recent dating trends suggest that emotional intelligence, self-improvement, and general openness to discussing mental health and going to therapy are all important criteria for modern singles. States with a high number of mental health providers per capita were ranked higher.
Unemployment rate per state (15%): We referred to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent data on state unemployment rates. We included this data to consider the area’s livability and the likelihood of making a living. Recent studies also suggest that modern singles are protective of their money and debt, and financial issues can pose problems for relationships. States with high unemployment rates were ranked lower.
Cost of living annual average (15%): We referred to the most recent cost of living data from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. We included this data to consider the area’s livability and the ongoing rise in the cost of living. States with high costs of living were ranked lower.
States most likely to ghost you (10%): We referred to survey data from a recent Forbes Health survey that found the states where you’re most likely to be ghosted. We included this data to consider the possibility of getting ghosted since it’s especially prevalent for younger Americans. States with a high score were ranked lower.
Formal volunteers per state per capita (5%): We referred to the 2021 AmeriCorps and U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey Civic Engagement and Volunteering Supplement to find each state’s total number of formal volunteers. Similar to crime victims, we also calculated formal volunteers per 100,000 residents for each state. We included this data since recent dating trends suggest that modern singles are looking for those who are more attuned and involved with social causes and politics. A recent study also found that not caring about politics was a dating red flag for men and women. States with a higher number of formal volunteers per capita were ranked higher.
Registered voters per state per capita (5%): We referred to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data to find the total number of registered voters in each state. Similar to crime victims, we also calculated registered voters per 100,000 residents for each state. We included this data since recent dating trends suggest that modern singles are looking for those who are more attuned and involved with social causes and politics. A recent study also found that not caring about politics was a dating red flag for men and women. States with a higher number of registered voters per capita were ranked higher.

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