Tired of looking for love in all the wrong places? SingleMindedWomen.com’s 2012 Top 10 Cities for Single Women is a handy guide to some great cities that we think should be high on your list of possible destinations, based on the the following criteria:

Life: When weighing a city’s attributes, its beauty and vibe are very important features. Obviously both are in the eye of the beholder, subject to its “awe” factor. That said, to arrive at our rankings, we included cultural venues and outdoor activities, as well as night life as a measure of a city’s livability.

Love: To reach our very important “Single and Available” ranking, we looked at each metro area’s population as they pertained to single male-to-single female ratios between ages twenty-five and fifty-four,which has a lot to do with your statistical probability of finding Mr. Right: one desirable outcome in starting life in a new city.

Career: The factors pertaining to your financial stability were also high on our list. It’s no secret that the American economy is still in a tender condition, but in recent months signs of an economic revival are evident. This guide also reflects important economic factors, such as the cost-of-living rankings, and job growth statistics over the past twelve months.

So, what cities should be high on your list to visit — or better, to live in?

Let’s start with City #10…

Life: Raleigh is often the unexpected entry in a list of top US cities. Nevertheless, its popularity continues to grow. A closer look will tell you why. Raleigh is a city with a youth and population explosion that began in 2000.

The city is  strategically located, with easy access to everywhere in what has become known as the Research Triangle: an area that encompasses Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. Inside that Triangle you’ll find affordable living, a delightful blend of urban and rural areas, and three distinguished universities: Duke, University of North Carolina and North Carolina State.

Raleigh is close to the rugged tree-covered Blue Ridge mountains. It is also within driving distance of America’s most captivating beaches, which you’ll find along an area called the Outer Banks. Known for it’s usually mild weather, here you’ll find a place that is not too cold in the winter and not too hot in the summer.

Raleigh is also filled with parks, walking, hiking, and biking trails. It’s a city where southern hospitality and a grand sense of living come together, making it a great place to  fall in love, settle down, and raise a family.

Love: Almost evenly split in its single male-female ratio, what gives Raleigh the edge over other towns that did not make the list (such as Denver, San Francisco, Boston, and Miami) is its large academic community, coupled with an attractive cost of living.  Always youthful in its mindset, the entire Triangle Area pulses with a very real sense of self, and a graciousness that makes newcomers feel welcomed.

Not often mentioned as a place for nightlife, Raleigh nevertheless can be a great destination for single women. With over 100 restaurants and bars in downtown Raleigh alone, the spectrum of choices is impressive for this once sleepy southern enclave. From live music to cabaret shows, Raleigh residents are not shy about trying something new, which is yet one more reason why young, hip, open-minded newcomers start anew here each and every year.

Career: Raleigh ranks consistently as one of the best places to work and start a business. It has a diverse economic base that covers many professional fields. But at the heart of the local economy — and the reason for its stability even in difficult times — are its three largest industries: government, higher education and health care. In addition, Raleigh is a hub for high-tech companies in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, computer software and hardware. If you’re looking to restart your career, Raleigh will meet you more than half way.

Click here for City #9…

Life: If you live in America and never experienced life in New York City, you have truly missed an amazing experience.

It’s not that New York is the ideal city in any one particular area; but when taken as a whole, it has a vibrancy, a cultural depth, and a night life that has to be lived to be truly appreciated.

Manhattan is the heart of New York City. While the other four boroughs that make up the city — Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx — all have something special to offer, moving to New York and settling in to a Queens neighborhood is like tripping up on the five yard line.The simple truth is that only in Manhattan can it be said that you have scored a touchdown.

It is there that the city earns its claim for having the nations top ranked cultural life and nightlife. Of course, in culture only DC and Chicago offers New York any serious competition. From the Metropolitan Museum to Lincoln Center to the brilliant lights of Broadway, this is a city pulsing with an endless variety of cultural venues of enjoy the frenetic pace because you’ll find it everywhere you go.

Love: The city is #5 in SMW’s “Single and Available” ranking because of the the quantity — and quality of men you’ll find there. While Manhattan can be subdivided into more than a dozen neighborhoods, on a warm summer’s night you can walk from south to north and east to west and feel at times like you are at one endless party of trendy bars and restaurants filled with chic, smart, ambitious young people.

In no other city is it so clear that the population thrives on the motto of “work hard, play hard.” While this intensity of the city can be intimidating to newcomers, the truth is that most of those New York guys are just overgrown puppy dogs, so don’t let the fast talk mislead you: New Yorkers have a soft spot for out-of-towners. In a city as insular as New York, there is a real fascination for people who come from other places. If nothing else, it’s a great conversation starter if you hail from such exotic places as New Orleans, St. Louis or Seattle. New York’s single females are a close match to single males, but in truth, as you know, the only number that really counts, is the one guy you’re hoping to call: Mr. Right!

Career: Over forty of the nation’s Fortune 500 companies have their headquarters in New York City. And while financial services took a direct blow in the 2008 financial crisis, New York City is showing strong signs of making a healthy and substantial comeback.

Hospitality and tourism has roared back in New York as the millions of Americans who live within two hundred miles of the Big Apple decided to drive there for a family vacation, rather than fly off to far away destinations.

New York is also a leading hub for high tech and medical services and technology, and transportation is also showing signs of a strong comeback.

On the minus side, New York City is not an easy place to put down roots and begin a new life. While pay is higher than most US cities, the cost of living is far higher as well. But for those willing to take on a challenge, there is no greater city than New York. As Sinatra so famously sang, “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere. It’s up to you New York, New York.”

In other words, conquer New York and everything else will seem easy.

Click here for City #8…

Life: America has three world-class cities: New York, San Francisco, and Chicago.

In fact, with its grand boulevard (Michigan Avenue) brilliant architecture and outstanding museums, Chicago is arguably the most European of American cities. At the same time, it is uniquely American.

For a very big city, Chicago never forgot how to smile, and it’s a city where people openly lend their neighbors a helping hand. There are breathtaking vistas from every angle, be it the observation deck of America’s tallest building to the city’s dazzling skyline, verdant Lakeshore Drive, or its elegantly restored  Navy Pier.

Because the terrain is flat, with many parks and beautiful old neighborhoods — each with its own unique style — the city itself is a walker’s paradise. And when you tire of walking, CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) will take you from anywhere to anywhere, in a matter of minutes. Even both of Chicago’s airports, Midway and massive O’Hare, are connected to CTA by trains that run every few minutes into the city center, better known to locals as the Loop.

The city’s one unavoidable drawback is the cold winters. What Phoenix is to hot summers, Chicago is to cold winters. Lovely fall and spring weather, and warm summer nights is not enough for many who know that generally, from November through March, this city of “big shoulders” can put your plans on ice. To counter that, Chicago boasts great theaters, magnificent shopping, and nonstop activities throughout the year. If you don’t mind scarves, gloves, and hats Chicago could very well be at the top of your list.

Love: With youth on its side, Chicago ranks #6 on SMW’s “Single and Available” list.  Another advantage is its reputation as a very big city with mostly small town manners. As opposed to a New York or LA, “who are you” stares are replaced with warm, welcoming smiles in this city, which has not forgotten how to laugh at itself or with others.

As for nightlife, remember that this is one of America’s top city’s for jazz, comedy, improv, and nightclub entertainment. Arguably the best bars and array of restaurants anywhere in America can be found scattered throughout Chicago’s many trendy, youthful neighborhoods. From Bridgeport to Lakeshore East, the city offers an incredible array of lifestyle choices, all closely connected by Chicago Transit.

Career: Chicago, like much of the upper Midwest, has had a tough go since the economic meltdown of 2008. But as you can imagine, a great city is hard to keep down.

Chicago, the adopted hometown of President Barack Obama, is making a strong comeback.  Bright spots have been showing up in manufacturing, business services, residential and commercial real estate, information technology, and medical services. Approximately 25% of all Chicagoland employers plan on adding staff in 2012, and the rest plan on maintaining current levels of staffing which is good news in a metro area that peaked out 12% unemployment rates. It’s still a hit or miss proposition, but for people ready to give Chicago a try there is a better chance that you’ll find the right job now than at any time in the past five years.

Click here for City #7…

Life: The Greater Phoenix area, known locally as “The Valley of the Sun,” is made up of a mix of many cities such as Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Glendale, Peoria, and Surprise among others. A metro area of just 750,000 people in 1960, by 2010 had a population of 4.2 million people and ranked as America’s 14^th largest metropolitan area.

Metro Phoenix offers an astounding array of affordable housing opportunities in areas with attractive amenities. It also offers all the major league sports, and is home to baseball’s Cactus leagues, which gives residents for one month every year in the early spring a chance to see many of the nation’s top baseball stars compete in the cozy confines of ballparks that seat 6,000, as opposed to 60,000, fans.

The only way to discover Phoenix is by car. While mass transit exists, as in Los Angeles, it truly is a city to be explored, and understood, with the help of your own vehicle.

Love: Ranked #7 in SMW’s “Single and Available” list, Phoenix has a large seniors population, but it has a thriving young singles scene as well.

Some like it hot.  If you’re a lady who likes a little sizzle in your life — say, an afternoon in July when it’s a 110 in the shade — then Phoenix might be the city for you.

Whereas days can be spent seeking the cool air conditioned surroundings that allow you to beat the desert sun,  the dry warm nights are perfect for outside partying, at some of the countries best bars and restaurants. Sure, while May through September can be far too hot for a stroll in the noonday sun, there is no better place in America for a tennis game late on a summer night. From trendy Scottsdale to offbeat hangouts in Phoenix proper, the city offers a vibrant nightlife that surprises most visitors expecting a city moving at a slower pace.

Careers: Phoenix, somewhat analogous to Florida, was ground zero for the housing boom of the last decade. With builders and sellers making thirty percent returns on their high flying real estate values, there was not a great temptation to follow another economic paths to success. So Phoenix took a particularly hard hit when the housing market collapsed at the epicenter of the 2008 meltdown.

Clearly 2011 marked a turnaround in the area’s economic fortunes but it’s most likely two or more years before it returns to the type of growth experienced through 2006. High Tech, Manufacturing, Aerospace, and Biosciences are helping to lead the charge along with a variety of and service industries. What makes the city more attractive is the attractive cost of housing and lower costs than most of the nation in other areas of daily life as well.

A Phoenix comeback is not a matter of if, but when. It has far too vibrant an economy, meaning that now — before costs rise again–  might be a very wise time to put your bet down on the next stage of growth in the Valley of the Sun.

Click here for City #6…

Life: If you want a city that is centrally located in the southeast, you would be hard pressed to find a better lifestyle choice than Charleston, SC. Certainly Atlanta is the dominant commercial capital of the Southeast and has one of America’s best airport hubs, but Atlanta is far from many of those things that people enjoy the most about living in the south: the warm, coastal beaches.

Charleston sits on the Atlantic coastline, whereas

Atlanta is more than a five-hour drive inland. Charleston has the charm and history of the colonial South, Atlanta by comparison is all but devoid of that rich history.

Charleston has much of the offbeat charm of a New Orleans, but far more of the lifestyle amenities that has long made the city a magnet for tourism and people interested in relocation. It’s a city with the unique character of a San Francisco with a much lower cost of living.

Love: Charleston ranks #4 in SMW’s “Single and Available” ranking.  Finding your Rhett Butler is easy, once you get into the city’s social rhythm. Getting involved is easy. People are generally friendly, laid back, and approachable without much of the off-putting defensive behaviors more commonly find in the cities of the Northeast. Check out Charleston’s numerous art galleries and parks, the Dock Street Theatre, its First City Festival, and world renowned Piccolo Spoleto Festival.

Charleston is also known for an array of fine dining options. Great tasting food and a nightcap at one of the many bars or lounges is always at your fingertips. Whether you’re a fan of sushi bars, dive bars, or bar and grills, you won’t run out of choices in this special place that loves to see the good times roll.

Career: Charleston’s economic engine is moved forward by a combination of factors, principal to which are tourism, industry, and its port. While there are jobs in all fields, if you’re life is in medical research, high-tech and other specific areas Charleston would be down on your list of choices.

But if you’re a generalist and perhaps looking to kick start your life in another direction, Charleston might be an excellent career choice. Like much of the Florida coastal cities, Charleston is loved by tourists from around the world. And North American snowbirds flock to Charleston every winter to escape the cold of Toronto, Boston, New York and elsewhere throughout the snowbelt. Hospitality is a year round industry, and the city is a regional healthcare hub, as well particularly given its large number of retirees.

Click here for City #5…

Life: Don’t doubt Dallas. It’s a major league city in every sense of the word. The vast expanse of the metro Dallas-Ft. Worth area is reminiscent of LA metroplex, minus its beaches.

But you never need to leave the confines of Dallas itself to enjoy everything from a vibrant nightlife to great museums and other cultural venues. As you probably already know, Dallas does nothing small, so whether you’re looking for an airport with easy nonstop connections to the rest of the Americas and most anywhere in the world, or simply an incredible farmer’s market, Dallas never settles for being second best.

Dallas also has one of the fastest growing light rail systems in the nation. The free McKinney Avenue Trolley will take you from the Dallas arts district to the uptown area filled with restaurants, pubs, great shops and small boutique hotels.

Love: With a median age of 33.8 and 50.18 percent single male-to-female ratio, Dallas is a popular destination for singles. It helps that it also has economically friendly conditions, and a high quality social environment

A vibrant night life with an endless choice of hot spots brings out the party in just about everyone. It’s easy to say why men like Dallas, it has teams in all major sports led by the World Champion Dallas Mavericks of the NBA and baseball’s twice consecutive American League Champions, the Texas Rangers. The men of Dallas have a reputation for swagger, but peel it away and more often than not you’ll find a puppy dog just waiting for some love and attention.

Career: Like much of the Southeast and Southwest, Dallas offers generally a somewhat reduced pay scale when compared with cities of the Northeast and West, but it’s lower cost of living more than compensates for that difference.

Increasing the desirability of Dallas as a relocation destination is the fact that its economy continues to improve. It is rebounding more quickly than most other metropolitan areas throughout America.

Industries that showed particular strength throughout the last half of 2011 include financial, hospitality and leisure, healthcare, and business services. Most economists are optimistic for Dallas, along with the rest of Texas, to continue experiencing an improving rate of economic growth through 2012.

Click here to go to City #4…

LIFE: There is an old joke which goes like this: “If you want to visit your money, go to D.C.” As is true of the old capitals of Europe, the nation takes pride in its seat of government. Whether the administration is guided by tight-fisted fiscal conservatives or the more generous liberals, it seems that D.C. thrives.

LOVE: Washington, D.C.  is #10 in SMW’s “Single and Available” ranking. Whereas women outnumber men 52.1 percent to 47.9 percent, what you may not find in quantity is made up for, in quality. The combination of its large academic community, its numerous cultural venues, its social and financial bearing — and the fact that it is the nation’s capitol — certainly brings the best and the brightest to this town. The men are smart, informed, witty — and driven.

Astounding museums and galleries and verdant open spaces — all within walking distance of a Metro stop –  announce to visitors far and wide that D.C. is a place of  prominence. You never know: Mr. Right may be standing there,  next to you at the Lincoln Memorial…

CAREER: No doubt, America and most of the world’s leading economies have been under an economic cloud in recent years. In Washington, D.C., however, there are times that can be hard to imagine. While belt tightening is often discussed from one end of Pennsylvania Avenue (the Capitol) to the other (The White House), throughout the rest of this hip, happening town it appears that hard times is more news story than real story.

Thanks to incredible cultural and job growth opportunities, Washington D.C. rightfully sits near the top for possible relocation. And certainly if you’re interested in a career in politics, policy-making, government, or corporate growth, D.C. is a place you should consider.

Click here for City #3…

LIFE: Seeing Nashville included in SMW’s top three cities for single women may have you wondering how it ranked so high. Well, among other factors,  Nashville’s music scene, cultural attractions and bustling nightlife make it a fun place to live.

To top it off, Nashville is a city steeped in a history. You can feel everywhere you go in this historic capital of Tennessee. Famous sites of Civil War battles and huge mansions turned into extraordinary museums for public viewing provide constant reminders that the gracious life  once lived in the antebellum South.

LOVE: There are slightly more women than men in Nashville (50.8 percent, v.s. 49.2. percent), giving it a “Single and Available” ranking of #13 of the cities researched for this article.

Despite these near even odds, if you love singing, bands or orchestras, chances are Nashville is the place to find a guy with whom you’ll make beautiful music.

If you presume that the Nashville music scene begins and ends at the famous Grand Ole Opry, you haven’t met Nashville 21^st Century version. Take in a concert of your choice at Ryman Auditorium or roam over to the Bluebird Café, located within a strip mall, where the musicians flock to come and play. Just make sure to get there early; lines often can circle the block.

If you want a night scene with a variety of options, you’ll enjoy the young crowd in midtown’s Five Points area, where you’ll find Vanderbilt college students, hipsters, young professionals and native residents who are all within walking distance.

CAREER: Nashville also ranks third because job growth is rising, unemployment is relatively low and the cost of living is low for such a vibrant area. In 2011 when the national job market experienced little if any growth, Nashville’s job market grew by over two and a half percent. And it’s ten-year forecast is for continued growth. And if you currently reside in a state that has a high state income tax level, think New York, California, to name just two, you’ll appreciate the fact that Tennessee has no personal income tax.

Another career advantage: Nashville has become a major transportation hub for the south central region. Minus the congestion of Atlanta, but offering non-stop service to all major US markets, Nashville is well situated to continue the dynamic growth it has experienced for the last two decades.

Click here for City #2…

Austin earned its number one ranking by being in the top five of all but one of our criteria. While on our list includes two other Texas cities, arguably no state has three so different major cities in style, atmosphere and culture as Austin and its two bigger sister cities: Dallas and Houston. All three have vibrant night life, but none offer the intense music culture of Austin.

LIFE: With good reason Austin, identifies itself as the “Live Music Capital of the World.” At the same time, Austin offers greater accessibility to the great outdoors, with a variety of state parks in beautiful settings as the “gateway to the Texas hill county.”

Austin can cook in the summer months of July and August, but its temperatures are more moderate than those of Dallas and Houston and the bonus is more mild winters. In addition to its over the top night life, Austin offers a wide variety of housing opportunities at a full one-third less expensive than cities like New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

LOVE: With 52.7 percent of its population being male, Austin ranks #1 in the twenty metro areas researched for this article.  An added advantage: a full one-third of its adult population is single — and on average, young –  thanks to the fact that it is also an academic hub.

CAREER: Austin, the capital of the state and originally the old Republic of Texas republic, has become a modern day magnet for technology and pharmaceutical companies. Its growing economy attests to that strength. Feeding that culture of innovation is the fact that the city is home to one of the nation’s largest public university campuses: University of Texas at Austin, with an enrollment of over 48,000 students.

This is a city worthy of your interest. We suspect Austin will not disappoint you.

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