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2010: Top 10 Cities for Single Women
By Paula Santonocito
2. Washington, D.C. The nation’s capital is a capital place for single women. Although it is an expensive place to live (in fact, it’s the most expensive city on our list, edging out New York by a percentage point), Washington, D.C. has a lot going for it.
At the top of the list is employment opportunity. The city has the lowest unemployment rate of the cities on our list, 6.2 percent, largely because
Uncle Sam is hiring.
What’s more, the outlook for employment should be strong for the foreseeable future. And it’s not only because new jobs are being created—which they are; the federal government currently loses over 50,000 employees per year to retirement. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) estimates that 60 percent of the current federal workforce of 3 million will be eligible to retire in the next 10 years. It all translates to career opportunities.
The federal government employs professionals in virtually every field, and positions generally come with terrific benefits packages.
If a government job doesn’t interest you, perhaps a position in one of the areas many colleges or universities will. Washington, D.C. is also a high tech hub.
Culturally speaking, the nation’s capital has much to keep a single woman occupied. The Smithsonian, the world’s largest museum complex, includes art and history museums and the National Zoo. The National Gallery of Art, other museums, memorials, and national landmarks will keep you busy as well. In this city, comfortable shoes are a must.
Pro sports fans will find teams to root for in the nation’s capital. If you’re looking for sports or recreation, you’ll find it in D.C. as well. The 300-acre East Potomac Park has hiking and biking trails, a golf course, and more. You can also kayak on the Potomac River.
Beach lovers will find many sand and surf destinations within a short distance of the city. A weekend at the beach, whether in Maryland, Delaware or Virginia, can definitely be on your summer itinerary if you live in Washington, D.C.
If you have longer trips in mind, travel is no problem. From Dulles International Airport you can reach your dream international destinations, and Reagan National Airport can keep you connected to domestic locations.
When it comes to housing, options abound. Washington has neighborhoods to suit almost every single woman: historic Georgetown, the popular and conveniently located Dupont Circle, and the trendy Adams Morgan, to name a few.
The singles scene is alive and thriving in the nation’s capital city. There are slightly more women than men in Washington, D.C., but approximately 33 percent of the population is single. Add to this a backdrop of history and glamour that includes heads of state and visiting dignitaries and single women have lots of opportunities for national and international dating adventures.
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Great article, well thought out! I packed my bags and I’m moving to Boston!
I live in Dallas. Even though there are almost 20,000 more males in this city than females, this figure is a bit deceptive. There is a high number of gay males, as well as immigrant workers, who skew the numbers. All of the places on the list appear to be big cities that probably have similar types of populations. If you’re just looking for a great place to party then it is great. If you’re looking for a boyfriend or husband, you will be disappointed.
Thanks for your feedback. Singles population is only one factor we considered in evaluating top cities. As noted, employment opportunities carried more weight, as did cost of living.
I absolutely agree with your post. I’ve lived here for nearly 3 years now and you are so right about the deceptive numbers. Fun place to do things and party, but boyfriend and husband are few and far between. My single friends have told me stories that have made me think twice about staying here. Once my contract is up in 17 months, I’m outta here.
After readinging this article, I had to comment on your section of Washington, DC. I agree with all of the activites and employment opportunties, etc that the area has to offer. But I would have to disagree that “there are slightly more women than men in Washington, D.C., but approximately 33% of the population is single.” Slightly is an understatement! There are MUCH more women than men, about 7-8 women more than men. Considering the population’s ethnic background, dating preferences and sexualty, these stats vary. Many social organizations, meetups, and clubs host social and cultural events, including dating events that always are in need of more men. And due to there be more men than women, many of them want to continue to be single and enjoy the many single women in the area instead of settling down to have a family. I invite you to take a video camera to the streets of DC and interview the women and see what kind of feedback you get contradictory to your stats.
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I live in Seattle. I have seen my lovely city on several “Top 10″ lists for dating or for singles. If you want to STAY single, then this is an amazing place to come to. There are so many fun things to do here, places to go, and experiences to be had. However, this is one of the worst places to find a mate. Below I list four phenomena that I and my other single friends (both male & female) have observed time and time again regarding the dating scene:
(1) Men & women do not make eye contact, on the street, in a coffee shop, and sometimes even in bars.
(2) Men do not approach women very often here. If they do, they are definitely not from Seattle. (there are reasons for this, and it is not all they guy’s fault! women can be a tough crowd for guys out here)
(3) Often, Men do not treat women with respect.
(4) The communication style here in town is called “northwest nice” or in plain speak: passive-aggressive.
If you are happy being single and staying that way this city is paradise. There are lots of smart, driven people here who have an amazing diversity of interests mixed in with a nice dose of being laid-back. Museums, art galleries, outdoorsy & sports activities, the symphony, the opera, boutique shops, music scene and too many cool coffee houses to count are all here. It is good living here. However, be warned on the dating front. You can have an excellent life if you are okay to not change your relationship status while you are here.
thanks for this post paulina01123. As a Seattle native born and raised, I couldn’t agree with you more. It was the driving factor in my relocation. Great place for family, lousy place for being single, especially and 30+ year old woman.
In reply to our single friends in Seattle, Dallas, and Washington, D.C., please keep in mind that dating was only one aspect of our criteria for best cities selection. Employment opportunities and cost of living carried more weight. Access to travel and entertainment options were also factors.
Hi Paula,
Thanks for the article, but it’s a bit frustrating how you keep pointing out that dating is only one of the factors. I’m a single woman in NYC and am sick and tired of the dating scene here. I was just googling a better place to go on vacation or even to live, and came across your article. Frankly I was just looking for pure statistics, but that information is hard to come by. This article seemed perfect. And yet I was shocked to find New York on it! With a title like ‘Top 10 cities for single women’ this article should have really focused on the dating scene and the male to female ratio, not jobs! Jobs are much easier to locate. We don’t need an article for that. Just go on a job board. With dating it’s not so simple.
But anyway, from what I’ve figured out so far, based on other research, is that the East coast generally sucks for single women. There are very few single men, and the ones that remain become assholes as a function of their being in high demand.
“based on other research, is that the East coast generally sucks for single women. There are very few single men, and the ones that remain become assholes as a function of their being in high demand.”
I definitely agree with Jules638. I plan on leaving the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area and will relocate west of the Rockies. I’m particularly interested in mid-sized cities. I am tired of dealing with the big city male imbalance advantage.”
Hey ladies – check out the 2011 Top 10 Cities for Single Women: http://singlemindedwomen.com/money-tips/2011-top-10-cities-for-single-women/
Right, New York is number one – for men! I love it how everything is always by default from the male perspective, unless otherwise noted.