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2010: Top 10 Cities for Single Women
By Paula Santonocito
5. Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love has much to offer single sisters. Its unemployment rate is below the national average, and the city is not dependent on one or two industries for career opportunities.
Philadelphia’s top industries include finance, insurance, medical instruments and supplies manufacturing, medical research, and pharmaceuticals. The city also has a thriving tourist business; Philadelphia is among the most-visited cities in the United States.
Home to an impressive array of colleges and universities and museums, Philly offers plenty to stimulate your interest. The city also has many historic sites, including Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the Liberty Bell. And if that weren’t enough, Philadelphia lays claim to championship-winning sports teams.
There is always something happening in Philly, no matter the time of year. During the year-end holidays, the city comes alive with the spirit of the season. The city’s many traditions include the Festival of Trees at the Pearl S. Buck House, which features more than a dozen beautifully decorated trees. The Philadelphia International Flower Show, the world’s largest indoor exhibition, held annually in March, will put you in the mood for spring. In fall, there are harvest festivals. And of course in summer there is the 4th of July. No city celebrates Independence Day like Philadelphia.
Single women seeking housing in the city of sisterly love will find a wide range of choices, from modern skyscrapers to row houses to Victorian homes. And the cost of living in Philly is 44 percent less than New York.
This allows for travel opportunities, and there are plenty of places to go within a short distance of the city. The Jersey Shore is only a couple of hours away, as are the Pocono Mountains. The city is also within close proximity to two other top places on our list: Washington, D.C. and New York.
Like a few other cities on our list, Philly has slightly more women than men, but approximately 33 percent of the population is single. The large number of singles, low cost of living, and high number of cultural, entertainment, and other social opportunities, not to mention array of industries, make Philadelphia a favorite city.
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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.