Looking for a partner and looking for a rental home can have a lot in common. You’ll likely want to make sure they both have enough space for you, that they fit your lifestyle and that they are totally available. So why not tackle both journeys at once?
Zillow ranked the top 10 places for singles to move to for love using data that compared the density of singles in an area, available rental listings and rental affordability.
1. Wichita, KS
Located in south-central Kansas, Wichita comes in as the top metro for budget-conscious singles. It’s the only metro that made our top 10 list with a rent price of less than $1,000, $966 to be exact. It ranked most affordable in the top 10 when considering the median income of a single person. Keep an eye on Zillow’s market trend tool to check the market’s temperature. Now may just be the perfect time for your love life to start heating up.
2. Austin, TX
The “weird” Texas metro ranked second-highest overall. A typical Austin rental will run you $1,869 per month. So, after browsing some Zillow listings, take a look at local singles listings. You can plan your move-in date around your first date.
3. Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee is already known for its breweries and its Brewers, but now it will be known for its singles as well. The typical rent in the Midwest metro will cost you $1,186. It’s also home to the highest percentage of singles of any metro on the list. We can confidently say Milwaukee has a lot of potential.
4. Denver, CO
Denver ranks on the high end for total rental listings that are affordable to singles on Zillow, so consider the metro “available.” The typical rent comes in at $1,988. If you take a chance on Denver, you may find yourself asking, “Is it the dating pool or the elevation that’s taking my breath away?”
5. San Antonio, TX
Consider popping down south to San Antonio, where you’ll find the typical cost of rent at $1,469. San Antonio ranks higher on the list for inventory per single person, but don’t wait too long before making it official.
6. Houston, TX
Houston, we don’t have a problem. The metro ranks sixth on our list and No. 4 for share of affordable rentals per single. If the typical rental list price of $1,575 works for you, it may be time to get ready for launch.
7. Dallas, TX
When they say everything’s bigger in Texas, they may be referring to the dating pool. Dallas boasts more single residents than any other top 10 metro. However, the median yearly income for single individuals is $40,000 while the median rental price is $1,791, so you may be looking for some budget date ideas after relocating here.
8. Seattle, WA
If you’re looking for a hiking buddy, consider this Pacific Northwest metro. Seattle ranked as the second-most-expensive market on our top 10 list, but it also has the second-highest median income for singles, making it by no means the most unaffordable city we surveyed. Grab a coffee at Pike Place Market before looking at one of the thousands of available rentals on the market. You may just find your perfect match.
9. Washington, D.C.
There’s plenty of rentals and singles to choose from in D.C. The nation’s capital currently has the most available rentals of any metro on the list. It also ranks fourth on this best-of list for the highest share of singles. So consider D.C. if you’re electing to find a new love.
10. Boston, MA
One of the oldest cities in the U.S., Boston has the rich history and architecture to set the stage for a budding romance. However, Boston does rank as the least affordable city out of the top 10, so if your budget doesn’t allows for a median rental list price of $2,788, you may just want to head to Wichita.
*Research methodology
The best metros for singles were determined using Zillow housing metrics and data from the U.S. Census Bureau. With the exception of the Zillow Observed Rent Index metric (ZORI) — which was given half weight —– the collection of all other variables were each given equal weight for the final index. Of the top 100 largest U.S. metros, the metros that ranked highest in the index were considered for inclusion in the final list.
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