Fun dating facts from Plenty of Fish

Want to know the best cities for meeting Mr. Right? Plenty of Fish has the answers. The online dating site has compressed internal data, trying to uncover which cities and regions provide the best opportunities for finding love.

This love and dating analysis involved more than 55 million singles looking for relationships on the world’s largest online dating site, likely the largest online survey of singles ever taken.

“With 60 million users worldwide, Plenty of Fish deals with a huge amount of data on a regular basis. This study analyzed millions of users in the U.S. and looked at where people are looking for love, where they are finding love and where they’re looking to start a family,” explains Sarah Gooding, product manager with Plenty of Fish

1. Salem, Oregon
2. Vancouver, Washington
3. Lakeland, Florida
4. Clarksville, Tennessee
5. Wilmington, North Carolina

“According to this study, Salem, Oregon, is the top city where singles find relationships,” says Gooding. What makes Salem so special? She explains that based on the city’s demographics, Salem has a high percentage of residents between the ages of 25 and 44 years old which is when people tend to pair off and settle down. “It also has a higher percentage of married couples which can influence the single people in your social circle to settle down in a relationship sooner.”

1. Miami Shores, Florida
2. Camp Pendleton, California
3. Opa-Locka, Florida
4. North Miami, Florida
5. Lejeune, North Carolina
6. Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
7. Naval Hospital, North Carolina
8. Fort Riley, Kansas
9. Miramar, Florida

“When it comes to women wanting kids, New York City is at the top,” Gooding notes. “Women throughout the five boroughs are at the top for saying they want kids, but men in that region are not as excited about kids,” she says. So which city has the highest number of men wanting kids? That would be Miami Shores, Florida.

1. Minot, North Dakota
2. Idaho Falls, Idaho
3. Anchorage, Alaska
4. Fargo, North Dakota
5. Starkville, Mississippi
6. Alexandria, Louisiana
7. Hattiesburg, Mississippi
8. Albuquerque, New Mexico
9. West Monroe, Louisiana
10. Little Rock, Arkansas

How far someone is willing to travel for love says a lot about what kind of a city or town they live in. “Minot, North Dakota, is the number one city for singles who will travel the farthest for love. Singles in Minot will travel at least 200 miles for love,” says Gooding. “Those who live in sprawling suburban areas or small towns, like Minot, tend to be open to meeting people from neighboring towns or outside of the city, even if it means a car ride to get there.”

1. Huntington, New York
2. Staten Island, New York
3. Bay Shore, New York
4. Port Orchard, Washington
5. Hamilton, New Jersey
6. Flushing, New York
7. Queens, New York
8. Gig Harbor, Washington
9. Bremerton, Washington
10. Long Island, New York

On the other hand, singles in dense urban areas tend to be less flexible when it comes to dating outside of the city, adds Gooding. She says this could because they rely on public transportation to get around. “For example Huntington, New York, was the number one city where singles would travel only 25 miles or less outside of their zip code in pursuit of love.”

1. West Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2. Norcross, Georgia
3. Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
4. Topeka, Kansas
5. Elkhart, Indiana
6. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
7. North Miami, Florida
8. Grand Chute, Wisconsin
9. Silver Spring, Maryland
10. Muncie, Indiana

Want to get married? Gooding recommends thinking about heading to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “This city ranks number one when it comes to single men looking to get married.”

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