New Jersey Isn’t Bad If You’re Single, According to New Ranking
With Valentine's Day today and about 45 percent of the American adult population being single, it's fitting that personal-finance website, Wallethub, released its report on 2019's Best and Worst States for Singles.
Analyst Jill Gonzalez said they compared 50 states across 28 key indicators of dating friendliness, which include dating opportunities in terms of how many people are single in the state and what the gender balance looks like as well as the on-line dating scene. They also looked at the dating economics: Is it going to cost you a fortune to be on the dating scene? Finally, they looked at what can you do in that state in terms of romance and fun, restaurants, bars and movie theaters.
New Jersey ranks 18th on the list of the best states for singles. Gonzalez said New Jersey has a good gender balance of singles in New Jersey from ages 20-34, 35-49, 50-64 and 65 and up.
She also said there is a lot of online and mobile dating happening in New Jersey.
But it is very expensive to date in New Jersey, which is why it is not in the Top 10 . Gonzalez said beer, wine and coffee prices are higher in the Garden State. So is the upkeep between dates like visits to the beauty salon and men's haircuts.
While Gonzalez said the costs of these things will no go down anytime soon, singles in New Jersey should still realize that there are so many low or no-cost activities to do, not only in New Jersey, but in New York and Pennsylvania.
The best state for singles in 2019 is Florida. That's followed by California, Texas, New York and Pennsylvania. Gonzalez said while New York is the most expensive state for dating, it was overpowered by the number of singles and it was No. 1 in terms of romantic and fun places to hang out.
The worst states for singles were more rural, with West Virginia being the worst, followed by Arkansas, North Dakota, Wyoming and Kentucky.