How Arizona Cities Rank Among Best in the Nation for Singles

Arizona may be known for sun and fun but where do the cities rank for singles?

According to WalletHub’s 2020 best and worst cities for singles report, Arizona cities have some of the best and worst dating opportunities in the United States.

The survey looked at 182 U.S. cities for their economics, recreation and dating opportunities. Tempe was the top-rated Arizona city at No. 10, because of its cost-friendliness. This is a significant rise from last year when Tempe came in at No. 29 in WalletHub’s 2019 report.

Tucson was noted for its excess of dating opportunities and was listed at No. 13.

Among other metrics, the dating opportunities category considers gender balance within a community. It concludes that the “best” cities have the greatest gender parity and the “worst” cities have the least gender parity.

“The smaller the difference between the number of men and women who are single, the higher the chances for more dates taking place,” a WalletHub communications manager shared. Single men seeking women — and vice versa — are “easier to quantify,” the representative added.

Affordability helped the city Glendale rise from the bottom half of the ranking last year to become No. 61.

Phoenix fell from No. 32 to No. 47 in 2020’s list. Prospects for dating in Peoria and Gilbert did not fare well in the research for prospects of dating.

Madison, Wisconsin, topped the list at No. 1 overall, while the dating scene in Glendale, California, has the honor of ranking last at No. 182.

How Arizona cities ranked in the survey

10: Tempe
13: Tucson
34: Chandler
47: Phoenix
54: Scottsdale
61: Glendale
78: Mesa
122: Gilbert
153: Peoria

Highlights (and lowlights) for Arizona cities

• Lowest restaurant meal costs: Glendale, No. 3 (tied with El Paso and Amarillo, Texas and Charleston, West Virginia).
• Highest restaurant meal costs: Scottsdale, No. 167 (tied for last with Washington, D.C.; Juneau, Alaska; and Cape Coral, Florida).
• Lowest percentage of singles: Gilbert, No. 180 (among the bottom three cities).
• Most online dating opportunities: Gilbert, No. 1.
• Lowest movie costs: Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale; No. 3 (tied).

How City Ranking Is Determined

32 metrics are weighed that contribute to the scores. Here are a few that are reviewed:

Economics: Price of meals, salon visits and movie theaters, as well as affordability of housing and median income.

Recreation: Weather; restrictions on business openings and parks, restaurants and shopping centers per capita.

Dating opportunities: Percentage of singles, active Tinder users, the share of households with access to broadband connection and smartphones.