Need a Date? Move to Gilbert, Study Says

Being single is fun. Until you realize you’ve spent approximately the last 14 Sunday nights alone and you still get humiliatingly hyped when Beyoncé’s 9-year-old ode to independence, “Single Ladies,” comes on at the bar.

If your solo status has you prowling for partners online, WalletHub has some unsolicited advice: Move to Gilbert, Arizona.

Yeah, we were surprised, too.

According to the personal finance website’s recent singles study, Gilbert has the most online dating opportunities of the 182 cities analyzed, including such metros as New York, San Francisco, and Phoenix.

The study’s authors, Theresa E. DiDonato and Anthony E. Coy, determined that Gilbert has the highest share of households with a broadband connection — which, apparently, translates to “online dating opportunities” galore.

Titled “2017’s Best & Worst Cities for Singles,” the study analyzes the 150 most populated U.S. cities, as well as at least two of the most populated cities in each state. It rates each place's appeal for parties of one based on economics, fun and recreation, and dating opportunities.

Despite these grand online dating odds, it turns out Gilbert has the third lowest percentage of actual single people in all of the cities analyzed. The study doesn’t specify if this because all these broadband-wielding Gilbert residents already found their perfect match on JSwipe, but it certainly pushes Gilbert’s appeal down in the overall rankings of single utopias.

All in all, Gilbert comes in as the 87th best place to be single, behind Arizona strongholds Phoenix, Tucson, Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale, and Glendale. Phoenix was the most friendly Arizona city for singles, coming in at number 14, a six-place drop from last year's WalletHub singles study.

It may be paradise for those who like to vet their partners online before actually meeting in person — a quick eHarmony search turned up a diverse swath of military officers, full-time students, and even estheticians specializing in eyelash extensions out there just waiting to be matched with. But, in general, sticking to the Phoenix metro may be more fruitful for those unlucky — or unwilling to fall — in love.

Overall, San Francisco was the best place to be single, and South Burlington, Vermont, was the worst.

The study did include one additional sliver of information pertinent to Arizonans.

While the folks over at WalletHub acknowledge there are many important facets to being single, they know that cheap booze is imperative to getting through the loneliest of nights.

Arizona cities slayed in this category, with Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Scottsdale, and Peoria all tying it up for the top city for singles to drink beer and wine on a budget.

Salut to being single.