The 15 Best Cities for Single Millennials [+Median Income]

In our ranking of the best cities for single millennials, Boston ranked 1st with nearly 70 percent of its millennial population all being single. Boston is also one of the best cities for millennials to work with a median annual income of $50,000. In the United States, over 50 percent of individuals aged 18 to 34 don't have a steady partner, which is the highest rate of singlehood in that age group in the 30+ years our researchers analyzed.

Free Car Insurance Comparison

Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

Marissa Hayes is a technical editor and contributing writer. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in history, and she was the editor of the literary magazine, The Bluestone Review.

Full Bio →

Written by Marissa Hayes
Writer & Technical Editor

Dan Walker graduated with a BS in Administrative Management in 2005 and has been working in his family’s insurance agency, FCI Agency, for 15 years. He is licensed as an agent to write property and casualty insurance, including home, auto, umbrella, and dwelling fire insurance. He’s also been featured on sites like Reviews.com.

Full Bio →

Reviewed by Daniel Walker
Licensed Car Insurance Agent

UPDATED: Nov 22, 2020

Advertiser Disclosure

It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.

Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We partner with top insurance providers. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.

Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.

There’s no doubt that millennials—those born between 1981 and 1996—live very differently from their parents and other generations. Millennials are rewriting the rules of work, homeownership, dating, and marriage. And it turns out that some cities are better for single millenials than others.

According to Census data, the median age for an individual’s first marriage has been steadily increasing over time. In 2018, the median age for a first marriage was nearly 30 for men and almost 28 for women, up from 23 for men and 21 for women in 1970.

In addition to putting off marriage, millennials are also more likely to be single with “no steady partner.” Data from the independent research organization NORC at the University of Chicago shows that more than 50 percent of 18 to 34 year olds don’t have a steady partner and only 28 percent are currently married. This means that there are more young singles than ever.

Whether happily unmarried or actively searching for someone to settle down with, single millennials benefit from living in places that offer a wide range of high-paying jobs, plenty to do, and a large pool of other young singles to socialize with. And for those living in communities with higher median incomes, these millennials are also finding ways to offset living expenses, ranging from housing to their state's average car insurance rates.

To find the best metro areas for single millennials, researchers at Insurantly analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau and created a composite score based on the following factors:

Millennial share of the total population: the share of the total population born between 1981 and 1996
Share of millennials that are single: the share of millennials that are not married
Gender balance for single millennials: the male-female ratio among single millennials
Percentage of single millennials employed full-time: the percentage of single millennials with full-time jobs
Median income for full-time millennials: the median annual income for millennials working full-time jobs
Arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses density: the number of arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses per 10,000 people

Only major metropolitan areas with at least 500,000 people were included in the analysis. Metros were then ranked based on their final composite score.

Interestingly, among millennials nationwide, there are about 14 percent more single men than women; bachelors outnumber unmarried girls in almost every major metro. While many of the best cities for single millennials still show an imbalance between single men and women, the ratio tends to be more balanced than average.

The 15 Best Cities for Single Millennials

Table of Contents

#15 - Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN

Alamy Stock Photo

Overall score: 82.52
Millennial share of total population: 21.9%
Share of millennials that are single: 64.3%
Gender balance for single millennials: 0.5% more women
Percentage of single millennials employed full-time: 56.3%
Median income for full-time millennials: $40,000
Arts, entertainment, & recreation businesses density: 3.79

The Indianapolis metro area has nearly equal numbers of single millennial men and women, with only 0.5 percent more single millennial women than men. The eight-mile long Indianapolis Cultural Trail offers single millennials a terrific place to socialize. This pedestrian and bike trail provides easy access to restaurants and shops and connects downtown to several cultural districts.

#14 - Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

Alamy Stock Photo

Overall score: 82.52
Millennial share of total population: 23.7%
Share of millennials that are single: 68.6%
Gender balance for single millennials: 5.7% more men
Percentage of single millennials employed full-time: 52.0%
Median income for full-time millennials: $32,000
Arts, entertainment, & recreation businesses density: 4.48

Not just retirees and families with small kids call Orlando home. Millennials make up nearly one-quarter of the population, and the metro area has much more than theme parks to keep millennials entertained. Millennials can visit one of the area’s many craft breweries or head to Wekiva Springs to cool off in the 72-degree water.

DID YOU KNOW?

Getting car insurance for high-risk drivers can be expensive. Fortunately, we’ve put together resources on how to help high-risk drivers get the best car accident insurance and speeding ticket insurance.

#13 - Charleston-North Charleston, SC

Charleston, South Carolina, USA town skyline.

Alamy Stock Photo

Overall score: 83.33
Millennial share of total population: 24.0%
Share of millennials that are single: 67.4%
Gender balance for single millennials: 12.5% more men
Percentage of single millennials employed full-time: 59.8%
Median income for full-time millennials: $35,600
Arts, entertainment, & recreation businesses density: 4.11

In recent years, Charleston has become a millennial magnet. A flourishing tech start-up economy coupled with a thriving restaurant and arts scene have helped to attract droves of young residents, of which nearly two-thirds are unmarried.

#12 - Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

Alamy Stock Photo

Overall score: 83.66
Millennial share of total population: 22.6%
Share of millennials that are single: 66.8%
Gender balance for single millennials: 11.0% more men
Percentage of single millennials employed full-time: 52.8%
Median income for full-time millennials: $45,000
Arts, entertainment, & recreation businesses density: 3.83

Birthplace of the bottle cap, Baltimore has stayed true to its roots, developing a thriving local brewery scene. The area’s large millennial population enjoys the elusive combination of affordable housing and top-tier job opportunities that the D.C. area helps bring to the region. Young singles can enjoy sailing and endless views of the Baltimore inner harbor.

#11 - Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Methodology

The data on the millennial share of the total population, the share of millennials that are single, the percentage of single millennials employed full-time, the median income for full-time millennials, and the singles gender balance for millennials is from the 2017 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (ACS PUMS) dataset.

Data on the density of arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses comes from the Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns report and is defined as the number of arts, entertainment, and recreation establishments per 10,000 people in a metropolitan area.

Metro areas were scored for each of the six statistics, and a composite score was created by taking the average of the six scores. Metro areas were then ranked by the composite score. Only metro areas that have at least 500,000 people were included in the final rankings.

The Pew Research Center’s definition of millennials is people born from 1981 to 1996; therefore, people aged 21-36 are used in the analysis of the ACS PUMS data.

Full Results

Metro Area	Score	Millennial Share of Population	Share of Millennials that are Single	Gender Balance for Single Millennials	Single Millennials Employed Full-Time	Median Income for Full-Time Millennials	Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation Businesses
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	91.34	23.4%	69.4%	7.0% more men	52.7%	$50,000	5.08
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	88.81	22.9%	69.9%	8.3% more men	51.4%	$48,000	6.07
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	88.32	24.0%	68.1%	13.2% more men	53.9%	$60,000	4.37
Austin-Round Rock, TX	86.36	26.1%	64.0%	14.6% more men	57.7%	$43,000	4.37
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	85.95	22.6%	68.6%	7.1% more men	52.4%	$43,000	3.82
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	85.70	23.3%	66.0%	10.2% more men	56.2%	$52,000	3.52
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	84.97	20.9%	71.3%	10.7% more men	52.9%	$45,000	4.63
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	84.64	23.3%	60.4%	3.7% more men	57.1%	$38,000	6.54
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	84.40	22.3%	71.6%	6.1% more men	49.5%	$42,000	3.77
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO	84.07	24.2%	62.1%	16.0% more men	61.6%	$43,700	4.20
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	83.82	24.2%	72.0%	14.4% more men	48.4%	$40,000	12.40
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	83.66	22.6%	66.8%	11.0% more men	52.8%	$45,000	3.83
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	83.33	24.0%	67.4%	12.5% more men	59.8%	$35,600	4.11
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN	82.52	21.9%	64.3%	0.5% more women	56.3%	$40,000	3.79
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	82.52	23.7%	68.6%	5.7% more men	52.0%	$32,000	4.48
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	82.43	25.1%	60.9%	20.1% more men	54.9%	$50,000	4.27
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	82.27	22.7%	61.8%	13.4% more men	53.5%	$45,000	4.82
New Orleans-Metairie, LA	82.11	22.4%	74.9%	1.8% more women	49.6%	$35,000	4.03
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	81.37	23.4%	64.1%	16.2% more men	52.6%	$40,100	4.36
Richmond, VA	81.05	22.2%	65.9%	1.6% more men	50.7%	$39,000	3.96
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	81.05	21.7%	65.5%	5.9% more men	54.2%	$38,000	4.13
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY	80.64	21.5%	70.1%	8.7% more men	51.1%	$40,000	4.20
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	80.47	22.2%	65.3%	2.5% more men	53.0%	$38,000	3.65
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	80.23	21.6%	70.8%	11.9% more men	45.9%	$41,260	4.70
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI	79.90	21.8%	67.8%	6.2% more men	50.1%	$40,000	4.14
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI	79.49	23.1%	57.0%	7.3% more men	55.7%	$38,000	3.87
Columbus, OH	79.25	24.2%	64.5%	10.8% more men	53.7%	$40,000	3.22
New Haven-Milford, CT	78.84	21.8%	75.0%	15.2% more men	46.4%	$46,600	3.61
Raleigh, NC	78.51	22.2%	59.3%	2.5% more men	54.5%	$40,000	3.50
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	78.10	20.8%	63.5%	2.6% more men	51.8%	$42,000	3.62
Santa Rosa, CA	77.78	21.0%	66.7%	17.7% more men	50.9%	$42,000	4.88
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV	77.70	22.8%	67.9%	17.9% more men	52.1%	$35,000	4.85
Pittsburgh, PA	77.45	20.4%	66.1%	16.1% more men	52.3%	$40,500	4.38
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	77.37	20.9%	73.1%	11.4% more men	50.2%	$34,400	4.93
Worcester, MA-CT	77.12	20.2%	72.4%	9.3% more men	47.4%	$45,000	3.28
Cleveland-Elyria, OH	77.04	20.2%	69.4%	2.3% more men	48.7%	$40,000	3.67
Salt Lake City, UT	76.96	25.0%	55.8%	10.4% more men	53.8%	$38,000	3.43
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC	76.96	25.3%	63.5%	21.7% more men	56.0%	$36,450	3.54
Columbia, SC	76.88	22.3%	71.0%	5.4% more men	52.2%	$33,500	2.63
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT	76.88	19.5%	68.0%	16.6% more men	47.6%	$48,000	6.46
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	76.80	20.9%	70.6%	16.7% more men	47.2%	$45,000	4.09
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	76.72	25.6%	65.7%	28.4% more men	50.3%	$40,000	3.80
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	76.63	24.3%	61.7%	39.8% more men	53.8%	$65,000	3.06
Akron, OH	76.23	21.5%	71.3%	5.8% more men	45.7%	$38,700	3.31
Springfield, MA	76.06	20.8%	74.9%	7.6% more men	45.7%	$40,000	3.68
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	75.98	16.4%	68.9%	0.5% more men	52.1%	$31,000	4.04
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	75.90	20.3%	68.7%	5.4% more men	52.3%	$35,000	3.60
Portland-South Portland, ME	75.74	19.9%	67.6%	15.7% more men	46.5%	$41,000	7.01
Rochester, NY	75.16	21.2%	70.3%	16.7% more men	46.6%	$40,000	4.46
Jacksonville, FL	74.92	22.3%	63.7%	8.8% more men	53.6%	$35,000	3.38
Syracuse, NY	74.67	21.1%	71.0%	15.6% more men	45.4%	$38,000	4.48
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	74.67	21.4%	67.5%	24.2% more men	49.4%	$40,000	5.27
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	74.26	22.6%	70.1%	0.4% more men	48.4%	$32,000	2.31
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	74.10	22.9%	59.6%	12.0% more men	55.1%	$40,000	2.75
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA	74.10	22.1%	57.8%	27.5% more men	58.1%	$40,000	3.91
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	74.02	21.7%	63.9%	12.1% more men	52.1%	$40,000	3.46
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	74.02	21.8%	57.7%	17.3% more men	66.5%	$40,000	3.68
Asheville, NC	73.94	17.9%	65.1%	13.7% more men	55.0%	$32,200	4.72
Kansas City, MO-KS	73.94	21.8%	61.5%	11.2% more men	56.8%	$40,000	3.22
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	73.77	22.4%	62.4%	0.0% more men	51.2%	$35,000	2.84
St. Louis, MO-IL	73.77	21.1%	62.4%	9.9% more men	51.5%	$40,000	3.72
Colorado Springs, CO	73.77	24.8%	55.0%	33.0% more men	53.9%	$36,900	3.77
Albuquerque, NM	73.69	22.0%	72.5%	8.5% more men	46.7%	$33,500	3.12
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	73.20	19.5%	68.2%	14.8% more men	51.6%	$40,000	3.65
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	73.12	23.2%	61.2%	9.7% more men	52.0%	$40,000	2.32
Toledo, OH	73.04	22.0%	68.3%	5.0% more men	47.0%	$35,000	2.96
Urban Honolulu, HI	72.47	24.3%	59.6%	37.3% more men	57.5%	$40,000	2.59
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL	72.06	14.9%	66.9%	10.4% more men	50.1%	$34,500	4.48
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA	71.98	22.5%	65.7%	8.8% more men	43.9%	$40,000	2.86
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	71.90	22.1%	66.2%	19.4% more men	53.7%	$36,500	2.66
Jackson, MS	71.73	22.4%	67.0%	6.3% more women	48.2%	$35,000	2.51
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	71.41	20.9%	68.8%	13.3% more men	49.1%	$40,000	3.03
Baton Rouge, LA	71.08	23.3%	68.9%	19.0% more men	44.8%	$40,000	2.67
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	71.00	17.3%	72.1%	12.2% more men	49.9%	$30,000	3.85
Lafayette, LA	70.59	21.3%	62.9%	0.5% more men	49.3%	$35,000	3.12
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	70.26	21.5%	63.4%	11.0% more men	47.5%	$35,400	3.75
Lancaster, PA	69.85	20.8%	56.1%	14.5% more men	51.5%	$40,770	3.37
Birmingham-Hoover, AL	69.69	20.9%	63.5%	5.0% more men	50.7%	$35,000	2.86
Dayton, OH	69.53	20.8%	63.9%	0.1% more men	46.4%	$37,000	2.70
Ogden-Clearfield, UT	68.95	23.3%	45.7%	19.5% more men	52.0%	$40,000	2.76
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	68.38	17.6%	69.7%	10.1% more men	46.0%	$35,000	3.38
Greensboro-High Point, NC	68.38	19.9%	70.6%	6.1% more men	45.2%	$32,000	3.09
Tucson, AZ	68.22	21.6%	70.4%	19.6% more men	45.4%	$35,000	3.14
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	68.22	23.6%	64.3%	16.1% more men	51.0%	$34,000	2.54
Winston-Salem, NC	67.24	18.9%	64.8%	8.6% more men	49.9%	$33,000	3.25
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	67.16	21.1%	61.9%	8.4% more men	45.7%	$36,010	3.11
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC	67.08	20.7%	63.0%	9.7% more men	52.5%	$32,000	2.81
Oklahoma City, OK	67.08	23.1%	57.8%	31.3% more men	50.7%	$38,000	2.88
Provo-Orem, UT	66.99	27.4%	43.3%	28.7% more men	36.9%	$39,000	3.45
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	66.26	23.0%	65.5%	17.0% more men	41.8%	$35,000	2.08
Fresno, CA	66.26	24.3%	66.2%	14.2% more men	38.5%	$34,600	1.79
El Paso, TX	65.85	24.3%	65.3%	26.5% more men	48.8%	$30,000	1.88
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	65.60	19.7%	65.7%	3.9% more men	48.8%	$29,980	2.08
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC	65.36	21.9%	71.4%	23.4% more men	40.2%	$31,000	2.93
Wichita, KS	65.28	21.6%	55.4%	31.8% more men	52.3%	$35,000	3.47
Chattanooga, TN-GA	64.05	20.8%	60.5%	9.5% more men	46.1%	$34,000	3.17
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX	63.32	22.2%	62.2%	7.4% more men	41.2%	$28,000	1.15
Modesto, CA	62.75	22.9%	61.4%	23.2% more men	44.7%	$36,000	1.75
Boise City, ID	62.01	21.3%	57.8%	38.0% more men	50.3%	$33,000	3.41
Bakersfield, CA	61.44	24.2%	61.8%	28.7% more men	32.5%	$35,000	1.58
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA	61.11	17.8%	66.6%	18.9% more men	41.3%	$30,000	3.43
Stockton-Lodi, CA	61.03	22.1%	64.4%	24.4% more men	41.1%	$35,000	1.84
Knoxville, TN	57.68	20.2%	60.7%	16.9% more men	45.0%	$33,700	2.59

*Number of Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation Businesses for every 10,000 Residents

Free Car Insurance Comparison

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

The 15 Best Cities for Single Millennials [+Median Income]

Free Car Insurance Comparison

It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.

The 15 Best Cities for Single Millennials

#15 - Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN

#14 - Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

#13 - Charleston-North Charleston, SC

#12 - Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

#11 - Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

#10 - Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

#9 - Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

#8 - Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

#7 - Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

#6 - Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

#5 - Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

#4 - Austin-Round Rock, TX

#3 - San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

#2 - New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

#1 - Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

Methodology

Full Results

Free Car Insurance Comparison