Good news for singles living in the Lone Star State as Valentine's Day approaches: You may not be lonely for long.
In the latest edition of WalletHub's annual
"Best and Worst States for Singles" report, Texas came in at the No. 2 state for dating in 2024.
Texas was beat by only one other state — Florida — but bested dating havens such as California and New York.
Rankings were determined by comparing categories such as dating economics, opportunities, and romance and fun.
Texas
tied with California for the most movie theaters per capita, and landed in a four-way tie with California, New York, and Florida for the highest number of restaurants per capita.
Texas ranked highly in other categories such as:
- No. 10 – Median annual household income (adjusted for the cost of living)
- No. 18 – Mobile-dating opportunities
- No. 21 – Online-dating opportunities
"If you fall in love with a Texan and want to move to the state, the good news is that there’s a high rate of employment growth, which shows that the state’s economy is doing well," the report says. "Plus, Texas residents’ search history indicates that there are a lot of people who are interested in dating online – so installing a few apps may be a good idea."
Florida surged to No. 1 best state for dating from 20213, when it was ranked at No. 3. Rounding out the top five best states for dating are California (No. 3), New York (No. 4), and Pennsylvania (No. 5). The worst state was West Virginia, which was No. 50 on the list.
WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe suggested the best destinations for single people are often those that have a variety of venues that are suitable for dates, like
pubs, fun
new restaurants,
coffee shops, and more.
"Finding love can be tough, but being in the right place can contribute to a successful relationship," Happe said. "The unfortunate tradeoff is that dating usually isn’t cheap in states that provide these ideal conditions."
As Valentine's Day approaches, keeping a few splurge-worthy
date ideas top of mind for a significant other may be valuable, but it's equally important to not break the bank just to impress a date. On average, Texans spend about $58 on Valentine's Day, according to a separate report by Casino.org. Residents in Houston are expected to spend the most out of all Texas cities in 2024, with a projected budget of $105.27. Dallas isn't too far behind with an estimated Valentine's Day spending budget of $79.25.
The full report and its methodology can be found at
wallethub.com.