good news for singles

Texas romances as the No. 3 best state for singles in new report

Dating, best states for singles, best places to date

Texans are in the right place to find love.

Finding love in the Lone Star State is easier than almost anywhere else in the country, so says a new study.

Texas ranked as the third best state for singles in WalletHub's annual "Best and Worst States for Singles" report, which compared all 50 states based on their "dating economics" (cost of living metrics and date-related costs like average price for coffee or a haircut), dating opportunities (such as an "openness to relationships" score or the share of single adults), and a romance and fun ranking (calculated based on various entertainment venues and attractions per capita).

WalletHub said Texas is the fourth most "romantic and fun" state for singles, and it ranked No. 6 nationally for its ample dating opportunities. In the dating economics category, Texas came in 18th.

For the second year in a row, Texas tied with California for the most movie theaters per capita, and it landed in a four-way tie with California, New York, and Florida for the highest number of restaurants per capita.

In Dallas, many of the best local restaurants are gearing up for a romantic Valentine's Day weekend with dinner and drink specials and decadent desserts. Or singles can skip a traditional dinner and instead impress their date by taking them to a romantic Valentine's-themed event.

The report's author said Texas offers "endless opportunities" for singles to find love because of its diversity, dense population, and its numerous date venues. Texans are also much more open to relationships than residents in other states, the report found.

"People in the Lone Star State are less likely than people in most states to show signs of 'attachment avoidance,' or discomfort with intimacy, based on nationwide psychological surveys," the report said. "In other words, if you’re looking for commitment, Texas is a good place to search."

WalletHub also gave a small shout-out to Texas' booming economy and high employment growth rates, which show the state has "a robust job market and expanding opportunities for workers across a wide range of industries."

The top 10 best states for singles in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Florida
No. 2 – New York
No. 3 – Texas
No. 4 – California
No. 5 – Illinois
No. 6 – Wisconsin
No. 7 – Pennsylvania
No. 8 – Massachusetts
No. 9 – Ohio
No. 10 – Minnesota

texas wallethub reports dating valentine's day

Here come the brides

Dallas woos top-15 spot on new list of best places to get married

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Let's get hitched.

Dallas is in line to catch the bouquet: The city ranks as the 13th best place to get married in the U.S. in 2026, according to a new study.

WalletHub's 2026 "Best Places to Get Married" report ranked 182 U.S. cities based on the average wedding costs; the number of venues, vendors, and services; and the number of activities and attractions in every city.

Dallas was bested by some of the usual suspects: Wedding-crazed Las Vegas, Nevada (No. 1); the Florida cities of Orlando (No. 2), Miami (No. 3), and Tampa (No. 5); and Atlanta, Georgia (No. 4). Dallas' Texas neighbors Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 7) also nabbed top 10 spots.

Based on the report's findings, Dallas' has the 16th best wedding facilities and services in the country, and its entertainment scene and tourism popularity helped rank No. 25 in the "activities and attractions" category.

Wedding planning website The Knot shows there are nearly 700 local wedding venues for couples to tour, including scenic gardens and fancy hotels downtown.

Weddings don't come cheap, and couples spend about $33,000 on average for their special day, according to The Knot. Dallas ranked No. 66 overall in the costs category out of all 182 U.S. cities in the report, proving that the city isn't as costly as other popular wedding destinations.

"Tying the knot is a huge commitment, and the wedding industry in 2025 was worth nearly $66.2 billion, down quite a bit from $78 billion a few years earlier," the report's author wrote.

With all the stress and time that goes into planning a wedding months or years in advance, it's no wonder that experienced wedding planners are in high demand for couples, the study says.

Other top Texas wedding destinations
Houston and Austin were the only two Texas cities to make the top 10 best places to get married, while San Antonio ranked 20th on the list.

Elsewhere in North Texas, Fort Worth ranked No. 44, while Plano (No. 82) and Arlington (No. 90) barely scraped into the top 100.

Five more Texas cities earned spots among the top 100: El Paso (No. 32), Lubbock (No. 74), Amarillo (No. 79), Laredo (No. 99), and Corpus Christi (No. 100).

The top 10 best places to get married in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – Tampa, Florida
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – Houston, Texas
No. 8 – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
No. 9 – San Diego, California
No. 10 – Los Angeles, California

weddings rankings wallethub dallas

good news for singles

Texas romances as the No. 3 best state for singles in new report

Here come the brides

Dallas woos top-15 spot on new list of best places to get married

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