BUFFALO, N.Y. — Worried about being single on Valentine's Day? Well, according to a new report by LendingTree, Buffalo is actually the best city in the U.S. to be single in.
LendingTree looked at multiple variables including median single-person household income, the percentage of the population that isn't married as well as the number of people who live alone.
Buffalo took the top spot because of relatively low housing prices, low commute times, and a high percentage of people living alone. Incomes are relatively low, compared to the rest of the cities in the report, but LendingTree found Buffalo ranked amongst the top in the other categories.
Here's how Buffalo did in each category in LendingTree's report:
- Median single-person household income: $31,187
- Median monthly housing costs for homes with a mortgage: $1,287
- Median gross rent: $828
- Percentage of households where the householder lives alone: 34.1%
- Percentage of the population that isn’t married: 55.4%
- Average round-trip commute time to and from work: 43.4 minutes
- Percentage of non-family households that are owner-occupied: 50.3%
While Buffalo did come in fourth for median single-person household income, it still did well overall because of its strength in the other categories.
"Because they can’t rely on a significant other to bring in extra income, single people need to take extra care to be sure that they’ve got enough money to make ends meet. This is especially true if they want to have enough extra cash for the occasional date. As a result, areas with low costs of living can be great options for singles," said LendingTree's senior economic analyst and report author, Jacob Channel.
2 On Your Side was curious as to why it appears more people are embracing the single life.
Lisa Brydges co-owns Matchmaking 2 a Tee, a boutique dating service in Buffalo, and says when it comes to dating trends are changing.
“People are really waiting for that right person,” Brydges explains.” More people are working on perfecting themselves first – their finances, their careers, their lives. They have single homes, they’ve got their pet. People in their late 20s and 30s are working really hard on getting their ducks in a row.”
The social pressures surrounding topics like marriage aren’t what they used to be.
“I feel like a lot of people are choosing to date long before they make the commitment,” Brydges expresses. “It’s a huge expense. People just don’t want to spend that. I recognize that people are choosing to spend their money elsewhere…taking trips and enjoying their lives.”
When asked about the quality of life in Buffalo and how that plays into things, Brydges tells 2 On Your Side, “Buffalo is the perfect city. You get a big bang for your buck here. A night out isn't going to break the bank and that's good if you're looking to date."
The full LendingTree report can be found on the LendingTree website.