Best states for single seniors

Many people hope to find someone they can grow older with. But what if you’re already an older adult and looking for a new relationship? That’s the situation millions of older Americans find themselves in. 

About 43% of Americans age 65 and older are single. While they certainly aren’t all looking for love, dating at this stage of life can be challenging for those who are. To understand where older singles may be more likely to find dating success, we analyzed information for all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 10 metrics. 

Here are the key findings 

• Idaho is the best state for older adults looking to find love, while Mississippi is the worst. 

• D.C. has the highest percentage of single older adults, including people who are divorced, widowed, or never married, while Utah has the lowest. 

Best and worst states for single older adults 

Our analysis found that the best state overall for single older adults is also one of the smallest: Idaho. The state performed well across most categories and ranked in the top 10 for four of the 10 metrics. Minnesota was a close second, finishing just a few points behind Idaho. 

At the other end of the rankings, Mississippi was the worst state for single older adults. Although it had a high share of older adults who are single, it ranked near the bottom in most other categories and placed in the bottom five for three of the 10 metrics. 

Overall scores for the best states for single older adults 

Note: Lower scores are better. 

• Idaho: 162 

• Minnesota: 165 

• Wisconsin: 180 

• Vermont: 192 

• Utah: 194 

• Washington: 196 

• Oregon: 198 

• Michigan: 200 

• New Hampshire: 207 

• Iowa: 208 

• Wyoming: 210 

• Colorado: 216 

• Connecticut: 226 

• Nebraska: 232 

• Kansas: 233 

• North Dakota: 234 

• Delaware: 236 

• Montana: 239 

• Nevada: 239 

• Rhode Island: 242 

• Arizona: 243 

• Hawaii: 248 

• Maine: 251 

• Indiana: 252 

• Florida: 254 

• Pennsylvania: 259 

• Illinois: 264 

• Alaska: 266 

• South Dakota: 268 

• West Virginia: 268 

• California: 269 

• Virginia: 271 

• Maryland: 272 

• New Jersey: 274 

• Ohio: 275 

• Massachusetts: 278 

• New Mexico: 284 

• Arkansas: 290 

• Missouri: 299 

• New York: 300 

• Oklahoma: 301 

• Georgia: 308 

• Texas: 308 

• North Carolina: 309 

• Kentucky: 310 

• Tennessee: 319 

• Alabama: 320 

• South Carolina: 327 

• Louisiana: 343 

• District of Columbia: 354 

• Mississippi: 363 

Are there plenty of fish? 

Dating can be a numbers game. The more available and interested people who live nearby, the better your chances may be. For older adults, that can mean living somewhere with more people in the same age group who are also single, whether they’ve never married, are divorced, or are widowed. 

For straight older adults, the balance of men and women in that age group may also matter. Women tend to live longer than men, so every state has more older women than older men. 

We considered three factors: the percentage of adults age 65 and older who are single, average life expectancy from birth, and the ratio of women to men. Hawaii ranked first overall in this category. California ranked second, followed by Nevada, New Mexico, and Washington.

South Carolina received the worst score in this category, followed by Tennessee and Mississippi. 

Affording a good time 

Dating can be expensive, especially when you’re trying to save money. The average American spends about $8,000 per year on food service, recreation, clothing, and other expenses that can be part of going on a date. 

To determine which states may give older daters the best chance of affording a good time, we ranked them by per capita spending on date-related items, the percentage of older adults living below the poverty line, and the share of older adults with more than $50,000 in household income. 

Utah ranked first across those three metrics, followed by Minnesota, Idaho, Maryland, and Delaware. Maine, Louisiana, and Kentucky made up the bottom three. It’s important to note that our analysis didn’t account for the COVID-19 pandemic because restrictions and guidelines for in-person interactions varied widely, even from one city to another.  

Finding the right person 

Everyone has a unique set of qualities they’re looking for in a partner. Having time to build a connection can be important, as can the health of potential partners and access to tools that make communication easier. These factors may influence whether a relationship can grow. 

To estimate where older adults may be most likely to find potential partners and build lasting relationships, we compared data on free time, meaning they weren’t working or expected to care for grandchildren, and the share of older adults with broadband internet at home. 

Based on those metrics, Idaho and Michigan tied for first place, followed by Wyoming, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin. At the other end of the rankings, Alaska and D.C. tied for last place. 

Conclusion 

Finding love at any age isn’t always easy, and dating as an older adult can bring added challenges. Still, this analysis shows that some states may offer older adults more opportunities to meet other singles, build a connection, and see where it goes.

About the data 

The information in this analysis came from several sources. 

Population data came from U.S. Census Bureau publications available through data.census.gov. Health data came from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and spending data came from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

For each of the 10 categories, every state received a numerical value based on its ranking among the other states. We added those values together and ranked the states so that lower scores indicated a better chance for older singles to find love. 

The following information came from the U.S. Census Bureau: 

• Percentage of older adults who are single 

• Ratio of women to men 

• Percentage of older adults with annual income below the poverty line 

• Percentage of older adults with annual household income over $50,000 

• Percentage of older adults whose grandchildren live in their home 

• Percentage of older adults with broadband access at home 

• Percentage of older adults in the labor force 

Finally, per capita spending figures for date-related items came from a custom query of the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis consumer spending database.