Where Is South Dakota on Best & Worst States for Singles List?

For those of us who remain happily single, this yearly report from the number-crunching eggheads at WalletHub is of little consequence. But I've got to give them credit for caring about the state of singles in the U.S., especially during a global pandemic.

Our COVID-19 health crisis has essentially restricted or even ended dating in-person opportunities for a substantial number of solitary men and women who wouldn't mind being a couple.

Of course, virtual dating has become a "thing" as online dating has risen in popularity. But WalletHub sees a time when we all will have the COVID-19 vaccine and singles seeking soulmates will venture bravely out into the world.

When they do, what are the things that may increase the odds of finding love? The usual, of course, include appearance, personality, employment, cost of living, a higher number of singles and location, location, location!

So where does South Dakota stand as a single-friendly state? Overall, South Dakota came in 34th. We scored very low in the "Dating Opportunities" category due to a low number of singles overall, an uneven ratio of women to men in the gender balance metric, and low participation in online dating.

South Dakota also scored low in the "Romance & Fun" category. This includes restaurants, fitness facilities, attractions (defined as nightlife options, movie theaters, museums, zoos, and cultural performances), access to bars, low crime rate, and more. I found the low score in this category kind of surprising, due to the fact that Sioux Falls is loaded with all of these, but again this is the whole state we're considering.

The one category where our state shone was the economic one, of course. Low unemployment rates, low entertainment costs, a high well-being index, and a low cost of living gave us an amazing 4th place finish in this area.

So, at least South Dakota singles can rejoice about the fact that if they find their one and only, it won't cost them an arm and a leg to romance them!

To see the complete study go to WalletHub.

Source: WalletHub