Philadelphia, Pittsburgh Named Top Cities for Singles

The post-breakup blues lead people to do lots of things, from a new haircut to a new gym routine to… a new city?

Thirty percent of respondents in a recent Cinch study said they moved to a new city after a breakup, with 20% moving to a new state. For those looking for a new beau, two Pennsylvania cities made the list for the best cities for singles. Pittsburgh was named the ninth best, while Philadelphia was named tenth. In fact, the report found that more than half of Pittsburgh residents are single.

“Whether by way of vacation or relocation, we wanted to figure out where the top destinations are in the U.S. for singles looking for a change of scenery,” said Aditya Sachdeva, project manager at Cinch Home Services. “With large populations of singles, relatively favorable rents and rich historical scenery, we found that Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are among the most desirable U.S. metros this year.”

While living together in quarantine may have contributed to some breakups, respondents were more likely to move to a new city during the pandemic than pre-pandemic. More than 42% of respondents said they moved to a new town during the pandemic, compared to just 19.3% pre-COVID. Instead of looking for love in a new city, respondents had a new focus. Nearly half relocated for job opportunities, while 37.8% chose a new place based on cost of living and 33.5% moved to be closer to family.

For some newly single people, a trip was what they needed. More than half of respondents during the COVID-19 pandemic took a trip, compared to 40.7% pre-pandemic. Relaxation was the top goal of the trip, said nearly 70%, while 55% said distraction and 45% said activities and recreation and 27% said mingling opportunities. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said their travel helped them find what they were looking for. Maybe it was a new town to relocate to? Regardless, maybe some breakups will bring more residents to the commonwealth to see all we have to offer.