Singles are on the prowl in Milwaukee

I have several friends who live in Milwaukee and who go on a date with someone new seemingly every night. This is either because they are the cream of the crop and highly dateable, they know where to look, or Milwaukee makes it easy for them.

As it turns out, Milwaukee was ranked No. 9 on this year's Forbes list of "Best Cities For Singles." And based on my friends’ dating success, I can’t say I’m too surprised by our position.

True, Milwaukee isn't as cosmopolitan as some of the other cities on the list, but it is cheap to live here with the average rent for a one-bedroom in the city costing around $800, which is one of the parameters for determining a good city for singles, according to Forbes. Also according to the study, another factor included Milwaukee’s nightlife, which is thriving. In fact, Milwaukee boasts more bars, clubs and restaurants per capita than any other city on the list, with the exception of Las Vegas (and Vegas ranked 22 out of 40). Milwaukee also had a fairly large number of singles looking for love on Match.com, supposedly another important factor used in determining "best" city for folks currently unattached.

According to Forbes, New York City is the United States’ epicenter for dating with 35,000 restaurants, 3,800 bars and 734 museums, and a large number of singles using dating sites to find love. Singles in Jacksonville, FL, on the other hand, are making due with what they have as they’re apparently a little less aggressive when it comes to dating, falling last on the list. Close competition with NYC includes, Boston, Chicago, Seattle and Washington D.C., which round out the top five best cities for singles.

Milwaukee beat out other Midwestern cities such as Minneapolis (19), St. Louis (23) and Detroit (34), along with some metropolises with cool reps like Las Vegas (22), Miami (29), Phoenix (30) and San Diego (12). Still, Milwaukee falls behind our neighbors in the Windy City – Chicago landed at No. 3.

To determine the best city for singles, Forbes ranked 40 of the largest continental U.S. metropolitan areas in several different categories, including cost of living alone, culture, job growth, online dating, nightlife and number of singles. Forbes also ranked the states based on coolness. To determine this, a market research company asked adults from across the U.S. to identify which city they thought is the coolest out of those listed. This seems rather ambiguous considering what’s cool to one person probably isn’t cool to another. For instance, I think Milwaukee is much cooler than Atlanta, which took the No. 6 spot on the list. I also think the Packers are cooler than the Bears (Chicago ranked above Milwaukee). Furthermore, I'm sure more people have been to NYC or Chicago than Milwaukee...

OK, so I'm a little bias.

Anyway, after determining the full methodology for figuring which cities are best for singles, each metro was assigned a ranking of 1 to 40 in each of the seven categories, based on quantitative data. All categories were weighted equally. The numbers were then totaled to determine the final rankings for each of the 40 cities. You can find the entire list of best cities for single by clicking here.

Of course, not everyone will agree with some of the measures used to draw these conclusions. For instance, the nightlife rating was determined by calculating the total restaurants, bars, and nightclubs per person. However, a report on the quantity of eateries in a metro area says nothing of their quality or attractiveness to the single population. As another example, only data from Match.comwas used to assess each city's online dating culture, a measurement which excludes many other online dating heavyweights. For a more detailed explanation of the scoring system, head over here.

Do you live in or near any of the cities on the Forbes Best Cities for Singles list? If so, how do you think your city stacks up? Do you think the measures used for this study – like the average cost of a movie ticket and six-pack of Heineken – can provide valid conclusions about which cities are best for singles? If not, what measures would you use?

So, whether it means embracing online dating sites or buying the next round of Miller at a local bar, evidently there are plenty of other like-minded people on the prowl for all you singles in Milwaukee.

Comments

[jon_hansen]

Yes, there is definitely something about Milwaukee in this respect. This morning I was dissecting a rat for our neuron culture at work, and a random girl wandered into our lab and professed her love for me (if you don't believe me, ask Eric; he was right there). So if even being wrist-deep in rat placenta can be an acceptable condition for singles to mingle in, then yes, Milwaukee's ranking is highly justified, if not underrated.

Or maybe I'm just so irresitable to women that nothing else matters:)

[Amanda]

Um... why can't I get a date then... *sigh*

[BTBMKE]

Jon Hansen. Crème de la crème.

You've just set the new standard, buddy.

[Milwaukee Dating]

If you are in your forties looking for love in Milwaukee, Great Expectations will fit your lifestyle perfectly! Milwaukee singles over 40 will discover that dating has never been so fun.