While I am a firm believer in destiny, destiny, and karma, not everyone is willing to rely on “the stars” to determine their future. You may have asked yourself, “What is my chance of finding a partner?” Well, there are several statistics to back up the answer to that question, and I have listed several of them below. You might be surprised by some of them, especially the number of people who use online dating.
1. 40 million Americans use online dating services. That’s about 40% of the single adult American population. It is no longer just a fad, and it could be your ticket to finding happiness.
2. 44% of the adult US population is single. That’s over 100 million people, so your odds are much better than you think.
3. On average, there are 86 single men for every 100 single women in the United States. So the odds are slightly in favor of men finding a partner. This ratio is slightly better in the Southwest, and in warmer climates like Texas, Florida, and California, the ratio in some cities actually favors women.
4. 50% of New York State adults are not married, making it the best state for single people. Washington, DC actually has a 70% flat rate, making it the best area (though not a state) for singles.
The states with the worst proportions are Idaho and Utah, with 40% and 41% single, respectively.
5. 51% of single people surveyed say flattery is the best way to attract someone. According to Are you normal about sex, love, and relationships? 25% also say that using physical contact as a form of flirting is very effective, and a surprising 23% say that the best way to let someone know that you are interested in him is the old schoolyard method of passing the voice through a friend.
6. Profiles with photos get twice as many responses. According to economists at MIT and the University of Chicago, profiles with photos receive more than twice as many emails as profiles without them. It seems like a good reason to go ahead and post that photo on your profile.
7. You have 15 minutes to make a first impression: if you are a woman, of course. If you are a man, you have a little more cushion. Women usually take about an hour to decide whether to go on a second date.
8. The # 1 relationship argument is about money – according to a survey by the University of Denver. So don’t feel too bad if you can’t agree on who will pay for the appointment. It is quite common and not exactly a prediction of things to come.
9. 48% of online relationship breakups occur through email. It may seem rude or insensitive, but this is the world we live in, especially in the context of an online relationship.
10. Only 2% of men find relationships from a bar stool. This number only goes up to 9% for women. So get off that stool and try your luck elsewhere, such as online or through a network of friends, where 63% of married couples claim to have found their matches, according to the book Sex in America: A Definitive Survey. by Robert T. Michael.