UK DATING REPORT 2020
Best and worst cities to be single
Finding love can be tough no matter where you live. The town you're living in could make all the difference. Whether it's a lack of affordable places to go out for a date or there simply aren't good people to date.
That's why we've looked at nine factors to try and determine the best and worst cities to find love in the UK.
This includes qualities of the population such as how happy, sexy and intelligent people living there are. Also, how much a date costs - cinema ticket, pint and meal for two. Finally, we looked at the cost of living on your own in the city.
The Ultimate Single City Chart
Top 5 Bottom 5
KEY: All scores and ranking values go from (1) best/most to (69) worst/least. Rank Town/City
Rank | City | Smart Score | Sexy Score | Happy Score | Pint Cost | Meal Cost | Cinema Cost | Average Salary | Average Rent | Rent as % of Salary | Overall Score |
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![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() |
65 | London | 1 | 69 | 43 | £5.00 | £60.00 | £13.00 | £31,114.00 | £1,654.00 | 5.32% | 57.53 |
66 | Brighton | 6 | 43 | 55 | £4.50 | £60.00 | £10.00 | £25,740.00 | £915.00 | 3.56% | 57.94 |
58 | Edinburgh | 9 | 47 | 46 | £4.00 | £60.00 | £9.00 | £26,187.00 | £839.00 | 3.20% | 53 |
67 | Manchester | 69 | 10 | 32 | £4.00 | £50.00 | £8.00 | £22,306.00 | £697.00 | 3.12% | 58.2 |
64 | Slough | 28 | 62 | 42 | £4.00 | £40.00 | £10.50 | £28,125.00 | £867.00 | 3.08% | 57.4 |
36 | Woking | 8 | 49 | 15 | £4.00 | £45.00 | £10.00 | £29,831.00 | £910.00 | 3.05% | 45.1 |
69 | Worthing | 58 | 37 | 33 | £3.25 | £47.00 | £13.50 | £23,491.00 | £712.00 | 3.03% | 61.44 |
45 | Leeds | 24 | 33 | 35 | £3.65 | £45.00 | £8.00 | £24,100.00 | £728.00 | 3.02% | 49.34 |
48 | Oxford | 4 | 39 | 40 | £4.00 | £50.00 | £10.00 | £25,886.00 | £758.00 | 2.93% | 50.24 |
52 | Watford | 21 | 63 | 4 | £3.90 | £60.00 | £11.50 | £27,729.00 | £800.00 | 2.89% | 50.61 |
59 | Colchester | 33 | 5 | 50 | £3.70 | £49.00 | £14.50 | £24,460.00 | £693.00 | 2.83% | 53.07 |
62 | Nottingham | 32 | 1 | 69 | £3.50 | £45.00 | £10.00 | £20,302.00 | £569.00 | 2.80% | 56.1 |
49 | Crawley | 36 | 36 | 1 | £4.00 | £48.00 | £12.00 | £23,856.00 | £664.00 | 2.78% | 50.37 |
60 | Basildon | 65 | 35 | 27 | £3.87 | £50.00 | £10.00 | £27,369.00 | £751.00 | 2.74% | 53.97 |
35 | York | 15 | 6 | 22 | £4.00 | £50.00 | £10.00 | £22,973.00 | £625.00 | 2.72% | 44.37 |
56 | Glasgow | 20 | 16 | 63 | £3.50 | £50.00 | £10.47 | £23,541.00 | £636.00 | 2.72% | 52 |
63 | Birmingham | 41 | 61 | 26 | £3.50 | £50.00 | £9.50 | £22,519.00 | £613.00 | 2.72% | 56.54 |
57 | Leicester | 39 | 51 | 19 | £3.50 | £45.00 | £8.80 | £20,753.00 | £561.00 | 2.70% | 52.37 |
42 | Milton Keynes | 23 | 20 | 52 | £3.25 | £50.00 | £12.00 | £28,702.00 | £766.00 | 2.67% | 48.03 |
22 | Exeter | 17 | 15 | 2 | £4.00 | £35.00 | £10.00 | £23,371.00 | £621.00 | 2.66% | 39.07 |
53 | Portsmouth | 40 | 66 | 17 | £3.50 | £51.00 | £5.00 | £23,241.00 | £617.00 | 2.65% | 51.2 |
33 | Chelmsford | 37 | 13 | 7 | £4.25 | £70.00 | £12.00 | £26,497.00 | £664.00 | 2.50% | 43.3 |
54 | Luton | 46 | 67 | 8 | £3.75 | £40.00 | £11.50 | £24,565.00 | £605.00 | 2.46% | 51.67 |
34 | Bristol | 11 | 9 | 57 | £4.50 | £50.00 | £10.00 | £25,958.00 | £637.00 | 2.45.% | 44.03 |
68 | Eastbourne | 55 | 55 | 41 | £5.00 | £49.37 | £12.00 | £23,368.00 | £572.00 | 2.45% | 60.27 |
20 | Cardiff | 14 | 44 | 29 | £3.50 | £40.00 | £6.00 | £24,958.00 | £598.00 | 2.40% | 39 |
61 | Lincoln | 57 | 3 | 56 | £3.50 | £57.50 | £12.00 | £21,223.00 | £508.00 | 2.39% | 54.73 |
25 | Basingstoke | 5 | 22 | 44 | £4.00 | £50.00 | £10.00 | £30,368.00 | £723.00 | 2.38% | 40.32 |
40 | Swansea | 34 | 27 | 53 | £3.65 | £50.00 | £7.00 | £23,019.00 | £546.00 | 2.37% | 46 |
28 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 2 | 32 | 67 | £3.50 | £40.00 | £8.00 | £23,502.00 | £545.00 | 2.34% | 41.24 |
30 | Blackburn | 31 | 64 | 6 | £2.10 | £45.50 | £5.50 | £21,152.00 | £492.00 | 2.32.% | 42.13 |
18 | Maidstone | 43 | 30 | 16 | £2.50 | £49.37 | £9.80 | £26,645.00 | £614.00 | 2.30.% | 38.94 |
4 | Reading | 13 | 18 | 10 | £3.00 | £45.00 | £10.00 | £28,039.00 | £641.00 | 2.29% | 30.24 |
24 | Bournemouth | 19 | 40 | 5 | £3.98 | £55.00 | £11.00 | £25,101.00 | £576.00 | 2.29% | 39.97 |
32 | Southampton | 25 | 12 | 49 | £4.00 | £50.00 | £11.25 | £24,298.00 | £555.00 | 2.28.% | 43.24 |
27 | Cambridge | 3 | 7 | 64 | £4.00 | £55.00 | £12.00 | £28,600.00 | £648.00 | 2.27% | 40.94 |
50 | Ipswich | 49 | 17 | 61 | £3.85 | £40.00 | £10.20 | £22,257.00 | £503.00 | 2.26% | 50.37 |
26 | Norwich | 44 | 2 | 38 | £4.28 | £60.00 | £8.50 | £23,364.00 | £525.00 | 2.25% | 40.4 |
13 | High Wycombe | 7 | 52 | 3 | £3.50 | £50.00 | £11.00 | £29,407.00 | £656.00 | 2.23% | 35.64 |
39 | Liverpool | 26 | 45 | 54 | £3.23 | £55.00 | £9.00 | £23,314.00 | £521.00 | 2.23% | 45.94 |
37 | Poole | 38 | 53 | 37 | £3.98 | £55.00 | £9.00 | £25,101.00 | £557.00 | 2.21% | 45.13 |
31 | Sheffield | 16 | 48 | 39 | £3.50 | £40.00 | £10.00 | £23,295.00 | £507.00 | 2.18.% | 42.47 |
38 | Southend-on-Sea | 52 | 59 | 25 | £3.65 | £50.00 | £10.00 | £27,087.00 | £592.00 | 2.18.% | 45.37 |
15 | Worcester | 42 | 24 | 11 | £3.25 | £40.00 | £10.15 | £23,633.00 | £504.00 | 2.13% | 36.04 |
9 | Cheltenham | 12 | 23 | 24 | £4.00 | £55.00 | £11.45 | £26,845.00 | £567.00 | 2.11% | 34.34 |
44 | Telford | 56 | 50 | 58 | £3.08 | £40.00 | £8.00 | £22,490.00 | £468.00 | 2.08% | 48.44 |
51 | Kingston upon Hull | 62 | 46 | 66 | £3.00 | £48.00 | £5.00 | £20,682.00 | £430.00 | 2.08% | 50.5 |
47 | Blackpool | 67 | 58 | 48 | £3.25 | £50.00 | £7.00 | £19,460.00 | £403.00 | 2.07% | 50.23 |
5 | Stockport | 18 | 8 | 51 | £3.00 | £40.00 | £9.00 | £25,829.00 | £534.00 | 2.06% | 30.24 |
17 | Coventry | 30 | 54 | 30 | £3.50 | £45.00 | £9.75 | £24,214.00 | £499.00 | 2.06% | 38.4 |
14 | Swindon | 51 | 14 | 20 | £3.50 | £55.00 | £12.00 | £26,917.00 | £549.00 | 2.04% | 35.77 |
21 | Peterborough | 53 | 19 | 23 | £3.25 | £50.00 | £10.00 | £22,847.00 | £466.00 | 2.04% | 39.04 |
7 | Solihull | 22 | 56 | 14 | £3.50 | £30.00 | £8.80 | £27,551.00 | £554.00 | 2.01.% | 30.46 |
8 | Northampton | 35 | 29 | 12 | £3.20 | £65.00 | £10.00 | £25,575.00 | £504.00 | 1.97% | 31.27 |
55 | Bradford | 63 | 68 | 31 | £3.00 | £40.00 | £9.00 | £21,900.00 | £427.00 | 1.95% | 51.8 |
11 | Newport | 48 | 26 | 34 | £3.38 | £40.00 | £8.50 | £23,470.00 | £453.00 | 1.93% | 34.8 |
12 | Plymouth | 50 | 21 | 13 | £4.00 | £60.00 | £7.50 | £21,662.00 | £419.00 | 1.93% | 35 |
23 | Bolton | 45 | 41 | 45 | £2.50 | £50.00 | £6.25 | £22,148.00 | £427.00 | 1.93% | 39.64 |
46 | Middlesbrough | 61 | 57 | 62 | £3.00 | £40.00 | £9.00 | £21,080.00 | £407.00 | 1.93% | 49.4 |
6 | Wigan | 59 | 11 | 9 | £3.15 | £45.00 | £8.25 | £22,888.00 | £440.00 | 1.92% | 30.37 |
10 | Gloucester | 54 | 25 | 28 | £3.10 | £50.00 | £10.00 | £24,492.00 | £454.00 | 1.85% | 34.74 |
19 | Doncaster | 68 | 4 | 65 | £3.25 | £45.00 | £8.00 | £22,639.00 | £418.00 | 1.85% | 38.94 |
41 | Sunderland | 64 | 60 | 60 | £3.25 | £45.00 | £8.00 | £21,665.00 | £401.00 | 1.85% | 47.27 |
43 | Wolverhampton | 66 | 65 | 59 | £3.08 | £40.00 | £9.25 | £22,212.00 | £401.00 | 1.80% | 48.07 |
16 | Dundee | 29 | 34 | 68 | £3.50 | £47.50 | £9.25 | £23,413.00 | £417.00 | 1.78% | 36.94 |
29 | Stoke-on-Trent | 60 | 31 | 36 | £3.00 | £60.00 | £7.50 | £22,143.00 | £389.00 | 1.76% | 41.57 |
1 | Aberdeen | 10 | 28 | 47 | £3.40 | £47.50 | £9.00 | £25,920.00 | £450.00 | 1.74% | 25.87 |
2 | Warrington | 27 | 38 | 18 | £3.40 | £50.00 | £10.00 | £25,177.00 | £438.00 | 1.74% | 27.83 |
3 | Derby | 47 | 42 | 21 | £3.50 | £47.50 | £9.00 | £25,808.00 | £418.00 | 1.62% | 28.33 |
Methodology
To begin with, we looked at UK towns and cities with a population of over 1,000. We then determined a normalised score from 1 to 69 for each factor. Finally, we combined these scores to reach the overall score out of 69 for each city. All factors were given the following weighting:
- Population Attributes (Happy, Sexy & Smart People – (50%)
- Date Costs (Cinema, Meal, Drink) – (30%)
- Living Costs (Salary & Rent) – (20%)
Happy Score
Estimates of personal well-being, taken from the Office for National Statistics’ Annual Population Survey (APS) (Oct 2019). Rating is from most (1) to least happy (69).
Sexy Score
Smart Score
Cost of One Cinema Ticket, Meal for Two & Pint of Beer
All costs are taken from crowd-sourced data from Numbero (Aug 2020).
Average Salary
The median annual salary for a full-time worker, taken from the Office for National Statistics’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Oct 2019).