The best small city in the U.S. for finding a partner online is Macon in Georgia, according to exclusive data given to TravelMag.com by the online dating app Tinder.
Tattnall Square Park Fountain in Macon (Photo: Stephen Rahn via Flickr / CC0 1.0)
While the Internet has removed geographical barriers when it comes to communicating with others, the reality is that meeting Mr or Ms Right – and then making the relationship work – is made a whole lot easier if you live close by. That’s where Tinder’s data on the highest match right rates across U.S. small cities comes in handy.
Using data presented exclusively by Tinder to TravelMag.com, we can reveal the best small cities in the United States for dating, based on the number of people who have both swiped right on each other’s profiles – in other words, the portion of ‘likes’ sent to ‘likes’ received (also known as the Match Right Rate). For the purpose of compiling the data, only cities with populations of between 50,000 and 200,000 were taken into account.
Top of the rankings, according to the data, is the city of Macon in Georgia, where an impressive 13.73% of Tinder users liked the look of each other’s digital profiles enough to both swipe right. Situated in central Georgia, the city’s rich musical heritage and distinct Southern charm provides the perfect backdrop for blossoming relationships for its population of 157,000 residents.
The city with the second highest number of compatible prospective partners is Casper in Wyoming, where, presumably, there is little risk of being ghosted (get it?). Here, the Match Right Rate (MRR) is 11.15%. With a population of under 60,000, this is an eye-catching hit rate for anyone planning to dip their toe in the city’s online dating scene.
In third place is Billings in Montana, a city with a population of around 117,000 and an MMR of 10.03% for its Tinder users, based on the recorded data. Indeed, with three cities in the top 20, Montana is the best-represented state on our list below. Along with Billings, the other Montana cities featured are Great Falls in 14th place (8.27% MRR) and Missoula in 19th place (8.01% MRR).
Top 20:
1. Macon, Georgia (13.73% MMR)
2. Casper, Wyoming (11.15% MMR)
3. Billings, Montana (10.03% MMR)
4. Shreveport, Louisiana (9.64% MMR)
5. Flagstaff, Arizona (9.07% MMR)
6. Jonesboro, Arkansas (8.87% MMR)
7. Rapid City, South Dakota (8.45% MMR)
8. Muncie, Indiana (8.44% MMR)
9. Grand Junction, Colorado (8.43% MMR)
10. Jackson, Mississippi (8.35% MMR)
11. Jackson, New Jersey (8.35% MMR)
12. Jackson, Tennessee (8.35% MMR)
13. Bismarck, North Dakota (8.34% MMR)
14. Great Falls, Montana (8.27% MMR)
15. Dothan, Alabama (8.26% MMR)
16. Tuscaloosa, Alabama (8.15% MMR)
17. Saint George, Utah (8.15% MMR)
18. Chapel Hill, North Carolina (8.06% MMR)
19. Missoula, Montana (8.01% MMR)
20. Amarillo, Texas (7.89% MMR)