​Florida Cities Among Most Dangerous For Online Dating: Study

TAMPA, FL — Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and Miami are among the least safe cities in the country for online dating, according to a new study.

SafeWise and HighSpeedInternet.com joined forces to compile the list of 56 cities to see how they stacked up in terms related to online dating safety. Researchers from both groups analyzed the most recent FBI violent crime and cybercrime data to help compile the rankings. State-by-state sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and other factors were also taken into consideration.

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Collected data was adjusted for population to determine a safety score. These scores tell you the cities where you should feel safe meeting people and those where you may want to use extra caution.

When all was said and done, San Antonio, Texas, was named the safest in the country for online dating. New York City, Portland, San Jose and Oklahoma City rounded out the top five.

On the bottom end of the scale, Buffalo, New York, came in 56th-place out of the 56 cities ranked. Orlando was named the fourth most dangerous city with a total of 17,388 STD cases reported, 2,340 violent crimes and a population of 270,934. Tampa ranked 36th overall, putting it on the more dangerous end of the spectrum. Other ranked Florida cities were:

• Jacksonville – No. 39
• Miami – No. 46

SafeWise is an industry leader in home security, describing its mission as one committed to increasing safety education, awareness, and preparedness in American communities. HighSpeedInternet.com assists consumers make informed decisions when choosing an Internet service provider.

In its early stages, online dating was viewed as a last resort for the romantically desperate, researchers noted. Yet as people's lives became more integrated with the internet, dating websites and apps shook that stigma in making such interactions part of the mainstream, researchers added.

But online dating still has inherent risks attached to it that are often overlooked given the widened acceptance of online dating, researchers said. While caution should be exercised when meeting someone for the first time or even in chatting with someone new online, singles in some cities should be more cautious than others, researchers noted.

To see the full rankings, click here.

Patch’s Tony Cantu contributed to this story.

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