Single And Ready To Mingle? 16 Texas Cities Ranked in WalletHub’s 2025 Best and Worst Cities for Singles

Austin just picked up another bragging right for its growing list.

In a new WalletHub study on the Best and Worst Cities for Singles in 2025, the Texas capital ranks No. 6 in the nation, landing in the top tier for fun and dating opportunities. The report compares 182 U S cities across 35 indicators of dating friendliness, from the share of residents who are single to nightlife options and the average price of a simple two-person dinner.

Atlanta takes the top spot overall, followed by Las Vegas, Tampa, Seattle, and Denver. Austin is the only Texas city to crack the national top ten, but it is far from the only Lone Star city in the mix.

How Texas Cities Rank For Singles

Here is where Texas lands in WalletHub’s overall rankings

• Austin No. 6 overall, No. 16 for fun and recreation, No. 25 for dating opportunities, No. 118 for economics
• Houston No. 46 overall, No. 25 for fun, No. 101 for dating opportunities, No. 120 for economics
• Lubbock No. 52 overall, an impressive No. 3 for economics, but No. 138 for fun
• Corpus Christi No. 68 overall, No. 12 for economics
• San Antonio No. 73 overall, No. 45 for fun
• El Paso No. 83 overall, No. 33 for economics
• Dallas No. 88 overall, a strong No. 33 for fun and recreation, but No. 166 for economics and No. 94 for dating opportunities
• Amarillo No. 110 overall, No. 7 for economics
• Fort Worth No. 126 overall
• Irving No. 139 overall
• Arlington No. 144 overall
• Plano No. 150 overall, with one of the smallest shares of single residents in the country
• Laredo No. 163 overall, but No. 8 for economics
• Garland No. 171 overall
• Grand Prairie No. 177 overall
• Brownsville No. 182 overall, ranked last in the nation

Taken together, the list reads like a familiar Texas story. Many cities shine when it comes to affordability and cost of living, but lag when it comes to density of singles, nightlife, and built in opportunities to meet people.

Austin Leads On Vibes, Not On Costs

Austin stands out for its mix of fun and recreation and dating opportunities. The city ranks sixteenth in the country for fun, thanks to its high number of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, parks, and events, and twenty fifth for dating opportunities, which includes factors like the share of single residents and online dating activity.

Where Austin does not lead is on the economics side. WalletHub places the capital at No. 118 for economics, a reminder that enjoying the city’s music, food, and nightlife often comes with a higher price tag.

Still, for singles who love Texas and want a busy social calendar, Austin is clearly one of the best bets in the state.

Dallas Lands In The Middle Of The Pack

Dallas comes in at No. 88 overall, right in the middle of the national rankings. On paper, the city scores well for fun and recreation at No. 33 in the country, reflecting a strong mix of food, nightlife, sports, and cultural events.

Where Dallas drops is in the economics category, ranking No. 166, and in dating opportunities, at No. 94. WalletHub’s economics score looks at costs for dinner, drinks, movies, personal care, and housing relative to local income. Dating opportunities, meanwhile, factor in the number of single residents, gender balance, and online dating and search activity.

Anyone who has tried to grab dinner near Deep Ellum on a busy weekend or buy concert tickets at the last minute will probably not be surprised that Dallas feels fun but not cheap.

The Texas Tradeoff Options Or Affordability

Across the board, WalletHub’s rankings reveal a tradeoff for many Texas cities. Places like Lubbock, Laredo, Amarillo, and Corpus Christi perform very well in the economics category, with Lubbock ranked No. 3 in the nation for affordability, and Laredo at No. 8. Those cities offer relatively low prices on everything from restaurant meals to movie tickets and salon visits.

On the other hand, many of those same cities rank much lower when it comes to fun and recreation or dating opportunities, suggesting that while the cost of a night out may be low, there may not be as many built in options or large single populations to support an active dating scene.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo notes that the best cities for singles combine both sides of the equation. They have a large, gender balanced single population, a variety of day and night activities, and either reasonable prices for dates or incomes high enough to absorb the costs.

What WalletHub Measured

To build the rankings, WalletHub analyzed cities across three broad categories

• Economics including the cost of restaurant meals, drinks, movies, fitness clubs, party tickets, salon visits, housing affordability, income, job growth, and overall community well being
• Fun and recreation including attractions, restaurants, coffee and tea shops, parks, nightlife, shopping, spas, gyms, social clubs, music festivals, walkability, accessibility, weather, and safety
• Dating opportunities including the share of single residents, gender balance among singles, broadband and smartphone access, and Google search interest in Tinder

Each metric received a score on a one hundred point scale, and WalletHub calculated a weighted average to create the final rankings.

What It Means If You Are Single In Dallas

For singles in North Texas, the findings may feel familiar. Dallas offers plenty to do and no shortage of places to meet people, but building a dating life here often means planning around budgets for rent, brunch, and everything in between.

The WalletHub rankings are not the final word on anyone’s love life, of course. People find partners in every corner of Texas, from Brownsville to Amarillo and everywhere between.

Still, if you love Texas and you are single, the report suggests one clear takeaway. Austin currently tops the state for dating energy, while Dallas and other cities balance solid quality of life with mixed economics and dating opportunity scores. How that feels in real life depends on the person, their budget, and whether they prefer a packed bar on a Friday night or a quieter neighborhood patio.

For anyone considering a move or just curious about how their city compares, the full WalletHub study is available on the company’s website.