Whether you’re looking for love or loving single life, these are the best places to live in if you’re single.
Maybe you're happily single or maybe you're ready to mingle. In any case, we know that living alone can be exciting and freeing - but can also feel lonely at times.
So whether you’re ready to fall in love or still enjoying the single life, we’re here to help.
We performed an in-depth analysis of mortgage affordability, the percentage of single-person households in a particular location and the number of places suitable for a date to identify the best places to live if you’re single.
Where to move to find love
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The best place for single home-hunters is Liverpool, according to our data. A one-bedroom home in the city will cost around £94,000 and the average monthly mortgage is around £341.
Almost one in five people aged 24-49 are single in Liverpool, so you have a good chance of finding that special someone when you’re ready. Going on a date is also easier here, with an average of three restaurants, pubs or clubs per 1,000 people.
Aberdeen comes in second in our list of single buyer hotspots. With an average asking price of £73,000 for a one-bedroom home and monthly earnings of around £2,597, it is one of the more affordable places to find love.
If you’re in Scotland or Wales, then the capital cities of Edinburgh and Cardiff are also a good bet for meeting that special someone, with the cities making it to numbers three and four in our list.
Top 10 cities for single first-time buyers
|
Rank |
City |
Avg asking price 1 bed |
% of 24-49 living in a one-person household |
Restaurants, pubs, clubs, per 1,000 people |
|
1 |
Liverpool |
£94,000 |
18.3% |
3.0 |
|
2 |
Aberdeen |
£73,000 |
20.0% |
2.6 |
|
3 |
Edinburgh |
£145,000 |
20.0% |
3.9 |
|
4 |
Cardiff |
£100,000 |
13.5% |
3.0 |
|
5 |
Newcastle upon Tyne |
£108,000 |
12.1% |
3.7 |
|
6 |
Hull |
£80,000 |
15.7% |
2.7 |
|
7 |
Sheffield |
£75,000 |
11.8% |
2.6 |
|
8 |
Swansea |
£100,000 |
13.3% |
2.4 |
|
9 |
Leeds |
£120,000 |
13.6% |
2.7 |
|
10 |
Norwich |
£149,000 |
16.4% |
3.5 |
Best places for romance in each region
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Bristol might be a good place to start for those looking to find love in the South West while those in the North East might enjoy finding a place in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Sheffield ranks highest for singletons in Yorkshire and Norwich tops the list in the East of England.
Finally, those seeking romance in the South West should consider Portsmouth, those looking to date in the East Midlands might fancy settling in Nottingham and those in the West Midlands should turn their eyes and hearts towards Coventry.
Best cities for single first-time buyers by region
|
Region |
Best location |
Avg asking price 1 bed |
% of 24-49 living in one-person household |
Restaurants, pubs, clubs, per 1,000 people |
|
South West |
Bristol |
£190,000 |
13.4% |
3.5 |
|
North East |
Newcastle upon Tyne |
£108,000 |
12.1% |
3.7 |
|
Yorkshire and the Humber |
Sheffield |
£75,000 |
11.8% |
2.6 |
|
Scotland |
Aberdeen |
£73,000 |
20.0% |
2.6 |
|
Wales |
Cardiff |
£100,000 |
13.5% |
3.0 |
|
East of England |
Norwich |
£149,000 |
16.4% |
3.5 |
|
South East |
Portsmouth |
£130,000 |
11.3% |
3.3 |
|
East Midlands |
Nottingham |
£100,000 |
15.0% |
2.4 |
|
North West |
Liverpool |
£94,000 |
18.3% |
3.0 |
|
London |
Richmond upon Thames |
£309,400 |
12.4% |
5.1 |
|
West Midlands |
Coventry |
£105,000 |
11.4% |
1.6 |
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Londoners seeking love should spend some time in Richmond upon Thames or Islington. For more affordable options, Bromley provides a better mortgage-earnings ratio, while still home to a high percentage of single people.
Top five London Boroughs for single first-time buyers
|
Rank |
City |
Avg asking price 1 bed |
% of 24-49 living in one-person household |
Restaurants, pubs, clubs, per 1,000 people |
|
1 |
Richmond upon Thames |
£364,000 |
12.4% |
5.1 |
|
2 |
Islington |
£450,000 |
17.6% |
7.5 |
|
3 |
Bromley |
£275,000 |
12.6% |
2.7 |
|
4 |
Lambeth |
£350,000 |
15.4% |
4.6 |
|
5 |
Lewisham |
£313,000 |
15.4% |
3.3 |
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