Here's where all the single people live

More than half of American adults are single for the first time since the government began collecting data in the mid-1970s.

Where are all these single men and women?

Thanks to City Lab and the Martin Prosperity Institute, we have some answers.

Rhode Island and Louisiana lead, with 55.7 percent of residents in both states identifying themselves as single.

Idaho and Utah, both relatively religious and socially conservative states where around 44 percent are single, rank last.

Overall, singles make up at least half the population in 27 states.

Gainesville, Florida, is the most “single-friendly” city, followed by Ithaca, New York, and College Station-Bryan, Texas.

No surprises there – all three are college towns.

Somewhat more surprising is that single people make up more than half the population in 45 of the 51 largest metropolitan areas.

New Orleans has the highest share of singles, followed by Memphis, Miami and Los Angeles. New York City ranks ninth.

Major metro areas like Chicago, San Francisco, Boston and Washington, D.C. were not among the top 10 cities.

The authors suggest that’s because these cities attract young people “who fall in the prime years for getting married and forming families.”

Emily DeRuy is a Washington, D.C.-based associate editor, covering education, reproductive rights, and inequality. A San Francisco native, she enjoys Giants baseball and misses Philz terribly.