America’s best cities for singles

5. Las Vegas

Clearly it doesn’t matter that survey-takers rated Vegas’s locals as not terribly attractive (they rank 19th), friendly (24th), or smart (dead last). After all, this is Vegas, which rates No. 2 for wild weekends and tells visitors they’re allowed to keep their Sin City secrets to themselves.

6. Chicago

The Windy City bar scene may be bustling thanks to its young workforce, or just because everyone’s out looking for a nightcap after chowing down. Chicago ranks second for big-name restaurants, third for ethnic dining, and fourth for neighborhood joints.

7. Nashville

Despite the city’s twangy history, singles here aren’t crying into their beers: they rank No. 1 in friendliness and No. 9 in looks. Stroll Broadway or the rest of downtown and you’ll see tomorrow’s Taylor Swifts (and a bunch of other types too) polishing their acts on street corners and in pizza joints—so it’s also no surprise that Nashville ranks second in live music.

8. Houston

Adieu, mechanical bull. Houston has come a long way since its Urban Cowboy days. Clearly it’s also attracting singles, and survey-takers also gave the city a top-10 ranking for cocktails and stylish, attractive locals.

9. San Francisco

The locals are stylish and diverse, and they’re not hard on the eyes either (No. 11 in attractiveness). Pub-crawling is easy, too—San Fran ranks fourth in the survey as being pedestrian-friendly. Just bring your plastic: the City by the Bay is pricey (No. 27 in affordability).

10. Providence

The Rhode Island capital ranks eighth for its cocktail hour, but you might do better mingling with the singles if you pull up a stool at a neighborhood joint (the city ranks second in that category) or a cozy coffee bar (sixth).