Top 10 Cities for Single Women

See how this list compares to 2013's top 5 cities for single women.

Back in early May, I wrote about the Top 10 Cities for Single Men based on housing data and other research provided by Rent.com.

We learned that single men own more often than they rent, are willing to pay more for convenience, and are (shocking!) less likely to manage their own household chores. We also learned that Texas, the East Coast and warmer climates like Miami, New Orleans and Los Angeles beckon the unmarried male renter.

Of course this begs the obvious question: What about all the single ladies? What are they looking for when it comes to selecting a city to call home? What kinds of housing stock attracts independent women?

To find the answers to these questions, Rent.com recently surveyed single U.S. female renters and homeowners to better understand their habits and attitudes toward their bachelorette pads. Here's what they learned:

• Forget about the Sex and the City stereotype of the urban single woman on the continuous manhunt. A mere 17 percent of female renters desire unattached men as neighbors. 25 percent of respondents would prefer to have a cat or dog next door in favor of a date-seeking male. This stands in contrast to the 45 percent of male renters who desire proximity to unmarried women. Sorry guys.
• More than a third of all single women rent. 36 percent of single women are renters, 54 percent own their homes, and another 10 percent live with friends or family for free (mostly recent college grads under the age of 25). And those women who live independently don't want to share their space! Only 9 percent of unattached females choose living quarters with a roommate.
• Single women are thrifty. 57 percent of those surveyed listed home value or apartment affordability as their top priorities.

What do these statistics say about the modern single lady and her motivations when entering the housing market?
According to Christina Aragon, Director of Strategy & Consumer Insights at Rent.com, "In today's society, women are choosing to get married later in life, pursuing higher degrees and continuing to close the salary gap. Never-married women are also now earning 94 percent of what their single male counterparts are earning, which has increased over the years. Because women are delaying marriage and starting families later in life, they are also therefore living alone for longer periods of time."

So which urban areas present that perfect package of professional opportunity, social engagement and hot date potential that appeals to the modern single woman? Check out these Top 10 Cities for Single Women:

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[beckymOnster]

as single lady in NYC, I can say that this city is great for single women..who want to stay single..honestly, we outnumber single (straight) men by 200,000+, the odds are not in the favor of those who want to settle down. This list paints a overly idealized picture of what the lifestyles are like, as a majority of women do NOT live the SATC life.

[Francee1679]

Vegas, L.A., DC? These may be great places --on paper --for single women, but these all seem like places where men flock to PLAY (date), not settle down. I live in Washington DC and it's full of too many women already. I hand it to you -- it's a great place for a woman to make a way for herself, be independent, focus on her career, and go on lots of first dates. But if it is true that there's a decent number of single men here, they are largely unavailable because they are either homosexual, are only here for the current administration (4-year term. 8 if you're lucky), or are too focused on their career to be available for a relationship. The rest are already married. And yes, the divorce rate is low because by the time you've stuck with your husband through the political ranks or his corporate career moves, you're not interested in divorcing him after he cheats with prostitutes...but he's earned enough money to throw at you to keep you happy.

[Sportsnutim1]

I am a single guy 49 and after 24 years of marriage. Lived in Washington State and found there wasn't very many single women unless you are a younger college student. I moved to Boise, and it seems to be the same, most the women are either married or have significant other. I am tired of the west coast. Time to find a place back east or the southeast where they're are more women and a change of scenery.

[LA-Dude]

I am a male living in L.A., and when I first began dating here, I felt that women were sizing me up for the size of my wallet rather than my personality or emotional IQ.

I moved to L.A. from Chicago. When I first arrived in Chicago, I literally had a date with a different woman every night for two weeks...it was serial dater's paradise! I decided it was time to slow down when I had just knocked on a date's door, and realized I had no idea what her name was!

I think L.A. is a great place to date if you have an expensive car, nice house, are in the entertainment business, or if you are a poser. I am none of those things, and dating has been rough. Oh, the memories of those sweet Chicago nights!

[carlynul]

I live in L.A. and I can tell you that, no matter what rent.com or any statistics say, L.A. is hands down the worst city in the U.S. for single women. This is not just a personal opinion, but the opinion of every woman I have ever met in this city. Though there may be a good ratio of single men vs women in this city, I can assure you it is because L.A. is full of men and women with the maturity level of an 18 year old. Even men in their mid 30s-40s still run around trying to be a "player," dating younger and younger girls every chance they get, discarding them, and moving onto the next one. Even as an educated woman at 30 y.o., it is nearly impossible to find a man looking for something real when they constantly have their hands in the cookie jar of 22 year old, impressionable, "easy" girls. So, if you're looking for a good time, then yes, L.A. is an awesome city. It's a singles playground. But in NO WAY is it a good city for a single woman to meet a man. If you doubt me, please...take a poll.