Top 10 Cities for Single Women
See how this list compares to 2013's .
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.
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:
1. Phoenix, Arizona
Plenty of sunshine, a low cost of living and the knowledge that 30 percent of the town's men are single come together to make Phoenix the top spot for the unattached woman, according to Rent.com.
2. Seattle, Washington
The birthplace of Starbucks has a lively music scene, natural beauty and the perfect brooding weather to complement that bad date. Bachelorettes come for an unemployment rate below the national average, but they might stay for the houseboats.
3. Austin, Texas
Rent.com describes the quirky Texas town as "the up-and-coming capital for creative singles." The outside-the-box social scene works to the female advantage since single men outnumber women.
4. Denver, Colorado
Mountains, a lively bar scene and Colorado Rockies baseball are attractive to sporty single women in search of an active lifestyle.
5. Washington, DC
Independent, powerful women need an environment which befits them. Rent.com points to a low divorce rate as another part of the city's appeal. A typical first date can include some combination of politics, history and the arts, making our nation's Capitol a beacon for for the unattached female.
6. Chicago, Illinois
The Windy City offers all the urban pleasures of New York City without the high rents and tiny apartments. Girl's night out can include sushi at Japonais Restaurant (where you might also run into Vince Vaughn) followed by an outdoor concert at Millennium Park.
7. Los Angeles, California
Endless sunshine, fabulous shopping and high-powered entertainment careers are among the draws of L.A. It's worth noting that single men and single women both place the city on their list of most desirable places to settle down.
8. Las Vegas, Nevada
The home of the Little White Wedding Chapel and hundreds of Elvis impersonators render Sin City worth a gamble for a large section of single ladies. Wedding potential aside, casinos, legendary shows and high profile nightclubs are also of interest to the unattached female.
9. New York, New York
Carrie Bradshaw and her friends demonstrated that you don't need a man to enjoy The Big Apple. The nation's most diverse city has something for every woman, including fast-paced careers in finance, publishing and the arts, among others. Whether single or dating, a typical evening can include a sumptuous meal, a Broadway show or a walk in Central Park.
10. San Jose, California
This might be the most surprising entry on the list, until you remember the eligible bachelors of Silicon Valley. What better place for an educated, cultured, successful lady to try and meet her match?
With the exception of New York and Chicago, I noticed that East Coast and Midwest cities are noticeably absent from the list of Top 10 cities. Christina Aragon offered the following insight:
"The cities chosen for this list each boast a high single male-to-female ratio, lively nightlife, low divorce rate and/or a low cost of living. These cities are ranked in order of those that have gained the greatest reputation for being havens to single women...Our research found that quite a few cities on the West Coast and within the Southwest region were great for single ladies because of the factors detailed," Rent.com's Christina Aragon noted.
Ladies, do you think these cities offer the best in bachelorette lifestyles? Was your town overlooked? Men, are you packing your bags for the West Coast and Southwest?
