Austin, Texas Emerge As Hotbeds For Romance, Studies Say

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Austin love-struck residents: You're in the right place for romance. If a pair of recent studies is to be believed, the capital city in particular and the state in general is among the best for the unattached hoping to be coupled — third best state for for singles and 15th best city in which to celebrate Valentine's Day.

In a statewide study by the personal finance website WalletHub, 2019's Best & Worst States for Singles, researchers compared all 50 states across 28 key indicators of dating friendliness. The upshot: Texas had a strong showing in the third-ranked slot, behind those two hotbeds for romance, Florida and California. Rounding out the top five list were, in descending order, New York and Pennsylvania.

Here are some key takeaways from the study as it relates to dating in Texas:

• 30th in terms of the percentage of available single adults.
• 13th for mobile dating opportunities.
• 14th in median annual household income (adjusted for cost of living) because, as we know, dating can be expensive.
• 1st in restaurants per capita.
• 1st in movie theaters per capita.
• 12th ranked in average beer and wine price.

For the full report, click here. Here's a video summary:

Let's zero in on Austin, shall we? With Valentine's Day just around the corner, WalletHub also conducted another study, 2019's Best Places for Valentine’s Day, with Austin making a respectable showing in the 15th slot. To achieve its list, WalletHub compared 100 of the largest U.S. cities across 25 key metrics, ranging from florists per capita to forecast precipitation to cost of a three-course meal for two.

Related story: Austin Valentine's Day 2019 Guide

We're unsure if the "forecast precipitation" factor was viewed positively or negatively, but have you ever noticed how often romantic movies accentuate the height of a romantic moment between love-struck, rain-soaked protagonists by having both kiss passionately amid a rain storm? Yeah, the rain can put a damper on scheduled appointments. But, if that old Hollywood cinematic trope is to be believed, it can also promote passion.

Think about it: When Harry Met Sally. The Notebook. Il Postino. Breakfast at Tiffany's. Call it romantic rain. The list is seemingly endless. But we digress.

Here are some key highlights on celebrating Valentine's Day in Austin per WalletHub:

• 11th ranked in terms of average ticket price for a Valentine's Day Party. Cost data is adjusted for the median household in each city.
• 34th in terms of cost for a three-course meal for two. The same cost-of-living consideration was used to assess this category.
• 22nd for restaurants per capita.
• 16th for the number of attractions.
• 17th for average movie ticket price, also adjusted per household cost data.
• 21st as it relates to jewelry stores per capita.
• 31st for florists per capita.
• 14th as per average beverage price, adjusted for household median cost data.
• 18th ranked for greeting card stores and gift shops per capita.

Austin ranked the highest among Texas cities among the best places for Valentine's Day. Houston followed closely in the 19th slot while Dallas, Plano and San Antonio took the 21st through 23rd rankings, respectively. Texas doesn't reemerge on the list until Fort Worth makes an appearance in the 56th position.

So how did other cities elsewhere in the country fare on the romance list per WalletHub? For true romance, you'd have to live in San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas, San Diego (Calif.) or Honolulu, which ranked as the top five cities in descending order. If, like Lady Gaga, you're hankering for some bad romance, head to Toledo, OH; San Bernardino, CA; Newark, NJ; Detroit; or Hialeah, FL. Those are the five cellar dwellers among the best cities for Valentine's Day.

Here are some key overall stats derived from the study, just for grins and giggles:

• 46% of people would break up with their significant other if he or she spent irresponsibly.
• Women are 33% more likely than men to spend $0 on a Valentine’s Day gift. Men are two times more likely than women to spend over $100.
• Men are over three times more likely than women to think a Valentine’s Day gift is worth going into credit card debt for.
• 4 in 10 people say irresponsible spending is a bigger turnoff than bad breath.
• 53% of people would not marry someone with bad credit.

Also interesting are some Valentine's Day facts the website compiled.

• $20.7B: Total Valentine’s Day spending projected for 2019 ($161.96 per person celebrating).
• $196 vs. $100: Men spent nearly twice as much as women, on average, for Valentine’s Day 2018.
• $7.6 Billion: Amount Americans will spend on jewelry ($3.9B), flowers ($1.9B) and candy ($1.8B).
• 9 Million: Number of marriage proposals made each Valentine’s Day.

Read the full study here. And get out there and live, laugh and above all, love.

For added inspiration, we just wanted to throw out this oldie but goodie to get those fires burning. It seems appropriate to do so. Enjoy:

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