Nearly half of Virginia residents age 15 and older are single, including people who have never been married or those who are divorced or widowed. That amounts to more than 3.3 million people across the Commonwealth. The single population has been on the rise as young adults have been getting married later and older adults have been more likely to divorce.  At the same time, new research suggests that singles today are happier and healthier than they have ever been. Despite these trends, surveys indicate that most Americans remain very positive about marriage, and the majority of all age groups are either married or say they want to be married one day.

So, whether someone is on the lookout for a future spouse or just wants to enjoy the single life this Valentine’s Day, there are some places in Virginia that may be better for finding a soulmate or like-minded single friends.

Where are the single people in Virginia?

Not surprisingly, college towns tend to have the most singles, but that is not universally true.  According to 2018 Census data, the City of Lexington holds the top spot as a singles mecca in Virginia, where 78% of the population is unmarried. The presence of the Virginia Military Institute definitely influences those numbers, which is evidenced by the fact that single men outnumber single women by 1.5 to 1. In the City of Radford, 76% of the population is single, due in large part to the proximity of Virginia Tech. The City of Williamsburg ranks #3, with a population that is 74% single, again driven by the proximity of a local college (William & Mary).

Outside of the traditional Virginia college towns (Harrisonburg and Charlottesville also land in the Top 10), both the cities of Richmond (70% single) and Petersburg (69% single) are hot spots for singles. Rounding out the Top 10 list are Prince Edward County (64% single) and the City of Emporia (63%), places that tend to have more older seniors.

And where is the share of singles lowest? It’s in Highland County, where just 35% of the population is unmarried.

If you want to see where your city or county ranks, check out the full list.

And, if you really want to get in the mood for Valentine’s Day…

You might want to check out Valentines, Virginia, an unincorporated town in Brunswick County, about 100 miles southwest of Norfolk. With an estimated population of under 600, Valentines (or zip code 23887) had just one home sale in 2019. But in Brunswick County, there were 32 homes sold in 2019 at an average price of $208,500.