Survey: Tempe trumps Tucson for singles

And Peoria is the worst.

That’s the conclusion of WalletHub after looking at the things that make a community attractive to those without partners — and perhaps those looking for one.

The new report looks at two sets of factors:

One is strictly economics: The cost of romancing someone. That’s measured by things like the price of a typical meal, the cost of a six-pack of Heinekens and taxi fare.

Also factored in are the things to make someone date-worthy, like the bill for the beauty salon and how much it costs to belong to a fitness club.

And economics can make a city come out higher on the list.

Consider: Lincoln, Nebraska, ranked No. 5 overall based largely on the low cost of dating.

But the flip side? You’re in Lincoln. And that city ranked just 68th for the “romance and fun” part of the survey among the 150 communities rated.

Conversely, Atlanta topped the list of the most fun and romantic place to be as measured by things like nightlife options, parks and even the percentage of singles. But romance there comes at a price, literally, with that community listed among the least-affordable places for single to live and date at No. 132.

The rankings of Arizona communities show a similar mix of often-conflicting factors.

Gilbert, for example, is one of the more affordable communities for singles, rating second in the nation for affordable one-bedroom apartments as measured against income. And the city also scores at No. 2 among what the financial advice website calls “online dating opportunities” as measured by the percentage of households with broadband connections to the Internet.

But actually looking for love in Gilbert is hampered by the fact that just four out of every 10 residents is single. Only Fremont, California scored lower.

Tempe, by contrast, is No. 13 in the percentage of singles. And WalletHub also found the cost of a meal there to be among the lowest in the nation.

Tucson — No. 68 — got high rankings based on a finding that there are about an equal number of single men and women. And the community has a relatively high number of attractions on a per capita basis.

But median household income in Tucson is far below average, even when adjusted for the cost of living. And Tucson also was marked down for its property crimes.

Peoria’s poor overall ratings stem from the finding that, on a per capita basis, the city has fewer attractions than any of the other 149 communities examined.

It also has far fewer restaurants and cafes. And those were not offset by the city’s relatively low cost of a one-bedroom rating and low crime rate.