We know that Columbia is good for families, but how do the singles there fare in the dating scene? According to a new study from WalletHub, not so well.
Columbia ranked 179th out of 182 cities on a list of the best cities for singles, based on indicators such as economics, dating opportunities and fun and recreation that added up to an overall dating-friendliness score. Columbia’s score came out to a whopping 39.93 — the highest ranked city of Atlanta had a score of 63.81.
So if you’re a single in Columbia who’s endlessly swiping left and going on dates that seem to lead nowhere, there may be a reason for that.
The rankings have gained attention since The New York Times reported on the findings, and Redditors are sharing their collective agreement and vindication that Columbia ranked low.
One user commented that the ranking makes sense because Columbia, Howard County’s most populous community, is a place where many people settle down after they’re no longer single.
Columbia does attract families, but the 20- to 30-year-olds don’t seem to have a niche. As The Baltimore Banner reported earlier this year, some young professionals are taking matters into their own hands to fix that by organizing events and gatherings.
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Joe Zerafa, who is 31 and has lived in Columbia for about a decade, started Columbia Social, a local organization that builds connections among the planned community’s young professionals.
He didn’t create the group for dating purposes, he said, but to help young professionals avoid the isolation that he felt in his initial years in Columbia as a recent college graduate.
Many young people in Columbia told The Banner they don’t have a space to socialize in, and that sentiment seemed to resonate with other Reddit users.
One commenter wrote — and use your best Stefon voice as played by Bill Hader when he was on “Saturday Night Live” — that “Columbia’s hottest new nightclub is … COSTCO!”
Dannika Rynes, a spokesperson for the Columbia Association, the nonprofit corporation that manages the planned community of more than 100,000 residents, said Columbia is not typically in the bottom of national rankings like this one, so this caught her attention.
“Recognizing a larger trend of young adults not engaging as much as other groups, we are actively working to better serve those individuals,” she said. “We’d love it if our running on our pathways, coming out for free Lakefront programming, participating in our fitness classes or any other CA opportunity led to more matches for these singles.”
Rynes said the nonprofit’s goals is to make sure that Columbia’s residents feel a sense of belonging. “It all starts with connection, and that’s what we’re all about.”
While Columbia didn’t rank so well, Baltimore didn’t do much better — it’s ranked 127.
So to all the Maryland singles looking for love out there, good luck!
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