Match.com Infographic: First Dates Across America
Contributed by: ElyseRomano on Sunday, May 19 2013 @ 11:11 am
Last modified on
A friend is about to embark on a journey to a brave new world. After years of serial monogamy, she is determined to enjoy singlehood. She's got a lot to look forward to...flirting in the park, first dates in coffee shops, late nights spent with good-looking strangers in bars...but she's nervous.
It's been a long time since she had a first date, and she isn't sure what she's in for. Match.com, on the other hand, knows exactly what she's in for. The site's latest infographic takes a look at first dates across America, checking in on what makes singles tick during that all-important first meeting.
Who went on the most first dates in 2012? That depends on how you're counting:
- By city, singles in Denver, CO (47%) came in first place.
- By gadget, singles with iPhones and tablets (45%) went on the most dates in 2012.
- By occupation, single journalists got their date on more than singles in any other profession (45%).
You might think most people are meeting at bars and nightclubs, but the reality is that few are finding their mates during nights on the town.
- Most people (22%) meet their dates through friends.
- A close second - 20% - find dates through online dating sites.
- Only 7% meet first dates at bars and clubs.
Singles are getting bolder these days. The Three Day Rule is becoming a thing of the past. 75% of single men and 50% of single women say they follow up with a date within 3 days. The bravest singles reside in Chicago and New York - 52% of singles in those cities say they initiated their last first date. Los Angeles came in second, with a close 51%.
Unsurprisingly, first dates in the 21st century are different than the first dates of yore. Now, 48% of women say they research a man before their first date and 47% expect to know his employment status by the time the first date is done. Ideas of what is and isn't appropriate on a first date have also evolved over time:
- 86% of singles find it appropriate to hold hands on the first date.
- 73% of singles find it appropriate to kiss on the first date.
- 66% of singles find it appropriate to cuddle on the first date.
- 22% of singles find it appropriate to have sex on the first date.
After the date, the majority of singles prefer to communicate over the phone (61%). Other popular methods of post-date communication are "In person" (15%) and "Text" (14%). Social networking sites may be all the rage right now, but only 1% think they're a good way to communicate after a date.
See the full size infographic here[*1] .