18 Interesting Stats About Singles and Dating in America

By Nicole Yi
POPSUGAR Photography | Sisilia Piring
POPSUGAR Photography | Sisilia Piring

Match.com surveyed over 5,500 single people for its sixth annual Singles in America study to gauge the meaning of singlehood and dating today. Conducted by world-renowned biological anthropologist Dr. Helen Fisher and Assistant Professor of gender studies at Indiana University Dr. Justin R. Garcia, the comprehensive survey looked at a range of dating tendencies from Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump supporters to baby boomers vs. millennials. Participants from around the nation — who are of all ages, ethnicities, and incomes — offered some surprising statistics, as you'll see ahead. For example, the length of the first date can influence the chance of going on another, and going for sushi can up your chances of a second date by 170 percent! So before your next date, look to these 18 facts to know exactly what to expect and avoid.

  1. Ninety-three percent of online daters are more likely to want to marry.
  2. You're more likely to get a second date by 137 percent if cocktails are involved.
  3. Going on a sushi date will boost chances of date number two by 170 percent.
  4. Eighty percent of singles say that bringing up politics, money, and religion on a date is totally OK.
  5. Sixty percent prefer dates in the evening rather than in the afternoon (22 percent).
  6. Going on a date for two and a half hours is more likely to lead to a second one.
  7. At the end of a first date, only seven percent of women want to make out.
  8. Donald Trump supporters are 116 percent more likely to bring up their exes.
  9. Hillary Clinton supporters are 606 percent more likely to be gay and 43 percent are "actively looking for commitment."
  10. Libertarians are 110 percent more likely to have a ménage à trois.
  11. Baby boomers are 118 percent more likely to hit it and quit it on vacation.
  12. Millennials are 165 percent more likely to have recorded in the bedroom.
  13. Seventy-five percent of singles lost their virginity by age 21.
  14. Fifty percent have had six sexual partners or fewer.
  15. Forty-two percent of women would maintain friendships with an ex.
  16. Texting "LOL" or "Haha" can up your chances of scoring a second date by 255 percent.
  17. Women wait about seven days to hear from a date before deciding to move on, while men wait about 11.25 days.
  18. Forty percent of single women prefer younger guys to groom below the belt.