The Best and Worst U.S. Cities for Dating Without a Car

It’s easy to overlook how important a car can be to everyday situations. Having a car is often necessary while dating, as it provides convenience and flexibility for transportation, allowing couples to explore new places, go on spontaneous adventures, and create memorable experiences together. Without this luxury, you’re limited in who you can date and what there is to do for a date based on your geographical proximity.

That’s why we wanted to know which U.S. cities are the best for carless daters. We analyzed 14 ranking factors, from walkability to ride-share accessibility, for the 50 largest U.S. cities. Read on to see what we found.

The 10 Best U.S. Cities for Dating Without a Car

According to our analysis, if you’re single and looking to ditch your car, you might want to consider moving to the West Coast. The top five cities for dating without your car are all located on the western side of the country, with three of the five being in the sunny state of California.

The #1 best city for dating without a car is Sacramento, California, with an impressive score of 71 out of 100. Sacramento ranks highly for walkable park access and number of sunny days in a year, making it the perfect spot for couples to plan a relaxing picnic or a simple stroll through the park for their next date.

Close behind is neighboring city San Francisco with a score of 66.5 out of 100. With the highest number (70.6) of restaurants that deliver per 100,000 residents of any city in this study, San Fran tops our list by offering carless daters the chance to plan a romantic dinner at home that they don’t even have to cook!

Rounding out the top three is star-studded Los Angeles. While often associated with high costs of living, the average ride-share fare is just $14.24 in Los Angeles, compared to the national average of $21.06. The city also scores high in the precipitation and sunshine categories, with its large number of sunny days.

But California isn’t the only state suited for carless daters. Eight states are represented in our top 10, meaning there’s something for everyone who’s not as fond of the car-reliant lifestyle.

For East Coast natives, Boston, Massachusetts, ranks as the #8 best city. A whopping 100% of the parks within city limits have walkable access points according to the Trust for Public Land, making Boston a great spot for nature lovers looking to change up the typical dinner date.

The 10 Worst U.S. Cities for Dating Without a Car

Of course, not all cities are designed for dating without a car.

While you have many great city options as a single in California, Riverside is not one of them. Riverside ranks as the worst city for carless daters with a score of 34.2. Riverside has a surprisingly low number of restaurants that deliver per 100,000 residents (7.1) and a low walk score of 43 out of 100.

Similarly, Cleveland, Ohio, ranks as the second worst city for dating without a car. In Cleveland, having a car is essential to navigate the city’s vast expanse and suburban areas, as public transportation options are limited, and a car provides the necessary flexibility and convenience to explore the city’s diverse neighborhoods, cultural attractions, and recreational destinations.

Rounding out the top three is Virginia Beach, Virginia. Virginia Beach has a high chance of precipitation, coupled with high costs for date night essentials. While we all dream of a romantic kiss in the rain, unexpected precipitation can really kill the mood when you’re stuck walking to and from your date location.

Full Data

Interested to see where your city stacks up? Click through our interactive table above to view our complete dataset.

Closing Thoughts

Overall, dating without a car is not only feasible but can also lead to unique and rewarding experiences. While having a car may offer convenience and flexibility, it’s not a requirement for successful dating.

It’s important to focus on the quality of time spent together rather than the mode of transportation. So, whether you choose to embrace the excitement of exploring a city on foot or embarking on public transit escapades, know that meaningful connections can be formed even without the keys to a car.

And when you’re ready to take those meaningful connections to the next level, Shane Co. offers a wide variety of engagement rings and wedding bands you can shop from the comfort of your own home, no car required!

Methodology

To find the best cities for dating without a car, we started with a list of the 50 most populated cities in the U.S. and ranked them 1 to 50 based on 14 factors that would be important to dating without a car. We broke those factors down into two categories: car replacements and date night costs. We then assigned weights to each factor depending on how important it would be to dating without a car. Based on those weights, each city we analyzed was given a score out of 100. You can find a full list of ranking factors, weights, and sources below.