The Best City To Live In If You're A Single Woman

There are more than a few good reasons why moving to a new city would be the best decision you could make. A new environment means experiencing the exciting prospect of getting a better job if you don't have one lined up already. It's about learning to spread your wings, trying new things, and making new friends, particularly if you're a single woman looking for a fresh, more compelling, and potentially more financially lucrative start.

But moving to a new city doesn't just involve throwing darts at a map and figuring out the best place to be by chance, particularly since relocating can become a painful experience if it hasn't been properly thought out. It involves assessing important factors such as the cost of living, your commute, healthcare quality, lifestyle, and personal safety. And with those factors in mind, we believe Washington, DC is the best place to live if you're a single woman, per Money Inc.

We could tell you that Washington, DC is one of the safest cities in the country, but don't take our word for it. According to The Economist Intelligence Unit's Safe Cities Index of 2019, Washington DC is one of the top ten safest cities in the world and the only one to make the list in the United States, per U.S. News and World Report. The Washington Post further says the nation's capital scored higher than other U.S. cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, for important factors such as personal safety, which The Economist Intelligence Unit defined as a single woman's exposure to crime, violence, natural disasters, and more.

Washington DC's rating is all the more impressive because, as The Washington Post points out, it was called "The Murder Capital of the United States" just three decades before. Today, the city scores high in digital security, health safety, and disaster risk, per Safe Cities Index 2019.

If you're a single woman looking to boost your career, MagnifyMoney presents data supporting the idea that Washington, DC, could be your best bet, and the numbers speak for themselves. Nearly 70% of women working in the nation's capital are said to have received a college-level education, even as just that average percentage across the United States sits at just over 55% — which augers well for a woman's prospects to enter a management position. The city's unemployment rate for women currently sits at 4.6%; the number of businesses owned by women entrepreneurs is at 24%, while the earnings gap between men and women is at 16.5%, which means women earn just under 84% when compared to men, per WTOP News. 

Other factors fuel the success of the women in DC's workforce, including health care, child care, and workplace protections, per WTOP. Regarding parental and pregnancy workspace protection, Washington, DC, only ranks second to Denver, Colorado and equal to San Francisco, which may not be important to single women at the outset. Still, it will be an important factor to consider if you wish to start a family, and it also matters if the single woman is a single mother looking to make a fresh start.

In 2012, The Washington Post reported on a survey that found Washington DC's single women were "the happiest" in the country, and the reason doesn't appear to have changed too much, even a decade later. This is because, even though DC is seen to have a shortage of single, eligible men, there are more women than men in DC by a factor of 53 to 47, per WAMU. And that pool isn't static either because, as anthropologist and Match's chief scientific adviser Helen Fisher Ph.D. points out, "Unlike other cities, Washington has people coming and going with each administration. So women have a continually renewed source of men," per The Washington Post. 

Not only that, per DC Health Matters, a majority of those living in DC are between the ages of 25 to 44, making it an excellent place to make new friends, particularly since meetup groups with specific interests that include photography, food, movies, the outdoors, as well as a fitness social group (that can break up the monotony and grind of work) abound. We're pretty confident one of those groups will lead to friendships, companionships, and possibly more.

Besides having access to a non-static dating pool, we think it certainly helps boost the happiness factor that DC has an exciting nightlife scene with a little bit of everything. As Rent points out, urban renewal programs have turned older sections of DC into vibrant areas where single women can live, shop, and have fun. Singles who are drawn to more buzz might want to live in the Chinatown area, which is home to many Asian restaurants and is a stone's throw away from the home stadium of the Washington Wizards basketball team. 

To the northwest is Georgetown, an area rich with history, beautiful homes, as well as trendy, upscale bars and restaurants. Those looking for a more trendy neighborhood might take to U Street and Shaw Corridor, while Dupont Circle is the place to go if you want to be close to embassies and art galleries, per Rent. Then there is the Navy Yard, which Rent positions as a trendy spot for singles. And if you're looking for a good dining experience, DC also offers up to 24 Michelin-starred restaurants, all catering to different cuisines and presenting different dining experiences, per Modern Luxury DC.

Newcomers to Washington DC will be welcomed by the sheer number of artwork and attractions which celebrate the life and achievements of America's most inspiring and remarkable women. Per Washington DC, the National Gallery is home to remarkable portraits of former First Lady Michelle Obama, women's rights trailblazer Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and writer Julia Ward Howe. There is also an iconic portrait called "The Four Justices," honoring Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sandra Day O'Connor, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan.

Outside of the National Gallery, single women looking to make a difference may also get inspiration from statues of trailblazers like civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune as well as one showing the nurses that cared for those that fought in the war in Vietnam. Other exhibits that laud the accomplishments of America's women throughout history include The Daughters of the American Revolution Museum & Archives and dedicated exhibits within the Smithsonian Museum.