Enjoy sex like you used to
Written by Melissa Lavigne-Delville
The online dating market in the U.S. is projected to reach $3.17 billion in 2025 and has revolutionized how we meet potential partners—or has it?
While swiping left and right have become synonymous with dating culture among younger generations, a 2025 Hims study found that the vast majority of people, young and old, are meeting in real life (IRL).
82% of Americans Met Their Partners In Person, Not Digitally
82% of men and women in the U.S., ages 18-65, who report either being married or in a relationship, say they met in person, not on a dating app, online community, or through social media. Not surprisingly, Gen Zs were more likely than Millennials, Gen Xers, or Boomers to meet their match digitally, but still only 23% of 18-29-year-olds report having done so, meaning that 77% met their partner the old-fashioned way.
There were few significant differences between genders, with women slightly more likely to have met their partner through family and friends (16% of women vs. 13% of men), and men slightly more likely to have met their partner at a wedding or party (8% of men vs. 5% of women) or on a blind date (6% of men vs. 3% of women). Overall, women and men were equally likely to meet their match digitally (18% and 17%, respectively) and IRL (82% and 83% respectively).
Where Americans Met Their Significant Others
Gen Zs Are Looking For Love “In the Wild”
Gen Zs, despite their bad rap of always being glued to screens, are still largely meeting their partners in person vs. on the apps. While Gen Z adults reported a higher rate of meeting their partners digitally compared to other generations, many complain about the superficiality of swiping left and right, and the rapid-fire rejection that results from it.
According to our study, fewer than one-quarter of Gen Z adults (23%) met their partner through a dating app, social media, or online community. At a time when so much of their life has been digitized, from school to socialization, meeting someone at a park, bar, or library may feel novel.
Furthermore, there are so many fish in the digital sea that physical places are a good filter for finding love, and don’t include photos that have been filtered, or profiles that are embellished, or misleading.
Where To Find Love In Your City
For Gen Zs—and anyone looking for love IRL—sometimes the first question is where to go. Are sparks more likely to fly at a wedding, at work, or walking your dog at the park? The answer at first blush may be, “Who knows?” However, according to our study, where you live could determine where you are most likely to find that special someone.
For example, 17.5% of San Antonians say they met their partner at a bar or restaurant, nearly 3X that of the national average (7%). Ask to be set up in Miami–-40% say they met their match through friends and family, also nearly 3X the national average of 14%. In LA, it may be best to go to a dog park: Los Angeles residents were the most likely to find love in third spaces, like parks and gyms, than residents of any other city in the country. See the full list in our City Dating Guide below.
City Dating Guide: The Top Places To Meet a Match In Person
Q: Where did you meet your significant other?
Results reflect percentages of respondents who were married or in a relationship and reported having met their significant other at each location.
Friends & Family
14% of respondents overall
Work or a Work Event
10% of respondents overall
Bar or Restaurant
7% of respondents overall
Vacation or Traveling
6% of respondents overall
High School
6% of respondents overall
College or Graduate School
6% of respondents overall
Third Spaces (Cafe, Gym, Church, Park, Library)
6% of respondents overall
Wedding or Party
6% of respondents overall
Volunteering
5% of respondents overall
Blind Date
4% of respondents overall
My Building or Neighborhood
4% of respondents overall
Volunteering
3% of respondents overall
Randomly—I Just Saw Them
3% of respondents overall
Read up before getting down
- Miami, FL: 40%
- St. Louis, MO: 37%
- Sacramento, CA: 36.5%
- Kansas City, KS: 33%
- Las Vegas, NV: 33%
- Tampa, FL: 18.5%
- Denver, CO: 17%
- Oklahoma City, OK: 16%
- Los Angeles, CA: 16%
- Houston, TX: 14%
- San Antonio, TX: 17.5%
- Providence, RI: 13.5%
- Nashville, TN: 13%
- Minneapolis, MN: 12%
- Houston, TX: 12%
- San Diego, CA: 23%
- Indianapolis, IN: 14%
- Providence, RI: 11%
- Atlanta, GA: 10%
- Portland, OR: 10%
- Norfolk, VA: 14%
- Nashville, TN: 13%
- Salt Lake City, UT: 12%
- Charlotte, NC: 10.5%
- Memphis, TN: 10%
- Honolulu, HI: 13%
- Washington, D.C.: 12%
- Tampa, FL: 11%
- San Francisco, CA: 11%
- Cleveland, OH: 10%
- San Diego, CA: 13.5%
- Des Moines, IA: 12.5%
- Los Angeles, CA: 12%
- San Francisco, CA: 11%
- Charlotte, NC: 10.5%
- Miami, FL: 12%
- Chicago, IL: 12%
- Las Vegas, NV: 11%
- Denver, CO: 11%
- Indianapolis, IN: 10%
- New Orleans, LA: 12.5%
- San Diego, CA: 11.5%
- Austin, TX: 11%
- Pittsburg, PA: 9%
- San Francisco, CA: 9%
- New Orleans, LA: 12.5%
- Greenville, SC: 11%
- Phoenix, AZ: 10%
- Birmingham, AL: 10%
- Salt Lake City, UT: 9%
- Chicago, IL: 14%
- Orlando, FL: 13%
- Cleveland, OH: 12%
- Austin, TX: 11%
- Memphis, TN: 10%
- Greenville, SC: 11%
- Sacramento, CA: 8%
- San Francisco, CA: 8%
- Houston, TX: 7%
- Des Moines, IA: 7%
- Little Rock, AK: 9%
- New Haven, CT: 8%
- Cleveland, OH: 7%
- Detroit, MI: 7%
- Charlotte, NC: 7%
Tips to Be Ready For Love Wherever You Live
Whether it’s in person or online, the pressure of finding a partner can be overwhelming. In the meantime, it’s important to focus on self-care—both mental and physical—so you’ll feel confident and ready to connect when you meet someone you’re interested in. Here are a couple tips to get started.
- Prioritize your mental health. If life feels a little tougher lately (political disagreement, inflation, stress at work, the list goes on), you’re not alone. If you’re feeling burned out or depressed, practicing self-care can help you manage it. Focus on your physical health and staying active, things like going out for walks or playing sports with friends can be good for your physical health and your mental health. Dating with depression can feel more difficult, but supporting your mental health will help you be the best version of yourself when you do meet a potential partner.
- Address any medical conditions that may be affecting your dating life. If you’ve been dealing with things like low testosterone, erectile dysfunction, or premature ejaculation, the thought of being intimate with someone could be intimidating—but it doesn’t have to be. There are things you can do and treatments available to help you manage those conditions. Connect with a healthcare provider to address them so you can start feeling more confident in getting back out there.
- Put yourself out there. If you’re looking for a partner digitally, maybe that means sprucing up your profile and consulting a friend or two to check it out and give you feedback or advice. If you’re hoping to meet someone in person, get out there and frequent some of the top spots for meeting a partner in your city. Whether you’re dating in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s, making an effort, being open, and remembering to have fun are key.
Data & Methodology
This study is based on a 7,100-person online survey, which included (1) 5,000 18-to-65-year-old respondents in the top 50 metropolitan areas (100 respondents per city); (2) 5,000 18-65-year-old respondents in each of the 50 states (100 respondents per state); and (3) a nationally representative sample of 500 18-to-65-year-old respondents to contextualize results. These three categories are not mutually exclusive; some respondents fall within more than one category. The study was fielded in January 2025. Findings were analyzed by 190 demographic and psychographic cuts, including city, region, gender (when we refer to “women” and “men,” we include all people who self-identify as such), age, race and ethnicity, relationship status, parenting status, sexual orientation (heterosexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, pansexual, asexual, queer, etc.), fandoms (music, sports, etc.), and fitness and diet preferences, among other areas of interest. Metropolitan populations were determined by 2022 U.S. Census data. In order to represent as many states as possible within the study, 5 cities that did not fall in the top 50 metropolitan locations were selected in place of cities in states already represented. Cities added to the study included New Orleans, LA (51); Providence, RI (53); Little Rock, AR (59); Honolulu, HI (68); and Omaha, NE (71). Cities replaced in the study included West Palm Beach, FL (39); Jacksonville, FL (41); Grand Rapids, MI (42); Harrisburg, PA (44); and Greensboro, NC (45). All data in this study are from this source, unless otherwise noted. Independent research firm, Culture Co-op, conducted and analyzed research and findings.
Questions about our study? Contact us at press@forsaluvia.co.
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1 Source
Hims & Hers has strict sourcing guidelines to ensure our content is accurate and current. We rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We strive to use primary sources and refrain from using tertiary references. See a mistake? Let us know at blog@forsaluvia.co!
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.
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- Statista. (2024). Online Dating - Worldwide. https://www.statista.com/outlook/emo/dating-services/online-dating/worldwide