Are you looking for love in Illinois?
Or are you just hoping to hook up with a hot Illinoisan?
Either way, we’ve got you covered here.
If you live in Illinois, there’s a pretty good chance there are a lot of singles in your area. The Prairie State has plenty of people over 18 who aren’t married or in a serious relationship.
That’s great news for people who are single and looking to mingle.
So, where are the best cities for singles in Illinois? We used Saturday Night Science to find out.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Cities For Singles In Illinois For 2024
So, what was the best city for singles in Illinois? Urbana ranks as the best place for singles in Illinois if you care about things singles care about, like nightlife, affordable housing, and other singles.
Read below to see how we crunched the numbers and how each city ranked. If you live in or are close to one of these cities and are single, you should probably get out more often.
Just saying.
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Illinois
- Cheapest Places To Live In Illinois
- Most Dangerous Cities In Illinois
The 10 Best Cities For Singles In Illinois For 2024
/10
Population: 38,741
Median Age: 25.5
Married households: 12.0%
Households with kids: 14.1%
More on Urbana: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 40,697
Median Age: 24.9
Married households: 16.0%
Households with kids: 25.3%
More on Dekalb: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 2,721,914
Median Age: 35.3
Married households: 14.0%
Households with kids: 24.7%
More on Chicago: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Chicago is a wonderful city. There is so much diversity and culture. The atmosphere was ablaze with an electric energy. Everyone was incredibly friendly.
There are so many good places to eat! Especially restaurants that cater to the vegetarian
/10
Population: 14,284
Median Age: 35.3
Married households: 22.0%
Households with kids: 26.9%
More on Chicago Ridge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 33,088
Median Age: 35.0
Married households: 15.0%
Households with kids: 33.6%
More on Glendale Heights: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 88,628
Median Age: 27.0
Married households: 15.0%
Households with kids: 21.8%
More on Champaign: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Crime is getting worse by the day as many gangs from Chicago are moving into the area. Schools are not too bad but do not like the fact they use the city bus to transport children to school. It’s a college student town so population varies throughout the year.
Going go some of the college sporting events was neat. Not a whole lot to do outside of that. Winters are brutal with nasty winds.
/10
Population: 77,181
Median Age: 37.6
Married households: 14.0%
Households with kids: 24.2%
More on Evanston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 22,934
Median Age: 36.6
Married households: 15.0%
Households with kids: 30.0%
More on Blue Island: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 37,264
Median Age: 35.0
Married households: 20.0%
Households with kids: 25.2%
More on Rock Island: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 84,189
Median Age: 33.4
Married households: 9.0%
Households with kids: 43.0%
More on Cicero: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How do you determine which city is best for singles in Illinois anyways?
To give you the places in Illinois which are best for singles to find one another, we used Saturday Night Science to look at a handful of metrics. Of course, we want to measure the type of people who live in each city and make some assumptions about what single people like.
So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.
We threw a lot of criteria at this one to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the 2018-2022 American Community Survey Census data produced for the state of Illinois, we looked at every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Population density
- % of population that’s male vs. female (closer to a 50-50 ratio is better)
- % of households with kids
- Median age
- Number of unmarried people in each city
We then gave each city a “Singles Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for singles to find one another. We also limited our results to cities with over 10,000 people. For Illinois, that meant a total of 218 cities.
We updated this article for 2024. This is our tenth time ranking the best cities for singles in Illinois.
Read on to see why Urbana is the talk of the town while Campton Hills is probably a bit on the bland side.
Summary: The Best Cities for Singles in Illinois for 2024
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Illinois ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for finding a single person (and potentially love), this is an accurate list.
The best cities for singles in Illinois are Urbana, DeKalb, Chicago, Chicago Ridge, Glendale Heights, Champaign, Evanston, Blue Island, Rock Island, and Cicero.
Here’s a look at the most boring cities in Illinois according to the data:
- Campton Hills
- Frankfort
- Morton
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Illinois
- Safest Places In Illinois
- Worst Places To Live In Illinois
Best Cities For Singles In Illinois
| Rank | City | Population | Median Age | % Married Households | % Households /w Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urbana, IL | 38,741 | 25.5 | 12.0% | 14.1% |
| 2 | Dekalb, IL | 40,697 | 24.9 | 16.0% | 25.3% |
| 3 | Chicago, IL | 2,721,914 | 35.3 | 14.0% | 24.7% |
| 4 | Chicago Ridge, IL | 14,284 | 35.3 | 22.0% | 26.9% |
| 5 | Glendale Heights, IL | 33,088 | 35.0 | 15.0% | 33.6% |
| 6 | Champaign, IL | 88,628 | 27.0 | 15.0% | 21.8% |
| 7 | Evanston, IL | 77,181 | 37.6 | 14.0% | 24.2% |
| 8 | Blue Island, IL | 22,934 | 36.6 | 15.0% | 30.0% |
| 9 | Rock Island, IL | 37,264 | 35.0 | 20.0% | 25.2% |
| 10 | Cicero, IL | 84,189 | 33.4 | 9.0% | 43.0% |
| 11 | Waukegan, IL | 89,435 | 34.5 | 11.0% | 35.3% |
| 12 | Summit, IL | 11,036 | 37.1 | 10.0% | 36.4% |
| 13 | Wheeling, IL | 38,823 | 39.7 | 12.0% | 26.3% |
| 14 | Maywood, IL | 23,385 | 37.0 | 17.0% | 33.8% |
| 15 | Dolton, IL | 21,283 | 39.1 | 18.0% | 27.5% |
| 16 | Carbondale, IL | 22,039 | 24.8 | 9.0% | 14.1% |
| 17 | Charleston, IL | 17,795 | 29.4 | 26.0% | 17.2% |
| 18 | Bloomington, IL | 78,788 | 35.9 | 27.0% | 27.6% |
| 19 | Aurora, IL | 181,405 | 35.4 | 18.0% | 43.3% |
| 20 | Franklin Park, IL | 18,374 | 36.5 | 17.0% | 38.6% |
| 21 | Worth, IL | 10,859 | 39.1 | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 22 | Midlothian, IL | 14,200 | 39.0 | 31.0% | 29.6% |
| 23 | Carpentersville, IL | 37,834 | 32.8 | 17.0% | 46.5% |
| 24 | Woodridge, IL | 34,027 | 37.7 | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 25 | Streamwood, IL | 39,556 | 39.0 | 20.0% | 32.9% |
| 26 | Skokie, IL | 67,076 | 43.0 | 16.0% | 31.8% |
| 27 | Melrose Park, IL | 25,177 | 34.5 | 13.0% | 41.8% |
| 28 | Harvey, IL | 20,035 | 35.5 | 15.0% | 32.6% |
| 29 | Berwyn, IL | 56,556 | 36.3 | 17.0% | 38.4% |
| 30 | Normal, IL | 52,920 | 25.2 | 22.0% | 24.1% |
| 31 | Zion, IL | 24,570 | 32.3 | 17.0% | 35.9% |
| 32 | Mundelein, IL | 31,583 | 38.2 | 24.0% | 31.0% |
| 33 | Wheaton, IL | 53,673 | 37.4 | 27.0% | 29.9% |
| 34 | Palos Hills, IL | 18,278 | 42.2 | 21.0% | 25.9% |
| 35 | Niles, IL | 30,637 | 47.1 | 16.0% | 28.8% |
| 36 | Mount Prospect, IL | 56,191 | 41.2 | 26.0% | 31.0% |
| 37 | Justice, IL | 12,525 | 31.1 | 18.0% | 34.6% |
| 38 | Burbank, IL | 29,122 | 37.6 | 21.0% | 35.7% |
| 39 | Hanover Park, IL | 37,222 | 34.7 | 17.0% | 42.1% |
| 40 | Schaumburg, IL | 77,571 | 39.0 | 22.0% | 30.4% |
| 41 | Prospect Heights, IL | 15,861 | 41.1 | 23.0% | 28.8% |
| 42 | Carol Stream, IL | 39,656 | 39.4 | 25.0% | 32.1% |
| 43 | Villa Park, IL | 22,753 | 36.1 | 31.0% | 35.2% |
| 44 | Rolling Meadows, IL | 24,054 | 38.2 | 23.0% | 32.4% |
| 45 | Forest Park, IL | 14,165 | 42.2 | 18.0% | 17.6% |
| 46 | Lyons, IL | 10,687 | 39.7 | 23.0% | 30.2% |
| 47 | Rockford, IL | 148,173 | 37.5 | 21.0% | 28.4% |
| 48 | Northlake, IL | 12,683 | 39.5 | 15.0% | 29.4% |
| 49 | Jacksonville, IL | 17,639 | 37.8 | 30.0% | 22.0% |
| 50 | Macomb, IL | 15,207 | 27.4 | 18.0% | 20.8% |
| 51 | Peoria, IL | 113,054 | 35.6 | 23.0% | 25.6% |
| 52 | North Chicago, IL | 30,890 | 23.5 | 6.0% | 33.9% |
| 53 | Addison, IL | 35,685 | 40.1 | 20.0% | 31.5% |
| 54 | Palatine, IL | 67,223 | 39.4 | 24.0% | 29.6% |
| 55 | Bensenville, IL | 18,673 | 37.0 | 22.0% | 32.0% |
| 56 | Elmwood Park, IL | 24,281 | 40.5 | 21.0% | 29.1% |
| 57 | River Grove, IL | 10,532 | 34.2 | 23.0% | 34.3% |
| 58 | Moline, IL | 42,452 | 38.8 | 28.0% | 28.6% |
| 59 | Hickory Hills, IL | 14,915 | 36.4 | 21.0% | 35.1% |
| 60 | Danville, IL | 29,100 | 38.6 | 22.0% | 29.4% |
| 61 | Belvidere, IL | 25,389 | 39.1 | 21.0% | 31.3% |
| 62 | Lisle, IL | 23,499 | 36.7 | 26.0% | 25.2% |
| 63 | Lincoln, IL | 13,371 | 40.4 | 32.0% | 22.7% |
| 64 | Warrenville, IL | 13,945 | 38.5 | 26.0% | 29.0% |
| 65 | Elgin, IL | 114,190 | 35.5 | 20.0% | 38.0% |
| 66 | Norridge, IL | 15,291 | 47.2 | 19.0% | 24.9% |
| 67 | Schiller Park, IL | 11,600 | 38.0 | 18.0% | 29.8% |
| 68 | Streator, IL | 12,279 | 39.5 | 33.0% | 25.0% |
| 69 | Hoffman Estates, IL | 51,744 | 38.1 | 24.0% | 37.0% |
| 70 | Joliet, IL | 150,221 | 34.3 | 27.0% | 41.8% |
| 71 | Bridgeview, IL | 16,939 | 39.2 | 18.0% | 28.4% |
| 72 | Riverdale, IL | 10,528 | 32.8 | 18.0% | 36.0% |
| 73 | Plano, IL | 11,113 | 34.6 | 25.0% | 32.6% |
| 74 | Oak Lawn, IL | 57,665 | 41.1 | 30.0% | 28.9% |
| 75 | Oak Park, IL | 53,834 | 40.3 | 22.0% | 28.6% |
| 76 | Kankakee, IL | 24,795 | 36.3 | 20.0% | 31.1% |
| 77 | Lombard, IL | 44,055 | 37.7 | 31.0% | 29.3% |
| 78 | Bellwood, IL | 18,611 | 36.5 | 21.0% | 35.1% |
| 79 | Romeoville, IL | 40,132 | 35.1 | 24.0% | 41.3% |
| 80 | Vernon Hills, IL | 26,750 | 40.6 | 19.0% | 37.7% |
| 81 | Des Plaines, IL | 60,087 | 42.5 | 22.0% | 29.2% |
| 82 | Round Lake Beach, IL | 27,229 | 33.2 | 18.0% | 45.4% |
| 83 | Chicago Heights, IL | 27,366 | 35.8 | 16.0% | 35.6% |
| 84 | Park Forest, IL | 21,042 | 37.4 | 20.0% | 31.4% |
| 85 | Morton Grove, IL | 24,910 | 44.6 | 22.0% | 32.8% |
| 86 | Naperville, IL | 149,089 | 39.5 | 24.0% | 38.0% |
| 87 | Arlington Heights, IL | 76,794 | 42.8 | 31.0% | 29.0% |
| 88 | Lansing, IL | 28,713 | 40.7 | 22.0% | 31.2% |
| 89 | Fairview Heights, IL | 16,360 | 40.0 | 20.0% | 25.4% |
| 90 | Westmont, IL | 24,271 | 40.6 | 24.0% | 25.8% |
| 91 | Pekin, IL | 32,075 | 41.2 | 31.0% | 25.2% |
| 92 | Bolingbrook, IL | 73,755 | 37.9 | 24.0% | 38.2% |
| 93 | Hazel Crest, IL | 13,737 | 33.0 | 16.0% | 41.8% |
| 94 | Bradley, IL | 15,379 | 36.0 | 30.0% | 30.0% |
| 95 | Rantoul, IL | 12,544 | 35.8 | 18.0% | 28.5% |
| 96 | Beach Park, IL | 13,995 | 35.6 | 20.0% | 38.0% |
| 97 | Tinley Park, IL | 55,571 | 41.6 | 39.0% | 28.0% |
| 98 | West Chicago, IL | 25,632 | 35.8 | 20.0% | 42.8% |
| 99 | Markham, IL | 11,592 | 33.2 | 15.0% | 37.0% |
| 100 | Bourbonnais, IL | 18,125 | 33.9 | 28.0% | 30.3% |