Cardiff among best UK cities for single seniors to find love, new study reveals
As the number of over 65s living alone in the UK reached approximately 4.19 million last year, Google search interest for “senior dating sites near me” has surged by 150%* in the past months.
Inspired to uncover which UK cities are the best for the elderly to find love, the experts at Lottie analysed the number of senior users on the online dating platform, Match.com, plus the over 60s population in cities around the UK, to discover the top dating hotspots for retired singles.
Ten best UK cities for senior dating
For the complete data of all 63 cities, please click here.
Cardiff ranks among top dating hotspots for the over 60s
Receiving a final ‘senior dating score’ of 7.4/10, Cardiff ranks ninth best city for senior singles. Having 414 over 60s Match.com users (7.7/10) – the highest across Wales – the Welsh capital scores a respectable 6.8/10 for the proportion of over 60s Match.com users to its senior population.
Manchester earns top spot for senior dating
Research from Lottie can reveal that Manchester is the top dating hotspot for the over 60s! Earning a final ‘senior dating score’ of 9.2/10, the number of over 60s Match.com users (9.8/10) is the second highest in the country. Further contributing to this is the remarkably high proportion of over 60s Match.com users to the city’s senior population (10/10).
Liverpool ranks second with a final ‘senior dating score’ of 8.9/10. With the third highest over 60s user count on Match.com (9.7/10) and lots of senior Match.com users relative to the over 60s population (8.2/10), odds are high for senior singles looking for love in the Merseyside city!
Ten worst UK cities for senior dating
| Rank | City | Over 60s population score (/10) | Over 60s Match.com users score (/10) | Proportion of over 60s Match.com users to over 60s population (/10) | Final ‘senior dating score’ (/10) |
| 1 | Lisburn | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.9 |
| 2 | Newry | 2.9 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.1 |
| 3 | Newport | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.2 |
| 4 | Carlisle | 1.5 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 1.3 |
| 5 | Armagh | 4.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 |
| 6 | Wrexham | 2.6 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| 7 | Stirling | 0.5 | 1.1 | 4.0 | 1.9 |
| 8= | Winchester | 2.1 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 2.2 |
| 8= | Lichfield | 1.6 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 2.2 |
| 10 | Perth | 4.5 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.3 |
Lottie can also reveal that the worst city for the over 60s seeking love is Lisburn (0.9/10). Having the third lowest senior users on Match.com (0.3/10), the Northern Irish city sees only 43 out of all 34,436 senior singles actively looking for love, thus scoring an underwhelming 0.5/10 in this regard.
Newport ranks third worst. With only 49 over 60s Match.com users – a staggering 365 less than Cardiff – the proportion of over 60s Match.com users to the city’s senior population scores a mere 0.7/10. With a final score of 1.2/10, the Welsh city might not be the best shot for retired singles finding love.
Chris Pleines, dating expert from Datingscout.com, provided tips for the over 60s itching to date again:
1. Don’t be afraid to get back to the dating pool
Dating when you’re over 60 may seem scary – but to give you comfort, you’re definitely not alone. Many people miss the chance at newfound love simply because they’re insecure or afraid. Don’t let this be something that blocks your potential to gain a new source of happiness.
2. Try out multiple dating platforms and services
Dating is not contained to traditional pen pals and snail mails. Today, there are a plethora of dating platforms that will help you find your perfect match. There are sites and apps that cater specifically to singles over 60, and just because you’re over 60 doesn’t mean that casual dating is off-limits.
3. Consider getting back with your exes
Whilst not recommended for previously negative relationships, sometimes, the right person comes at the wrong time and circumstance, and romance could be sweeter the second time around. Plus, getting back with someone you’ve already shared a flame with is easier than starting over again.
4. Never ever get discouraged
Know that love is still love no matter the age. You’ll still get butterflies when they call and still feel nervous every time you’re trying to decide what to wear on your dates, especially the first ones. So don’t ever doubt yourself, go with the flow and have fun!
*In the past 90 days, according to Google Trends on 01/08/2022.