WASHINGTON — If you are living in Washington, D.C. odds are you or someone you know might be "lonely", according to a new study that deems the nation's capital as the loneliest city in the U.S.
The study is based on people living alone across the country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 36 million Americans, or 29% of all U.S. households, are one-person households.
And there is no signs in sight of the trend of living solo slowing down as major life milestones such as marriage are being put on hold. In 2022, the average age of people getting married was 30.1 for men and 28.2 for women, according to the Chamber of Commerce.
The study was able to narrow down America’s “loneliest” cities by analyzing the Census Bureau data across more than 170 cities with a population of at least 150,000 - with D.C. and two Virginia cities climbing to the top of the list.
D.C.
The nation's capital takes the cake when it comes to being "lonely".
According to Census Bureau data, there are 319,565 households in Washington, D.C. Of those, 48.2% are one-person households. Overall, 154,140 residents live alone in D.C., with 21.5% of men living alone alone while 26.7% of women live solo. Washington ranks 7th in the nation for men living alone and 2nd for the number of women living alone.
The study continued to say that this is only the beginning with the city appearing to be getting lonelier and lonelier. On average, the number of people living alone has increased 5.9% year-over-year since 2016.
Alexandria, Virginia
The Commonwealth city, which isn't too far away from the D.C. metro area, tops the list of the loneliest cities at number three.
According to the Census Bureau, there are 33,508 one-person households within the city, which is 46.5% of all households. In Alexandria, 26.2% of women live alone, which is slightly less than D.C., and lands them at number three for females living alone. The study states that the number of people living alone in Alexandria has increased 2.7% year-over-year since 2016.
Just behind loneliest city number three is Richmond, Virginia, which is just about 100 miles south from Alexandria, at number four. Overall, 46.2% of homes in Richmond are one-person households, and the number of people living alone has increased 3.9% year-over-year since 2016.
Other cities topping the list include Baltimore, Maryland; New Orleans, Louisiana; Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas and more. Click here to see the full list of the loneliest cities across America.