Tampa was ranked the 3rd best city to be single – why doesn’t it feel like it?

In December 2025, WalletHub released a study naming Tampa the third-best city in America for singles. And if you’re anything like us (or the 500 people in the comments), your reaction likely fell into one of two camps: pure outrage or a dramatic eye roll. You might’ve even thought, Tampa’s the best place to stay single.

To be fair, Tampa is an incredible city with no shortage of things to do. What’s more romantic than a sunset Bayshore walk or watching the Lightning win under the Tesla coil?

But ask almost any single person here and you’ll hear a different story. One filled with questionable “most compatible” suggestions on Hinge, conversations that turn into pen pal situations, and connections that never quite make it to a first date.

So what’s really going on? Is it the endless options, or the constant feeling that something better might be out there? Or maybe it’s that the everyday moments where people used to meet, waiting in line for lunch or standing in an elevator, have been replaced by scrolling TikTok with our AirPods in.

Maybe the issue isn’t Tampa at all. Maybe it’s that the way we meet has changed and not necessarily for the better. We have more ways to connect than ever, yet somehow we’re missing the mark. 

People are craving in-person connection and a greater sense of intentionality. You can see it everywhere. Run clubs, walking groups, and social clubs are popping up every week. Even “no phone” parties are becoming a thing, where people literally lock their phones away just to be present (hey, we’ve been guilty of this too). There’s a clear shift happening.

And when you take it a step further, it’s no surprise that more intentional, experience-based gatherings are starting to resonate (speaking of which, we’re hosting a singles dumpling making class on April 22). Being in a room with other singles who are open to meeting someone creates an energy you just can’t replicate via Instagram DM. Sometimes, one face-to-face interaction is all it takes to see something in someone you might have overlooked on an app.

So maybe Tampa really is one of the best cities to be single. You just have to step out from behind the screen to experience it.