love is in the air

Texas flirts with greatness as the 2nd best state for dating, report says

Texas has the highest number of restaurants per capita, the report found.

Good news for singles living in the Lone Star State as Valentine's Day approaches: You may not be lonely for long.

In the latest edition of WalletHub's annual "Best and Worst States for Singles" report, Texas overtook California and New York to become the No. 2 best state for dating in 2024.

Rankings were determined by comparing dating economics, opportunities, and romance and fun across all 50 states. For the second year in a row, Texas tied with California for the most movie theaters per capita, and landed in a four-way tie with California, New York, and Florida for the highest number of restaurants per capita.

Texas also received the following rankings in other categories:

No. 10 – Median annual household income (adjusted for the cost of living)
No. 18 – Mobile-dating opportunities
No. 21 – Online-dating opportunities

"If you fall in love with a Texan and want to move to the state, the good news is that there’s a high rate of employment growth, which shows that the state’s economy is doing well," the report says. "Plus, Texas residents’ search history indicates that there are a lot of people who are interested in dating online – so installing a few apps may be a good idea."

The No. 1 best state for dating in 2024 is Florida, which ranked No. 3 in 2023. Rounding out the top five best states for dating are California (No. 3), New York (No. 4), and Pennsylvania (No. 5).

Austin also ranked highly for its dating scene in a similar WalletHub report that compared over 180 U.S. cities. In that study, Austin was ranked the No. 5 best city for single people, with Seattle taking the lead for the second consecutive year. Other Texas cities that earned spots in the top 100 include Houston (No. 60), Lubbock (No. 77), El Paso (No. 85), San Antonio (No. 87), and Corpus Christi (No. 97).

WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe suggested the best destinations for single people are often those that have a variety of venues that are suitable for dates, like bars, fun new restaurants, coffee shops, and more.

"Finding love can be tough, but being in the right place can contribute to a successful relationship," Happe said. "The unfortunate tradeoff is that dating usually isn’t cheap in states that provide these ideal conditions."

As Valentine's Day approaches, keeping a few jewelry stores top of mind for a significant other may be valuable, but it's equally important to not break the bank just to impress a date. On average, Texans spend about $58 on Valentine's Day, according to a separate report by Casino.org. Residents in Houston are expected to spend the most out of all Texas cities in 2024, with a projected budget of $105.27. Dallas isn't too far behind with an estimated Valentine's Day spending budget of $79.25.

The full report and its methodology can be found at wallethub.com.

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Drop the Debt

UT announces free tuition for families with income under $100,000

Photo by dszc Getty Images

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Beginning next fall, some students accepted into schools within the University of Texas system will receive free tuition and have all fees waived, the board of regents announced on Wednesday.

In order to qualify, families of undergraduates must make less than $100,000 a year.

The board gave preliminary approval to the plan on Wednesday. After the full board’s consideration and vote on Thursday, the plan will include a new, immediate infusion of $35 million directly to campuses to offer the financial aid benefit. The plan also directs additional investment in endowments supporting financial aid to ensure a commitment for tuition relief.

In 2019, the regents established a $167 million endowment at UT Austin to completely cover tuition and mandatory fees for in-state undergraduate students from families with an income of up to $65,000. In 2022, the regents approved a second endowment of almost $300 million called “Promise Plus” to extend the program to all UT academic institutions.

“To be in a position to make sure our students can attend a UT institution without accruing more debt is very important to all of us [...]” Kevin P. Eltife, chairman of the board of regents, said.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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