Mapping state-by-state tech trends: Most popular dating apps
We like maps here at PCMag. We recently surveyed 2,033 US consumers across the country on a variety of tech topics, and we gathered additional demographic data, including the respondents' home states. First we told you which states prefer Android or iOS, then we mapped preferred gaming platforms. This week, we're looking at the most popular dating apps in each state.
The dating-app landscape is crowded with options: Tinder, Bumble, OKCupid, Match, Plenty of Fish, and Zoosk, as well as other lesser-known services, such as Coffee Meets Bagel and Hinge. Tinder was the top dating app in the US, at 17 percent. It was followed by Match, at 15 percent. Bumble and Plenty of Fish each garnered 8 percent, and OKCupid and Zoosk earned 5 percent apiece. Eight percent chose "Other." And 34 percent of respondents said they don't use dating apps.
On a state-by-state basis, Tinder won in 27 states, followed by Match with 17 states. Bumble won two states, Missouri and Oregon; and Plenty of Fish won Maine and Utah. The two remaining apps won one state each: OKCupid in West Virginia and Zoosk in New Mexico.
AdultFriendFinder — readers’ pick for casual connections
Hinge — popular choice for regular meetups
The results are also interesting when broken down across demographic lines: 32 percent of Tinder users were ages 18 to 24, and 38 percent of that age group prefers Tinder above the rest. This is the only age group where the percentage of respondents preferring any one dating app eclipses those who answered "none." Although dating apps have become part of our culture, plenty of people are already in relationships, and others simply prefer dating the old-fashioned way.
Plenty of Fish skewed a bit older, with 32 percent of users who prefer POF between the ages of 25 and 34. Looking at wider age ranges, respondents ages 18 to 44 generally prefer Tinder, and those ages 45 to 65-plus are more apt to look for love on Match.
Bumble is only app of the bunch that requires women to send the first message after a match. For whatever reason, 58 percent of respondents who preferred Bumble are men. Conversely, 58 percent of those who prefer the more data-driven and compatibility-focused OKCupid are women.
