Who Uses Online Dating? 8 Stats to Know (May 2025)

Approximately 8,000 dating sites exist¹ on the web, and about 60 million Americans² have used a dating site or app. Who are these people, though? What are their goals, personality traits, backgrounds, cultures, and lifestyles?

We’ll answer those questions and more in this article. Here are seven interesting facts about online dating users.

Online dating has become the normal way to meet, and that’s no surprise considering that most singles — especially younger ones —  are always on their phones.

According to the Pew Research Center, about half of adults under 30 have used a dating app or site³ to find romantic and social connections. 

To be specific, 53% of those people who have used online dating are between the ages of 18 to 29.

Why is this so? Simply because the younger generation is more comfortable with technology and already relies on social media and their smartphones to connect with peers. Dating apps are just another tool for them. 

According to the Pew Research Center, adults under 30 are about five times more likely to have used Tinder than older adults.  

It makes sense that people who are 65 or older would be the least likely to use online dating. They’re either already married or may not be as comfortable with technology because they didn’t grow up with it. However, that could change in the future as more senior dating sites come onto the scene.

Gender differences have existed on dating apps since the very beginning –– and there’s a good reason for that. Most studies support the idea that men are more likely than women to use dating apps and sites. 

Based on the latest research, 60% of users on dating apps are male⁴ and 40% of users are female. 

Dating apps are great for those who are looking for short-term connections, and men are more inclined to take advantage of the opportunity to do so. They have fewer qualms and safety concerns to reckon with online. 

But things are changing and easing the gender gap. Leaders in the industry like Whitney Wolfe-Herd⁵ are trying to make online dating better for women.

A potential date or partner’s income can be important to a lot of singles, and we’ve found that income levels don’t really vary greatly online. Statista, a provider of market and consumer data, says that 16% of people who make between $30,000 and $74,999 a year⁶ have signed up for a dating site or app.

The second-largest group (15%) have an annual income of $75,000 or more, followed by those who have an annual income of less than $30,000 (11%).

A lot of headlines claim that online dating has created a hookup culture, but the numbers say that’s not the case.

Contrary to some reports, most online daters want to find a lifelong partner.

More than 8 out of 10 online daters⁷ are looking for a long-term relationship or marriage. In addition, one-third of married couples say they met online⁸, and those people are more likely to say their marriage is satisfying⁹.

The Pew Research Center also reports that 16% of people who’ve earned a college degree have been on a dating site¹⁰. In addition, 9% have been on a dating app. 

The study shows that 15% of those who’ve completed some college have used an online dating site, while 11% of that demographic have used a dating app; and 8% of people with a high school education or less have tried a dating site, while 7% of those have tried a dating app.

This reveals that education can play a major role in whether someone is willing to use online dating. People with more education tend to be more open-minded and comfortable using the web to find compatible partners. 

For the longest time, Caucasian singles made up the majority of online daters around the world. This is likely due to accessibility.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the internet was more prevalent in predominantly white communities. However, as technology became more accessible, online dating shifted to a more diverse audience. 

Recent studies show that a lot of minorities are making their grand entrance and taking a chance on online dating.

According to the Pew Research Center study, Black singles make up 5% of U.S. adults¹¹ currently using online dating, compared to 4% of Caucasian singles. Meanwhile, Hispanic singles are taking the lead with 7%. 

What does this mean? Well, it signals that the digital gap is slowly coming to an end. Online dating is becoming more inclusive and allowing more ethnic groups to be represented. Which is a good thing for all singles. 

Many people who’ve tried online dating live in larger cities and towns.

This should give you more perspective when looking at the Pew Research Center’s statistics for the location of online daters. Researchers say 35% of people living in urban areas and 31% of those living in the suburbs¹² have used a dating site or app.

People benefit from having more dating options because they’re near a larger population. Only 24% of people who live in rural areas have used a dating site or app, perhaps because they know options will be slim pickins.

As mentioned before, online dating is becoming more inclusive of everyone. And the data will support me on that. According to a Pew Research Center study, 51% of lesbian, gay, or bisexual adults in the U.S. have used a dating app or website. Just 28% of heterosexual adults can say the same.

For many singles in the LGBTQ+ community, especially those feeling isolated, signing up for online dating can be a way to seek community support. Dating apps offer a safer and more accessible way for queer singles to meet and explore new friendships or romances.

Dating apps like Grindr, HER, and Lex are just a few of the many that specifically cater to LGBTQ+ users. In a world filled with judgment, these safe spaces aren’t only liberating but necessary for singles to truly be their authentic selves while dating. 

Based on the gender gap revealed through research, it’s safe to say that men use online dating the most. To be even more specific, men between the ages of 18 and 29.

Pew Research Center data shows that there is a significant percentage of young men using dating apps regularly, and sometimes more than one at the same time. 

Men within this age group are the most active users on dating platforms for a variety of reasons, such as comfort with technology, social norms, and their higher interest in casual relationships. They’re also more likely to initiate conversations and spend more of their time swiping. 

Women tend to be more selective and often report more negative experiences¹³, such as harassment or unwanted messages. 

Men lead in numbers in terms of usage, but that scarcity can be a good thing for women. Women remain on top as the ones who receive more attention per profile and hold more decision-making power in app interactions. 

Young singles in their 20s are the main target audience for mainstream online dating. Younger singles are more tech-savvy and open to finding love and exploring new relationships online. 

Students and recent grads make up the largest user base, and often resort to using dating apps anyway to meet new people. 

However, the audience for online dating is becoming more diverse. Adults older than 40, and even some in their 60s, are joining the online dating scene. All thanks to dating platforms like SilverSingles and SeniorMatch that cater to this specific age group. 

Still, most marketing strategies and app features are tailored to younger singles. Features like swiping, instant messaging, video chats, and algorithm-based matching all speak to how young singles like to date –– fast-paced, on their terms, and straight to the point. 

Even though online dating isn’t as popular as its height during the COVID-19 pandemic, we doubt that it will completely go away. It’s too convenient and is now a part of modern dating culture. 

During lockdowns, dating apps became one of the few ways people could safely connect. It was normalized for an entire generation of daters.

Millions of singles around the world still rely on dating platforms to meet new people. Whether that’s because they have busy work schedules, are introverted like myself, or trying to reach singles that don’t share the same area code as them, online dating remains a flexible go-to option. 

Online dating gets a lot of criticism, but it’s definitely not going out of style anytime soon. 

More and more dating sites are launched every year, particularly niche dating sites, so there really is an option for almost every single person on earth. Because of its reach, adaptability, convenience, and success rates, online dating has attracted people from all walks of life.

Whether you’re young or old, rich or poor, straight or queer, you can find a dating site that caters to people just like you — or just like the people you want to date.

If you haven’t checked the online dating scene out yet, it’s worth your time. Our experts have even narrowed down the best dating sites if you’re not sure where to start. Have fun!

1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinzwilling/2013/03/01/how-many-more-online-dating-sites-do-we-need/ ↩︎
2. https://www.statista.com/topics/2158/online-dating/ ↩︎
3. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/02/02/the-who-where-and-why-of-online-dating-in-the-u-s/ ↩︎
4. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7557852/ ↩︎
5. https://bumble.com/en-us/the-buzz/message-to-our-bumble-community ↩︎
6. https://www.statista.com/statistics/309468/us-adults-online-dating-site-usage-income/ ↩︎
7. https://www.statista.com/topics/2158/online-dating/ ↩︎
8. http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/one-third-u-s-marriages-start-online-dating-study-article-1.1362743 ↩︎
9. https://www.businessinsider.com/happy-marriage-online-dating-2017-10 ↩︎
10. http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/02/11/15-percent-of-american-adults-have-used-online-dating-sites-or-mobile-dating-apps/pi_2016-02-11_online-dating_a-01/ ↩︎
11. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/02/02/from-looking-for-love-to-swiping-the-field-online-dating-in-the-u-s/ ↩︎
12. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/02/06/americans-personal-experiences-with-online-dating/ ↩︎
13. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/02/02/the-experiences-of-u-s-online-daters/ ↩︎