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Study

73% of Americans Would Rather Meet Than Be Picked Up for a First Date

C. Price

Written by: C. Price

C. Price

C. Price is part of DatingAdvice.com's content team. She writes advice articles, how-to guides, and studies — all relating to dating, relationships, love, sex, and more.

Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingAdvice articles have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Gwinnett Daily News, and The Gainesville Sun covering lifestyle topics.

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This is an exclusive study conducted by DatingAdvice.com, which surveyed respondents over the course of three weeks to reflect an accurate representation of the U.S. population.


Have you ever been on a first date that was so uncomfortable all you wanted to do was get up and leave? The only problem: your date picked you up.

Well, new research shows meeting for a first date is becoming common practice.

In a study conducted by DatingAdvice.com, nearly three out of four Americans said they prefer meeting somewhere for a first date than having a date pick them up.

Among the most likely groups to answer in the affirmative was homosexuals, divorcees and high-wage earners.

Gay men and women were 21 percent more likely to meet their date at a chosen location than their straight counterparts.

At 82 percent, divorcees also liked meeting a date, compared to 74 percent of singles.

“Three out of four Americans said they

prefer meeting somewhere a first date.”

In terms of income, those earning $100,000 to $124,999 a year had some of the highest responses (84 percent), while those earning less than $25,000 annually had some of the lowest responses (69 percent).

Among the least likely groups to meet for a first date was younger respondents. Those aged 18 to 24 had a 31 percent lower likelihood of meeting their date than those aged 35 to 44.

Hispanics were the least likely ethnicity to embrace the concept, with just 69 percent choosing to meet a date versus 75 percent of Caucasians.

The study surveyed 1,080 respondents over the course of three weeks, balancing responses by age, gender, income, race, sexuality and other factors in order to accurately represent the U.S. population. The study has a margin of error of +/- 2.8%

The Breakdown: Americans Who Want to Meet for a First Date:

By gender:

  • Male: 74%
  • Female: 73%

By sexuality:

  • Straight: 73%
  • Gay: 88%

By marital status:

  • Single, Never Married: 74%
  • Married: 72%
  • Divorced: 82%

By age:

  • 18 to 24: 62%
  • 25 to 34: 69%
  • 35 to 44: 81%
  • 45 to 54: 76%
  • 54 to 64: 80%
  • 65 and older: 69%

By race:

  • White: 75%
  • African-American: 72%
  • Hispanic: 69%
  • Asian: 74%

By income:

  • Under $25,000: 69%
  • $25,000 to $49,999: 73%
  • $50,000 to $74,999: 76%
  • $75,000 to $99,999: 75%
  • $100,000 to $124,999: 84%
  • $125,000 or higher: 69%

By region:

  • Northeast: 70%
  • Midwest: 76%
  • South: 72%
  • West: 76%

Visit DatingAdvice.com/Studies for more research on dating and relationship topics.

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