High-Wage Earners More Likely to Accept Drinking on a First Date

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.

Drinking on a first date may calm the nerves for some people, and new research shows exactly which demographics prefer a little bit of liquid courage.

A DatingAdvice.com study found people earning $125,000 or more a year were 41 percent more likely to say it’s OK to drink on a first date than those earning less than $25,000 annually.

Gay men and women were also among the most likely groups to enjoy an alcoholic beverage during an initial romantic meeting, with 80 percent of gay respondents answering in the affirmative compared to 72 percent of their straight counterparts.

“People earning $125,000 were 41 percent

more likely to say it’s OK to drink on a first date.”

And it appears people become more comfortable with the idea as they grow older.

Seventy-eight percent of those aged 54 to 64 said drinking on a first date is acceptable versus just 59 percent of those aged 18 to 24.

There was also a disparity among ethnicities. Asian-Americans had a 29 percent lower likelihood of approving of first-date drinks than Caucasians.

Interestingly enough, marital status was not found to be a compelling factor, with single, married and divorced respondents each reporting within 5 percentage points of one another.

By gender:

• Male: 72%
• Female: 71%

By sexuality:

• Straight: 72%
• Gay: 80%

By marital status:

• Single, Never Married: 68%
• Married: 73%
• Divorced: 73%

By age:

• 18 to 24: 59%
• 25 to 34: 69%
• 35 to 44: 69%
• 45 to 54: 77%
• 54 to 64: 78%
• 65 and older: 75%

By race:

• White: 75%
• African-American: 64%
• Hispanic: 66%
• Asian: 58%

By income:

• Under $25,000: 61%
• $25,000 to $49,999: 68%
• $50,000 to $74,999: 76%
• $75,000 to $99,999: 74%
• $100,000 to $124,999: 78%
• $125,000 or higher: 86%

By region:

• Northeast: 77%
• Midwest: 73%
• South: 68%
• West: 71%

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