Are you looking for love in Massachusetts?
Or are you just hoping to hook up with a hot Bay Stater?
Either way, we’ve got you covered here.
If you live in Massachusetts, there’s a pretty good chance there are a lot of singles in your area. The Bay State has plenty of people over 18 who aren’t married or in a serious relationship.
That’s great news for people who are single and looking to mingle.
So, where are the best cities for singles in Massachusetts? We used Saturday Night Science to find out.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
So, what was the best city for singles in Massachusetts? Cambridge ranks as the best place for singles in Massachusetts if you care about things singles care about, like nightlife, affordable housing, and other singles.
Read below to see how we crunched the numbers and how each city ranked. If you live in or are close to one of these cities and are single, you should probably get out more often.
Just saying.
For more Massachusetts reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Massachusetts
- Cheapest Places To Live In Massachusetts
- Most Dangerous Cities In Massachusetts
The 10 Best Cities For Singles In Massachusetts For 2026
/10
Population: 118,796
Median Age: 30.4
Married households: 6.0%
Households with kids: 17.7%
More on Cambridge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Crime is low, I believe. The school system is exceptional and unique with the “controlled choice” policies that foster diversity. Lots of quirky and trendy places to eat and hangout.
Lots of young adults because of all the colleges. Also the style is very historic with all the brick.
/10
Population: 81,036
Median Age: 31.9
Married households: 8.0%
Households with kids: 14.1%
More on Somerville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 666,442
Median Age: 33.3
Married households: 8.0%
Households with kids: 19.8%
More on Boston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
There’s things to do here sure, but getting to them is a f*****g joke. So many people, cars, one way streets. People are real chodes too. Not willing to help. Too stuck up, think they’re so great.
Boston Common was alright, but the homeless population there was out of control. So many panhandlers it was depressing.
/10
Population: 64,902
Median Age: 34.4
Married households: 15.0%
Households with kids: 20.3%
More on Waltham: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Close to everything, new high school being built
Location, ease of commute, excellent restaurants, very diverse, close to everything.
/10
Population: 39,908
Median Age: 34.4
Married households: 5.0%
Households with kids: 35.4%
More on Chelsea: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 65,906
Median Age: 35.8
Married households: 11.0%
Households with kids: 29.4%
More on Malden: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 207,055
Median Age: 33.9
Married households: 13.0%
Households with kids: 29.1%
More on Worcester: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Depending on where you live in Worcester, there’s not a lot of crime. Compared to other cities bigger or the same size as Worcester, the murder rate is pretty low based on published data. As any other city that is surrounded by a major city, Worcester is pretty much swallowed up by Boston. To have a great time out, one needs to step out of Worcester. Most of the schools in worcester are bad with a couple good ones in the best areas of Worcester.
Rent and housing prices are not too high compared to Boston and Cambridge.
/10
Population: 118,368
Median Age: 35.6
Married households: 12.0%
Households with kids: 32.1%
More on Lowell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 88,736
Median Age: 32.6
Married households: 6.0%
Households with kids: 37.5%
More on Lawrence: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 102,114
Median Age: 38.6
Married households: 15.0%
Households with kids: 21.0%
More on Quincy: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How do you determine which city is best for singles in Massachusetts anyways?
To give you the places in Massachusetts which are best for singles to find one another, we used Saturday Night Science to look at a handful of metrics. Of course, we want to measure the type of people who live in each city and make some assumptions about what single people like.
So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.
We threw a lot of criteria at this one to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the 2020-2024 American Community Survey Census data produced for the state of Massachusetts, we looked at every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Population density
- % of population that’s male vs. female (closer to a 50-50 ratio is better)
- % of households with kids
- Median age
- Number of unmarried people in each city
We then gave each city a “Singles Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for singles to find one another. We also limited our results to cities with over 12,000 people. For Massachusetts, that meant a total of 39 cities.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the best cities for singles in Massachusetts.
Read on to see why Cambridge is the talk of the town while Gardner is probably a bit on the bland side.
Summary: The Best Cities for Singles in Massachusetts for 2026
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Massachusetts ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for finding a single person (and potentially love), this is an accurate list.
The best cities for singles in Massachusetts are Cambridge, Somerville, Boston, Waltham, Chelsea, Malden, Worcester, Lowell, Lawrence, and Quincy.
Here’s a look at the most boring cities in Massachusetts according to the data:
- Gardner
- Newburyport
- Taunton
For more Massachusetts reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Massachusetts
- Safest Places In Massachusetts
- Worst Places To Live In Massachusetts
Best Cities For Singles In Massachusetts
| Rank | City | Population | Median Age | % Married Households | % Households /w Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cambridge, MA | 118,796 | 30.4 | 6.0% | 17.7% |
| 2 | Somerville, MA | 81,036 | 31.9 | 8.0% | 14.1% |
| 3 | Boston, MA | 666,442 | 33.3 | 8.0% | 19.8% |
| 4 | Waltham, MA | 64,902 | 34.4 | 15.0% | 20.3% |
| 5 | Chelsea, MA | 39,908 | 34.4 | 5.0% | 35.4% |
| 6 | Malden, MA | 65,906 | 35.8 | 11.0% | 29.4% |
| 7 | Worcester, MA | 207,055 | 33.9 | 13.0% | 29.1% |
| 8 | Lowell, MA | 118,368 | 35.6 | 12.0% | 32.1% |
| 9 | Lawrence, MA | 88,736 | 32.6 | 6.0% | 37.5% |
| 10 | Quincy, MA | 102,114 | 38.6 | 15.0% | 21.0% |
| 11 | Revere, MA | 60,012 | 39.2 | 13.0% | 28.5% |
| 12 | Lynn, MA | 101,709 | 36.5 | 14.0% | 36.5% |
| 13 | Medford, MA | 59,354 | 35.9 | 15.0% | 20.4% |
| 14 | Springfield, MA | 154,749 | 33.7 | 12.0% | 33.5% |
| 15 | Everett, MA | 50,045 | 35.2 | 12.0% | 36.3% |
| 16 | New Bedford, MA | 100,998 | 37.0 | 17.0% | 30.9% |
| 17 | Salem, MA | 44,795 | 39.3 | 17.0% | 20.5% |
| 18 | Fall River, MA | 94,082 | 39.3 | 16.0% | 26.3% |
| 19 | Brockton, MA | 105,386 | 36.7 | 14.0% | 38.9% |
| 20 | Pittsfield, MA | 43,457 | 42.4 | 24.0% | 22.5% |
| 21 | Newton, MA | 89,044 | 42.1 | 14.0% | 33.0% |
| 22 | Marlborough, MA | 41,647 | 37.5 | 19.0% | 31.9% |
| 23 | Holyoke, MA | 37,813 | 40.0 | 15.0% | 26.6% |
| 24 | Leominster, MA | 43,909 | 43.3 | 26.0% | 25.5% |
| 25 | Melrose, MA | 29,650 | 43.6 | 24.0% | 29.9% |
| 26 | Woburn, MA | 41,939 | 39.3 | 28.0% | 26.6% |
| 27 | Beverly, MA | 42,665 | 39.0 | 27.0% | 26.2% |
| 28 | Haverhill, MA | 67,698 | 39.4 | 26.0% | 30.7% |
| 29 | Chicopee, MA | 55,295 | 41.9 | 22.0% | 24.3% |
| 30 | Fitchburg, MA | 41,798 | 36.3 | 17.0% | 30.3% |
| 31 | Northampton, MA | 30,962 | 41.3 | 15.0% | 21.9% |
| 32 | Gloucester, MA | 30,075 | 50.2 | 29.0% | 20.5% |
| 33 | North Adams, MA | 12,606 | 44.1 | 23.0% | 18.3% |
| 34 | Peabody, MA | 54,695 | 45.3 | 30.0% | 24.9% |
| 35 | Attleboro, MA | 46,762 | 39.8 | 21.0% | 31.4% |
| 36 | Westfield, MA | 40,378 | 39.9 | 30.0% | 25.8% |
| 37 | Taunton, MA | 60,433 | 38.9 | 28.0% | 32.9% |
| 38 | Newburyport, MA | 18,652 | 49.8 | 28.0% | 24.1% |
| 39 | Gardner, MA | 21,148 | 43.7 | 28.0% | 28.4% |