The Dating Gazette
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RICHMOND SINGLES INTELLIGENCE

RICHMOND is now under coverage.

Local dating, modeled. Every signal in Richmond, converted into a tactical roadmap.

Field Office37.5407° N · 77.4360° WVA
In short

Greater Richmond is open as a field office. The headline numbers, each sourced and confidence-flagged:

The data

By the numbers

11 sourced, confidence-flagged metrics for Richmond — gender, money, neighborhoods, and political lean. The deep dive, with charts, is in the console below.

  • Singles, 22 to 50

    255,708

    An estimated 256,000 Greater Richmond adults ages 22 to 50 are single.

  • Gender balance

    52%

    The metro runs male-heavy, about 52% men to 48% women among singles.

  • Male skew

    52%

    Richmond is fairly gender-balanced, about 52% male, with no strongly male-skewed zone.

  • Median income

    $45,486

    Median individual income across the metro is about $45,500.

  • 1-bedroom rent

    $1,410

    A market-rate one-bedroom in Richmond asks about $1,410 a month, mid-cost and rising modestly.

  • Living wage

    $48,589

    A single adult in the City of Richmond needs about $48,600 a year just to cover the basics.

  • Transit fare

    $0

    GRTC, Richmond’s transit system, has been fare-free since 2020 — riding the bus costs nothing, the only zero-fare system among the cities we cover.

  • Rent trend

    $1,410

    Richmond’s rents have risen steadily in the low single digits, sitting about 15% below the national one-bedroom median.

  • Most female-leaning zone

    42%

    The east and south sides tilt female: Fulton at about 42% male, Barton Heights 44%, and Forest Hill 46%.

  • Democratic

    82%

    Virginia does not register voters by party; as a 2024 proxy, the City of Richmond voted about 82% Harris to 16% Trump — the most lopsided result of any city we cover.

  • Suburban lean

    16%

    The independent city is overwhelmingly Democratic while the surrounding suburban counties of Henrico and Chesterfield are more competitive, though both also went Democratic in 2024.

Demographics

The shape of the market

Singles by age and gender
Men Women
018.4k36.9k20-24: 36,893 men20-24: 33,567 women20-2425-29: 32,503 men25-29: 30,572 women25-2930-34: 25,966 men30-34: 25,945 women30-3435-44: 30,946 men35-44: 29,708 women35-4445-49: 7,979 men45-49: 8,545 women45-49age band · single residents
Gender balance by neighborhood
Men Women
  • Barton Heights44/56
  • Bellevue53/47
  • Carytown49/51
  • Church Hill49/51
  • Forest Hill46/54
  • Fulton42/58
  • Manchester51/49
  • Scotts Addition52/48
  • Shockoe50/50
  • The Fan50/50
Singles (22–50) by neighborhood
  • Barton Heights6,620
  • Bellevue5,558
  • Carytown4,718
  • Church Hill14,688
  • Forest Hill11,818
  • Fulton9,095
  • Manchester12,764
  • Scotts Addition3,767
  • Shockoe1,983
  • The Fan16,320
Behavior

How dating actually happens

Safety

Dating safety in Richmond

Community

The LGBTQ+ landscape

Politics

Political alignment

  • 24% of Americans say they could never date someone who disagrees with them on abortion.

  • Virginia does not register voters by party; as a 2024 proxy, the City of Richmond voted about 82% Harris to 16% Trump — the most lopsided result of any city we cover.

  • The independent city is overwhelmingly Democratic while the surrounding suburban counties of Henrico and Chesterfield are more competitive, though both also went Democratic in 2024.

  • 47% of single daters would not seriously date a Trump voter; among Democratic women that rises to 79%.

  • 69% of Americans would not date someone who is unemployed, rising to 81% of women.

Economics

The cost of dating

Median 1BR-equivalent rent by neighborhood
  • Barton Heights$1,246
  • Bellevue$1,362
  • Carytown$1,518
  • Church Hill$1,287
  • Forest Hill$1,372
  • Fulton$1,361
  • Manchester$1,314
  • Scotts Addition$1,652
  • Shockoe$1,589
  • The Fan$1,406
Median individual income by neighborhood
  • Barton Heights$35,102
  • Bellevue$42,987
  • Carytown$66,904
  • Church Hill$37,420
  • Forest Hill$42,811
  • Fulton$42,469
  • Manchester$32,253
  • Scotts Addition$59,941
  • Shockoe$43,255
  • The Fan$33,173
Income vs. rent by neighborhood
$32.3k$66.9k$1.7k$1.2kincomeBarton Heights: $35.1k income, $1.2k rentBellevue: $43k income, $1.4k rentCarytown: $66.9k income, $1.5k rentChurch Hill: $37.4k income, $1.3k rentForest Hill: $42.8k income, $1.4k rentFulton: $42.5k income, $1.4k rentManchester: $32.3k income, $1.3k rentScotts Addition: $59.9k income, $1.7k rentShockoe: $43.3k income, $1.6k rentThe Fan: $33.2k income, $1.4k rent
  • A single adult in the City of Richmond needs about $48,600 a year just to cover the basics.

  • Richmond’s rents have risen steadily in the low single digits, sitting about 15% below the national one-bedroom median.

  • Americans reported $1.3 billion in romance-scam losses in a single year, a tax on every crowded market.

    Verified · FTC Data Spotlight, 2023
  • GRTC, Richmond’s transit system, has been fare-free since 2020 — riding the bus costs nothing, the only zero-fare system among the cities we cover.

    Verified · GRTC fares, 2026
Geography

Neighborhood intelligence

NeighborhoodSinglesM / FIncome1BR rent
The Fanhistoric walkable16,32050 / 50$33,173$1,406
Church Hillhistoric hilltop14,68849 / 51$37,420$1,287
Manchestersouthside loft12,76451 / 49$32,253$1,314
Forest Hillsouthside park11,81846 / 54$42,811$1,372
Fultoneast end riverside9,09542 / 58$42,469$1,361
Barton Heightsnorthside historic6,62044 / 56$35,102$1,246
Bellevuenorthside village5,55853 / 47$42,987$1,362
Carytownshopping strip4,71849 / 51$66,904$1,518
Scotts Additionbrewery district3,76752 / 48$59,941$1,652
Shockoedowntown bottom1,98350 / 50$43,255$1,589
On the ground

Local date spots

Real venues across Richmond, scraped from Google Maps and filterable by neighborhood. Ratings and review counts are live Google data — never paid placement.

Neighborhood
Class

30 spots across Richmond

  • Manchester

    The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing

    Seafood restaurant$$$$4.6 · 6,957
  • Shockoe

    Casa Del Barco - Canal Walk

    Mexican restaurant$$$$4.5 · 5,126
  • Fulton

    Island Shrimp Co. Rocketts Landing

    Seafood restaurant$$$$4.8 · 5,057
  • Scotts Addition

    Can Can Brasserie

    French restaurant$$$$4.5 · 3,650
  • Fulton

    Fall Line Kitchen & Bar

    Restaurant$$$$4.8 · 3,145
  • Manchester

    Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant

    Wine bar$$$$4.4 · 2,313
  • Scotts Addition

    Stella's

    Greek restaurant$$$$4.7 · 2,159
  • Forest Hill

    O'Toole's Restaurant & Pub

    Irish pub$$$$4.4 · 1,984
  • Manchester

    Bookbinder's Seafood & Steakhouse

    Restaurant$$$$4.6 · 1,947
  • Shockoe

    Havana 59

    Restaurant$$$$4.4 · 1,582
  • The Fan

    GWARbar

    Bar & grill$$$$4.6 · 1,551
  • Shockoe

    The Tobacco Company Restaurant

    Restaurant$$$$4.4 · 1,533
  • Scotts Addition

    Tazza Kitchen Scott's Addition

    Wine bar$$$$4.5 · 1,509
  • Scotts Addition

    Brambly Park

    Restaurant$$$$4.5 · 1,410
  • Forest Hill

    Little Nickel

    Restaurant$$$$4.6 · 1,403
  • Carytown

    Lolita's

    Restaurant$$$$4.7 · 1,350
  • Manchester

    Edo's Squid

    Italian restaurant$$$$4.5 · 1,264
  • Shockoe

    The Hard Shell

    Seafood restaurant$$$$4.5 · 1,173
  • Shockoe

    Poe's Pub

    Irish pub$$$$4.5 · 1,166
  • Carytown

    East Coast Provisions

    Seafood restaurant$$$$4.5 · 1,119
  • Manchester

    L'Opossum

    Modern French restaurant$$$$4.7 · 1,101
  • Scotts Addition

    Lemaire

    New American restaurant$$$$4.7 · 1,070
  • Bellevue

    Portico Restaurant

    Italian restaurant$$$$4.6 · 1,039
  • Carytown

    Les Crepes Carytown

    Creperie$$$$4.5 · 1,017
  • Church Hill

    Bar Solita

    Restaurant$$$$4.4 · 967
  • Manchester

    The Roosevelt

    American restaurant$$$$4.7 · 945
  • Manchester

    Legend Brewing Co

    Brewpub$$$$4.3 · 937
  • Carytown

    Burtons Grill & Bar

    American restaurant$$$$4.6 · 934
  • Carytown

    Babe's of Carytown

    Lesbian bar$$$$4.1 · 919
  • Scotts Addition

    Historic Hofheimer Building

    Bar$$$$4.3 · 882