We reviewed the bios of 5,000 dating app users across the 25 largest cities in the U.S. Why you ask? Innate curiosity, and because we like to suffer.
In the 21st century, it’s hard to imagine dating without the use of apps. According to a 2019 report, 55% of Americans are in serious relationships as a result of dating apps. Another survey reported that nearly 25% of people have used or are currently using online dating services, and for people aged 18 to 44, that number increases to 33%.
In popular culture, we know the names of these apps well: Tinder, Match, Bumble, OKCupid, PlentyofFish, Zoosk, and Grindr, to name a few. Most of these companies were founded post-2000, which makes them especially widely-used by millennials and Gen X. But it also makes them relatively new phenomena, the patterns and effects of which are hard to measure.Â
So, we decided to analyze dating app bios to determine exactly how singles present themselves on these apps. What language do they use? What matters to them? What are they looking for? What are the exact percentages of emoji use and men referencing their heights?
To gather this unique set of data, we reviewed the bios of 100 female and 100 male dating app users in each of the 25 largest U.S. cities. Our results confirmed that yes, dating app profiles do have a kind of formula. And we’re here to crack it open.
Table of Contents
i. Comparing the Most Common Mentions in Bios
ii. The Cities That Use the Most Profanity in Dating App Profiles
iii. The Cities That Use the Most Emojis in Dating App Profiles
iv. Which City’s Dating App Users Have the Longest Bios?
v. The Cities Looking for Hookups Most on Dating Apps
vi. Wrap Up
i. Comparing the Most Common Mentions in Bios
Below is a summary of our findings broken down into women’s and men’s profiles. There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s dive in.
Men are more likely to mention their pets, the outdoors, their Instagram or SnapChat handle, cuddling and religion or spirituality in their dating app profiles than women are. Honestly, that’s pretty f***ing wholesome. Except that they are also more likely to use profanity in their profiles than women are. Less than wholesome.
And let’s address the elephant in the room. We’ve all seen man after man list his height in his dating app bio – but just how common is the practice? Men are exceedingly more likely (18.5% versus 9.8% of women) to mention their height in their bios. In fact, this feature is so common, as are reported instances of men stretching the truth about their height, that Tinder teased releasing a Height Verification Badge feature on April Fool’s Day. We see right through you, men. You can’t all possibly be six feet tall.Â
How about the dating app profiles of women? Women are more likely to mention zodiac signs, tattoos, and hair color in their bios, as well as use emojis. But using emojis to attract another on a dating site is overall a very common practice – 40.2% of women and 34.4% of men do so.
But the insights don’t stop here. We broke down our results city by city to help you get an idea of the dating app scene near you.
ii. The Cities That Use the Most Profanity in Dating App Profiles
On average, 19.2% of dating app profiles use profanity. Many cities on this list are above average, though, in their level of profanity on dating apps. You’ll see the most profane bios in Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Detroit – over 24% of them, in fact.
In cities like Seattle, Nashville, Denver, San Antonio, Los Angeles, and Jacksonville, you have about a 1 in 4 or 5 chance of swiping across cusses in someone’s bio. Apparently, there’s nothing quite like profanity to establish yourself as an eligible bachelor or bachelorette.
iii. The Cities That Use the Most Emojis in Dating App Profiles
As we mentioned before, the use of emojis in dating app profiles is a common practice. So much can be said with just a few of those tiny, colorful means of communication. But where are they popping up the most?
In first place, we have El Paso, where 51.2% of dating app users use emojis. Runners-up include Fort Worth with 47.75% and San Antonio with 43.55%. The cities that use emojis the least include Boston and Columbus, but on average, 37.3% of dating profiles in the U.S. contain emojis. We guess pictures really do say a thousand words, even if they’re tiny (and occasionally shaped like inappropriate produce).
iv. Which City’s Dating App Users Have the Longest Bios?
Of course, dating app profiles vary widely across different platforms. Some will require users to answer specific questions or have a specific number of photos, while some dating apps leave users to determine how much or how little they want to reveal about themselves to potential suitors. On average, the length of dating app profile in the U.S. is a brief 19.51 words.
You’ll find the most detailed dating app bios in Denver, Seattle, and Fort Worth, with an average bio length of 23.8, 22.75, and 21.6 words, respectively. This could be very useful in making sure you only swipe on people you’re likely to connect with. However, if you’re looking for less talking and more hooking up, perhaps a city with shorter bios like Washington D.C. (16.45 words) or New York (16.25 words) would be better suited for you.
v. The Cities Looking for Hookups Most on Dating Apps
Speaking of hooking up, we have arrived at our final dating app bio analysis, which is perhaps the question you’ve been waiting to have answered all along – how many people are on dating apps just to hook up?
Across the U.S., only an average of 3.45% of dating app profiles directly mention hookups in their bios. The cities with the most mentions include Fort Worth (6.25%), Austin (5.9%), and Seattle (5%). So, we suppose these cities can be considered the best cities for hookups? Residents, please let us know.
The cities that mention hookups the least, in under 2% of bios, include Chicago, Denver, Washington D.C. and San Francisco. But keep in mind, user’s intent isn’t always directly stated – it’s best to practice one-on-one communication with matches to assure you’re both on the same page.
For the full results of our study, check out the interactive table below. Click on the column headers to sort by each category of information, or input your query into the search bar.
vi. Wrap Up
Whether you’re seeking to attract a long-term mate, go on a couple of dates, or find a friend with benefits, crafting a dating app bio is an art form. The right bio can easily communicate your exact intent in using the app, let your personality shine, and break the ice before you even meet someone.
We love all kinds of relationships here at The Black Tux, and we’re encouraged by the power of tech to bring people together. There is no right or wrong way to write a dating app bio, but there are obviously certain patterns. In these patterns, we see a common ground –people trying to connect, share their interests, and meet new people. After all, that’s what dating is all about, even when it begins on a phone screen.