McALLEN — If you're an adult living in McAllen, you're probably not single.

The city has the lowest concentration of singles compared to all other metropolitan areas in the country, and some of its lonely hearts don't seem surprised.

"It has a lot to do with culture," said Jules Galvan, 26, at Thirsty Monkey Bar & Grill. "When Hispanic women get intimate and introduce you to their family, the parents usually want you to get married right away."

In McAllen, only 23 percent of people are unattached, according to a city research study by Sperling's BestPlaces. El Paso, which is 28.4 percent single, is the seventh-least single city in the United States. San Francisco is the most single city with 44.7 percent of its population going solo.

The study looked at Census data and restricted its analysis to the country's 379 metro areas. It found that 34 percent of women and 32 percent of men are either single, widowed or divorced nationwide.

The statistics don't surprise Nancy Millar, vice-president of the Convention & Visitor's bureau at the McAllen Chamber of Commerce.
"In a way it makes sense because (McAllen) has a reputation for being a family-friendly area," Millar said. "I can't imagine a better place to raise a family."

THE DATING SCENE

Even though the city has few singles, McAllen offers a variety of venues where young adults can meet, Millar said.

"The city places a lot of emphasis on the arts," she said, citing McAllen's Art & Film Festival, South of the City Limits concert series and Broadway in McAllen theater shows. "Young adults can appreciate a lot of activities the city sponsors that are conducive to meeting people," she said.

Still, most singles traditionally meet at bars, at church or via Internet dating sites. And cities with a busier nightlife tend to have a busier dating scene.

Austin, strewn with nightclubs and bars, for example, is considered America's best dating city. A separate study conducted by Sperling's BestPlaces included cities' percentage of singles age 18-24, population density and dating venues per capita.

Lori Perez, a 36-year-old divorcee, said couples just tend to marry too young in South Texas.

"A lot of them shouldn't be thinking about marriage," Perez said at Martini's Bar & Grill.

MEN VS. WOMEN

Surprisingly, McAllen is also the most gender-imbalanced city in the nation — there are 28 percent more women here than men. That means dating may be easier for the male gender.

Felix Garcia, 26, who frequents bars in McAllen, said he is confused that the study would find such a small number of singles because he often meets many available women.

"There are a lot of pretty women in McAllen," Garcia said. "I guess people are expected to have a family here, which surprises me."

Cecilia Huerta, 35, said it is hard for women to date men here because they have less to choose from.

"It's frustrating," she said. "I think a lot of people end up getting married because they just settle for what's there."

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Ana Ley covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 457-3740.