Data
US Dating Pool — By the Numbers
National rates for the criteria most commonly applied in dating decisions, drawn from US Census ACS 2022, CDC NHANES 2017–2020, Pew Research 2024, and CDC NSFG 2017–2019. Values are weighted by actual US racial composition.
Adult Population (Ages 18–64)
| Group | US Total | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 104.8 million | Census ACS 2022 |
| Men | 101.2 million | Census ACS 2022 |
Racial Composition
US adult population (18–64) by race and ethnicity, used as base weights throughout the calculator.
| Race / Ethnicity | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 58.8% | 58.6% |
| Hispanic | 16.7% | 17.8% |
| Black | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Asian | 6.0% | 5.8% |
| Other / Multiracial | 5.6% | 6.2% |
Key Criteria — National Rates
Weighted averages across all racial groups using actual US population shares. Age-dependent criteria (children, marriage, partner history) shown for the 25–34 cohort as the most relevant dating age band.
| Criterion | Women | Men | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative political leaning | 33.4% | 44.0% | Pew 2024 |
| Healthy weight (BMI < 25) | 33.2% | 30.0% | CDC NHANES 2017–2020 |
| Not obese (BMI < 30) | 59.1% | 56.8% | CDC NHANES 2017–2020 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.7% | 33.1% | Census ACS 2022 |
| Raised in intact two-parent family | 60.0% | 59.7% | CDC NSFG 2017–2019 |
| No children (ages 25–34) | 39.0% | 54.2% | Census ACS 2022 |
| Never married (ages 25–34) | 46.8% | 58.5% | Census ACS 2022 |
| Zero prior partners (ages 25–34) | 4.0% | 5.5% | CDC NSFG 2017–2019 |
BMI Distributions by Race — Women
Proportion of women with BMI under 25 (healthy weight) and under 30 (not obese) by race. Source: CDC NHANES 2017–2020.
| Race / Ethnicity | BMI < 25 | BMI < 30 |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 36.0% | 61.0% |
| Hispanic | 26.5% | 56.5% |
| Black | 20.5% | 43.5% |
| Asian | 54.5% | 82.0% |
| Other / Multiracial | 30.0% | 58.0% |
BMI Distributions by Race — Men
Proportion of men with BMI under 25 (healthy weight) and under 30 (not obese) by race. Source: CDC NHANES 2017–2020.
| Race / Ethnicity | BMI < 25 | BMI < 30 |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 30.5% | 57.0% |
| Hispanic | 26.5% | 54.5% |
| Black | 24.5% | 50.0% |
| Asian | 47.0% | 77.5% |
| Other / Multiracial | 29.0% | 55.0% |
Never-Married Rates by Age and Race — Women
Share of women who have never been married, by age cohort. Source: Census ACS 2022.
| Race / Ethnicity | 18–24 | 25–34 | 35–44 | 45–64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 88.0% | 42.0% | 20.0% | 10.0% |
| Hispanic | 85.0% | 52.0% | 27.5% | 13.5% |
| Black | 90.0% | 66.0% | 45.0% | 26.5% |
| Asian | 83.0% | 37.5% | 18.0% | 9.5% |
| Other / Multiracial | 87.0% | 48.0% | 26.0% | 13.5% |
Never-Married Rates by Age and Race — Men
Share of men who have never been married, by age cohort. Source: Census ACS 2022.
| Race / Ethnicity | 18–24 | 25–34 | 35–44 | 45–64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 94.0% | 54.5% | 29.5% | 14.0% |
| Hispanic | 93.0% | 62.0% | 37.5% | 18.5% |
| Black | 96.0% | 77.0% | 56.0% | 32.0% |
| Asian | 91.0% | 52.0% | 28.5% | 14.0% |
| Other / Multiracial | 93.0% | 58.0% | 34.0% | 18.0% |
Zero Prior Partners by Age
Share of adults reporting zero prior sexual partners by age cohort. Source: CDC NSFG 2017–2019.
| Age Cohort | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| 18–24 | 13.0% | 15.5% |
| 25–34 | 4.0% | 5.5% |
| 35–44 | 1.8% | 2.2% |
| 45–64 | 1.0% | 1.2% |
How to Read This Data
Every percentage on this page is a direct input into the Standards Test calculator. When you select a criterion, the relevant proportion gets multiplied into the running probability. Stack enough criteria and the number drops fast — that compounding effect is the core of what the calculator demonstrates.
Because some factors correlate (education and income, age and marital status), the simple product may slightly underestimate or overestimate the true overlap. The methodology page explains the conditional probability model in full, including race-weighted factor averaging.
Data Sources
- US Census Bureau ACS 2022 — age, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, marital status.
- CDC NHANES 2017–2020 — measured BMI distributions by sex and race.
- Pew Research Center 2024 — political affiliation by race and sex.
- CDC NSFG 2017–2019 — sexual partner counts by age and sex.
All underlying data is publicly available. No personal data was collected for this site.