The Great Dates State would be a more appropriate motto for Michigan, but alas, it is “The Great Lakes State.” The cheesiness aside, the underlying truth was still conveyed. Having a successful date in Michigan is no easy feat. No matter where you live in the state of Michigan — Detroit, Grand Rapids, Port Huron, Ann Arbor, or Dearborn — meeting that one true love can feel like an uphill battle.
You shouldn’t assume that. Most people don’t realize how active, exciting, and dynamic Michigan’s singles scene actually is. So, where exactly are they concealing themselves on our hand-held maps? Online! You can find a wide variety of people on Michigan dating sites looking for everything from long-term commitments to platonic flings.
Free dating sites in michigan
Today, we’re going to turn that frown upside down and help you get started on your search for someone special in the great state of Michigan.
Top 6 Dating Apps for Michigan Singles
| Rank | Site | Free Trial Link | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | eHarmony | Free Trial | |
| #2 | Elite Singles | Free Trial | |
| #3 | Higher Bond | Free Trial | |
| #4 | Zoosk | Free Trial | |
| #5 | The League | Free Trial |
eHarmony Ranks #1 Best Dating App in Michigan
At the risk of sounding cheesy again, it seems like eHarmony and Michigan singles were a match made in heaven. Here’s three reasons why.
One—eHarmony is one of the few dating apps that lets you “cross” the US-Canada border without needing to create multiple accounts. So, if you live in northern Michigan and want some international flair in your dating life, this is a golden opportunity.
Two—if you’re looking closer to home, eHarmony is home to many singles across Michigan and also the surrounding states (especially if you live in the south closer to Ohio or Indiana or even if you travel to Chicago a lot.
Three—if you’re tired of the high school mentality towards dating and want a real relationship, that is literally what this app was designed for.
Seriously, if you want the best dating app for singles in Michigan—this is the one.
Additional Resources for Michigan Singles
- Why We Love These Michigan Dating Apps
- What is Dating in Michigan Really Like?
- What Michigan Cities Are Most Interested in Online Dating?
- How Safe is Online Dating in Michigan?
- Best Free Dating Sites in Michigan
- Michigan Dating Apps FAQ
Why We Love These Michigan Dating Apps
Some Michigan dating apps are amazing, and some are so terrible they should be locked in a box and thrown to the bottom of one of the Great Lakes. Dramatic, Yes, but we’re passionate about this stuff!
In light of that passion, we’d like to take just a few minutes and share a few of the reasons that we selected these Michigan dating apps as our top picks.
Single Men and Women State-Wide
It should come as no surprise that one of the top factors we look at when assessing the best dating apps in Michigan is the number and quality of singles across the state. And what’s really important here is that it’s more than just great singles in big cities like Detroit or Grand Rapids. It’s totally okay if singles in small cities across MI see slightly smaller numbers, but it still needs to be plenty of amazing men and women to get anywhere close to our top-rated list.
Thankfully, all of the options on this list meet and exceed these needs, which is amazing news for you!
Some Canadian Crossover
If you live in the upper peninsula (or the “U-P”), we don’t have to tell you that you share a border with the country of Canada. What this means is that you’ll have some international singles only a few miles away. Now, if you only want to date people who live in America, no worries; these Michigan dating apps accommodate that. But you’ll notice that we included a few dating options that also allow you to see singles in Canada without the need to change your home location or create a separate account.
The best option for this is eHarmony, where you can select Canada and then any of 13 different regions within the country to also see singles from.
Ability to Search by Distance
Not only does Michigan share a border with Canada, but it’s also bordered by Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin. If you happen to live on the border of the state, you’re probably totally cool with dating someone who lives close by but happens to be in a different state. (Yes, you may have to deal with some sports rivalries, but we believe in you!). The best Michigan dating apps allow you to search for singles by distance from your location and not just your state or city. This allows you to see people who are close by but in a different state.
Proven History of Matchmaking Success
Michigan is a state with a rich history of successfully providing many of our countries most important needs. With that in mind, Michigan residents should completely understand the important of evaluating companies (and dating apps) based on their history and track record of success.
Thankfully, each of the dating apps we’ve recommend comes with a history of success and the data to back it up. For example, did you know that eHarmony has helped over 2 million people find love? Or that over 85% of people on Elite Singles have an above-average education or trade knowledge? Those are solid numbers we can get behind.
What is Dating in Michigan Really Like?
Understanding a state’s dating scene, its trends, and its tendencies is a great step towards having more success finding someone. Yes, picking out the right dating app is step number one, but getting yourself up to speed is a great second.
Let’s take a minute and look at what you might expect from the Michigan dating scene.
- Expect to meet a lot of lifers. – There are dating-related reasons that this could be a good thing or a bad thing, but be aware that a lot of people who live in Michigan can and will live there for their entire lives. What’s nice for dating is that if you meet someone locally, you don’t have to worry about them leaving unexpectedly like you do in a town like Miami or Las Vegas. But if you’re an outsider who moved to the state after high school, it may be tough to get connected into the tighter-knit, lifelong social circles.
- High school does not end at graduation. – In a lot of cities in Michigan, the high school approach to dating and life continue long beyond graduation. Unfortunately, this means that a lot of relationships may end in silly fights and the “grown-up” approach to relationships (you know, like taking them seriously) might take a lot longer to develop. This isn’t everyone, but it’s a lot of the state.
- People get married a little bit older. – The average age of marriage in Michigan is 27.9 years of age which is 14th highest in the nation. While not that far off the average, it should provide a little solace that not everyone got married to their high school sweetheart.
- Safety is a chief concern in a lot of areas. – While Michigan is only the 24th most dangerous state for online dating (right in the middle), in-person dating safety is a real concern in a lot of areas. This shouldn’t deter you from getting out there, but it should encourage you to be a little more vigilant about things. Verify who you’re going out with, tell someone else your plans (and check in), and when you select a date spot—make sure it’s safe (especially in places like Detroit).
- Sport rivalries may actually impact whether someone will go out with you or not. – Whether it’s Michigan vs. Michigan State or you’re from Illinois and you’re a Bears fan (the Lion’s biggest rival)—expect things to get a little spicy. While some people can keep this at playful banter, it can actually be a deal breaker for the more hardcore sports fans (or alumni from one of the colleges).
- The bar scene is a haven for regulars. – In some state’s, there are so many bars and nightclubs to choose from that singles rotate where they’re going each week. If you see someone you like, your chances of running into them again randomly are low. However in Michigan, people tend to be creatures of habit when it comes to nightlife. It might be because the scene is slower in most towns or it just might be the nature of liking something comfortable. Either way, frequent spots where you see people you’re interested in regularly and you may find a nice opportunity to strike up a conversation.
Michigan Singles Dating Statistics
By now, we’re for sure that we’ve convinced you we’re true lovers of data. But how awesome is it to know that when you get out into the Michigan dating scene you’re going to have a leg up knowing what to expect?
What we have here are some general statistics on the singles in the state of MI. We’ll talk age, how many are married, who has access to the internet, and who wins in the girls vs. guys category!
Total Population
- 10,050,811
Population in Michigan by Gender
- 50.5% women in Michigan
- 49.5% men in Michigan
Overall Singles by Gender
- 52.3% of women in Michigan are single
- 49.9% of men in Michigan are single
Population in Michigan by Age
- 13.1% aged from 20-29 years old
- 12.6% aged from 30-39 years old
- 11.8% aged from 40-49 years old
- 13.2% aged from 50-59 years old
- 25.3% aged 60+ years old
% Households With Internet in MI
- 79.0% of households in Michigan have internet access
Source(s): Census.gov
Detroit Ranks 30th Best City for Singles
Continuing our look into online dating trends in different Michigan cities, we took a look at how some of the bigger cities measured up when it came to dating compared with the rest of the country.
A recent study conducted on the best cities for singles in the US looked at the 100 largest cities in the nation. Specifically, the study looked at 36 different data points to try and identify which cities were the best and worst for singles in America. The only Michigan city to make the list was Detroit.
How’d the city do? Detroit came in the top 1/3 with a 30th place finish. Detroit did the best in the quality of the dating pool category, and also did well in the cost of dating category. If you’re from the city and interested in more information on online dating there, check out our guide to dating in Detroit now.
What Michigan Cities Are Most Interested in Online Dating?
Yes, we are data nerds. But often, data can give us some exciting key insights into how things work—like the dating scene in Michigan. What we wanted to figure out most recently is what areas of Michigan had the most interest in online dating. Were there certain cities where it was more popular? Less popular?
Here’s what we looked and what we found.
Google Trends data allows us to take a look at just how people in different parts of the world are searching for things online. Additionally, it allows us to see the volume of searches within certain geographical areas. Recently, we took a look at which Michigan cities had the most search traffic for online dating topics over the past 12 months. Here are the results.
- Detroit MI – (100)
- Traverse City-Cadillac MI – (93)
- Flint-Saginaw-Bay City MI- (91)
- Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek MI- (84)
- Lansing MI – (80)
- South Bend-Elkhart IN – (51)
- Toledo OH – (6)
- Alpena MI
- Marquette MI
The win goes to Detroit for the most interest in online dating! Traverse City was not far behind with 93% of the search volume seen in Detroit. And in third place was the Flint area, including all of the small surrounding cities. This doesn’t mean you won’t have luck finding love elsewhere in the state, but these areas are particularly busy when it comes to dating online in Michigan.
How Safe is Online Dating in Michigan?
Recently, our team looked at several different data points to determine which states in the nation are the safest or most dangerous for online dating and romance scams.
Here are the data points our team looked at:
The results? Michigan came in as the 24th most dangerous, which also means it’s the 27th safest—again, not great but also not that bad. In Michigan, your statistical odds of falling for a romance scam are 1 in 17,400. We’d say these are pretty decent odds and can be heavily skewed by your willingness to educate yourself on the dangers that are out there and not to let your heart get ahead of your head.
By no means should this discourage you from trying Michigan dating apps or putting yourself out there. However, it 100% means you should make sure to do everything you can to stay safe.
Best Free Dating Sites in Michigan
If it’s free, it’s for me, right? Okay, that’s how we think. Here’s the scoop on free Michigan dating sites and apps. Any option that is 100% free from start to finish is not going to be worth your time. It’s going to lack security, features, quality members, and be nothing but a drag on you. We wish it wasn’t the case, but it is.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t at least get something for free. What we recommend for anyone looking for free Michigan dating sites is two things. Number one—reconsider investing a few bucks in your search for love. It will be worth every penny. Number two—use free trials to test out sites. Search for singles in your area. Make sure you find the perfect app before you open that wallet or purse.
To get you started, we’ve included some options at the top of the guide.
Michigan Dating Apps FAQ
Is dating in Michigan hard?
We wouldn’t say that dating in Michigan is necessarily easy, but it’s certainly not as hard as some other states in the country. Some of the issues that make it challenging are a slower-than-normal nightlife scene, safety and crime issues, tighter-knit social circles, and a high school-esque mentality that some people struggle to snap out of. Overall, though, with the right approach, effort, and patience, you should be able to have some luck finding someone special.
Is online dating in Michigan popular?
In a ranking of the states, Michigan comes in at the 30th for the most interest in online dating (not great but also not bad). Still, this equates to thousands of singles looking for someone. So, on the grand scheme in comparison to other states—not that great, but when looking at a micro level that it only takes one person for you to meet—it’s popular enough to be effective.