Bad news for couples, great news for literally everyone else: Lincoln has just been crowned one of the best places in the UK to be single.
According to a new “freedom index” by adult services site AdultWork (yep, really), the cathedral city ranks fifth out of all 346 local authorities — making it the top spot in the East Midlands to embrace single life.
The study looked at everything that actually matters when you’re single: how many other single people are around, how expensive rent is, how many places you can go on a date (or situationship meet-up), nightlife, and even safety. Basically, it’s a ranking of where you’ve got the best shot at living your best unattached life.
So why is Lincoln doing so well? First off: the dating pool is stacked.
A massive 62.9% of adults in Lincoln are single, which works out to around 54,725 people. That’s one of the highest proportions in the UK, meaning your chances of actually meeting someone (or several someones) are pretty solid.
There are also plenty of places to go when you inevitably say “we should grab a drink sometime.” Lincoln has 399 cafes and restaurants, giving it a strong ratio for date spots. So whether it’s a chill coffee or a slightly too intense dinner, you’ve got options.
And it’s not going to completely rinse your bank account either. The average one-bed rent sits at £7,944 a year, which is about 25.7% of the local median salary — not exactly London-level chaos.
All that adds up to a freedom index score of 60.98, putting Lincoln comfortably in the UK’s top five.
Nottingham is right behind (and has a HUGE dating pool)
Nottingham came in second regionally (11th in the UK), and honestly, it’s not surprising.
It has the biggest dating pool in the East Midlands by miles, with 171,110 single adults — that’s nearly 65% of the population. So yeah, if you can’t find a date there, that might be on you.
There are also over 1,000 cafes and restaurants, meaning the “where should we go?” debate can go on forever. Rent is a bit pricier though, averaging £8,784 a year.
But if you love pubs… Derbyshire Dales might be your soulmate
Coming in third is Derbyshire Dales — and it’s basically perfect if your ideal date is “a pint”.
The area has the best pubs-per-person ratio in the entire study, with 160 venues. That’s 26.2 pubs and bars for every 10,000 adults, which is frankly iconic behaviour.
It’s also one of the safer areas in the UK, and rent is relatively affordable, taking up just 21.1% of the local median wage. Not bad at all.
East Lindsey (aka the Lincolnshire coast) lands 15th in the UK, thanks to a surprisingly strong mix of venues.
There are 765 cafes and restaurants, plus 288 pubs and bars, giving it one of the best nightlife ratios in the country. On top of that, rent averages just over £6k a year, which is kind of unheard of.
High Peak rounds out the regional top five, sitting in 35th nationally.
At the other end of the scale, Oadby and Wigston is officially the worst place in the East Midlands to be single, ranking 294th out of 346.
Not a great look.
Nationally, Norwich took the top spot, followed by Liverpool and Powys in Wales.
And despite what people think, London didn’t dominate — mainly because rent is so high that most single people are spending half their wages just existing, never mind actually going out.
So, the takeaway? If you’re single in 2026, Lincoln might just be the place to be.
