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Many people in DC discussed this when it came out last month. Their methodology really focuses on people that have their own place living alone without a roommate. DC is a highly educated and wealthy city that is very affordable compared to other cities that are highly educated and wealthy so most people can afford their own place without roommates in DC. Compared to cities like Boston, LA, and NYC where it's pretty common to have roommates, this makes a lot of sense. Alexandria, VA is third which further proves that point.
"If you’re looking to find the loneliest place in America, look no further than the nation’s capital.
According to Census Bureau data, there are 319,565 households in Washington, D.C. Of those, nearly half (48.2%) are one-person households. Overall, 154,140 residents live alone in D.C., and 21.5% of males live alone while 26.7% of females in D.C. live alone. Washington ranks 7th in the nation for men living alone and 2nd for the number of women living alone.
The city also appears to be getting lonelier. On average, the number of people living alone has increased 5.9% year-over-year since 2016."
I didn't realize there was an increase in living alone during the pandemic. All I heard about was Millennials/Gen Z's moving back in with their parents.
I'm in #2 St Louis. Most single people I know do live alone. Many are home owners. Most condo owners in my building are single. They all have busy lives and don't appear to be lonely unless they want to be.
I'm in #2 St Louis. Most single people I know do live alone. Many are home owners. Most condo owners in my building are single. They all have busy lives and don't appear to be lonely unless they want to be.
When I moved into my neighborhood a few years ago, I think I went like six months before I got into a "hello my name is" type conversation with anyone in my condo complex. This was at the end of the pandemic though, and I've learned there's really no reason to socialize with neighbors in a dense apartment/condo setting when you already live in a major city with countless venues designated for socializing.
The flip side to this is that the commercial/downtown district of my neighborhood is one of the only places in all of San Diego where greeting a passing stranger on the street is considered normal etiquette. People striking up random conversations is much less of a thing in San Diego than Los Angeles, despite the "nicer people" pat on the head our city is typically given.
It looks like 21.5% of males in Washington DC live alone. This is NOT what they mean.
The 21.5% of males and 26.7% of females combines to the total of 48.2%. (It looks like every city combines like this.) What they mean is that 21.5% of all households are male singles.
In theory, if just 21.5% of the Washington DC population was guys, and 100% of them lived alone, the statistic would still be correct. It would also work statistically if 99% of the population lived in the other 51.8% of households, to take it to another extreme.
I guess this means the Seattle Freeze is a myth. People always describe Seattle as an introverted gloomy city, but it seems like Ohio might actually have that title.
It looks like 21.5% of males in Washington DC live alone. This is NOT what they mean.
The 21.5% of males and 26.7% of females combines to the total of 48.2%. (It looks like every city combines like this.) What they mean is that 21.5% of all households are male singles.
In theory, if just 21.5% of the Washington DC population was guys, and 100% of them lived alone, the statistic would still be correct. It would also work statistically if 99% of the population lived in the other 51.8% of households, to take it to another extreme.
Yes the fact that they didn't even understand that math/context made this "study"....ridiculous.
Many people in DC discussed this when it came out last month. Their methodology really focuses on people that have their own place living alone without a roommate. DC is a highly educated and wealthy city that is very affordable compared to other cities that are highly educated and wealthy so most people can afford their own place without roommates in DC. Compared to cities like Boston, LA, and NYC where it's pretty common to have roommates, this makes a lot of sense. Alexandria, VA is third which further proves that point.
I think that this makes a lot of sense. I'd add that in LA a large number of young people live with their parents well into their 20's and even 30's. I think that's a reflection of LA's immigrant culture and that it's very expensive when compared to salaries.
All that said I would expect a large urban city that is also transient like DC is, would indeed have a real-life problem with loneliness outside of the metric used in the article.
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