1. Tampa, FL

This sunny city on Florida’s west coast is a hotbed for singles, boasting more unmarried people over 40 than any other city in the country. With nice weather year-round, the dating options are endless: from Latin dancing and live music to brew pubs and outdoor excursions. As if that wasn’t enough, the dating pool keeps getting bigger: Tampa has seen a 15 percent population growth in the last decade alone. 

2. Seattle, WA

Boating, gallery-hopping, fresh local seafood: Seattle offers a bevy of activities to choose from, and an over-40 dating population to match. The northwestern culture hub practically teems with never-married or divorced 40 and 50-somethings. While there’s plenty of love to go around, food-lovers can score big: Match.com recently named Seattle the #2 top city for dating a foodie dad. (And if you haven’t considered dating a dad, you may want to: According to Match.com, the single dads on their site are 46% more likely to meet somebody than are their childless peers.)

3. San Francisco, CA

In case you needed another reason to love this California city, San Franciscans also get married later than most, which means there are plenty of potential 40-plus partners to choose from. The proximity to nature makes it easy to take turn your dates into day trips—think hiking, biking, or a visit to nearby wine country—but being a cultural epicenter, San Francisco has tons of indoor options as well: gourmet restaurants that impress even the most diehard gourmands, art centers, museums, and more.

4. Baltimore, MD

For a city of its size, Baltimore has a surprisingly large number of available over-40s—and the dating options to match. From bustling jazz clubs and a scenic waterfront to beautiful Chesapeake Bay and catching an Orioles game at the city’s downtown baseball stadium, there are endless original activities you could surprise your date with. Once you’re ready to take a day trip together, scenic Annapolis and Washington, DC, are about a 30-mile drive away. 

5. Atlanta, GA

There’s a reason this Georgia city is nicknamed “Hotlanta:” there’s a sexy nightlife scene and it’s not limited to the under-30 set. The dating website HowAboutWe.com reports that it has a more 40-plus users in Atlanta than in any other city, and there are plenty of fish in this sea: newcomers are flooding to the area, resulting in a more than 30 percent population bump since 2000.

6. St. Louis, MO

There’s plenty of fun to be had at night in this Midwestern hub, which has a seemingly endless number of bars and clubs offering a vibrant nightlife and a local music scene to rival some larger cities’. And it’s not just young’uns filling those bar stools: the city has high numbers of both never-married and divorced people over 40.

7. Portland, OR

The city’s progressive leanings—which are lovingly parodied on the TV show Portlandia—can make it a great place to date: Opportunities for outdoor activity abound, as do cultural happenings and opportunities to eat healthy, seasonal food. Named one of the “Best Cities for Foodies” by the city-rating organization Sperling, Portland boasts countless date-night restaurants and brew pubs.

8. Boston, MA

Maybe it’s because there are more than 100 colleges and universities in the area, but Bostonians are never short on brainy date options—there’s an interesting speaker, film screening or cultural event going on pretty much every night of the week. Boston also offers plenty of chances for outdoor activity, from revisiting history while walking the 2.5 mile red brick Freedom Trail that runs through the city, to going for a romantic stroll along the Charles River Esplanade.