Humans are social creatures, so the pandemic’s lockdowns and social-distancing measures have taken an understandable toll on mental health. It’s difficult to quantify loneliness, but a report from Aging in Place looked at a number of factors to determine which states are the loneliest. Metrics like single-person households, the number of people who have been widowed, divorce rates, and searches for dating and friendship apps were all used to determine which U.S. states have the loneliest residents.
Related: 28 Ways to Beat Loneliness in Retirement
15. Indiana
Loneliness score: 5.44 out of 10
Percentage of single-person households: 30.38%
Percentage of people widowed: 6.1%
Percentage of people divorced: 12%
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13. Montana (tie)
Loneliness score: 5.6 out of 10
Percentage of single-person households: 30.69%
Percentage of people widowed: 6.1%
Percentage of people divorced: 12%
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13. Missouri (tie)
Loneliness score: 5.60 out of 10
Percentage of single-person households: 30.25%
Percentage of people widowed: 6.5%
Percentage of people divorced: 12%
12. Nevada
Loneliness score: 5.64 out of 10
Percentage of single-person households: 28.52%
Percentage of people widowed: 5.5%
Percentage of people divorced: 14%
Nevada’s high percentage of divorced people is matched by only one other state: Maine.
11. Michigan
Loneliness score: 5.68 out of 10
Percentage of single-person households: 30.49%
Percentage of people widowed: 6%
Percentage of people divorced: 12%
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10. District of Columbia
Loneliness score: 5.8 out of 10
Percentage of single-person households: 44.75%
Percentage of people widowed: 4.6%
Percentage of people divorced: 4.8%
D.C., considered a state for this study’s purposes, has the largest percentage of single-person households by far. North Dakota is a distant second, with 33.66%.
9. Delaware
Loneliness score: 6.00 out of 10
Percentage of single-person households: 28.8%
Percentage of people widowed: 6.3%
Percentage of people divorced: 11%
7. Rhode Island (tie)
Loneliness score: 6.20 out of 10
Percentage of single-person households: 31.02%
Percentage of people widowed: 6.2%
Percentage of people divorced: 11%
A lot of Rhode Islanders are looking for love on dating apps, according to Aging in Place’s data.
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7. Oregon (tie)
Loneliness score: 6.20 out of 10
Percentage of single-person households: 28.14%
Percentage of people widowed: 5.3%
Percentage of people divorced: 13%
Oregon is also looking for companionship online, though the more platonic sort — it has a lot of residents searching for friendship apps online.
6. Pennsylvania
Loneliness score: 6.00 out of 10
Percentage of single-person households: 30.15%
Percentage of people widowed: 6.8%
Percentage of people divorced: 10%
5. Vermont
Loneliness score: 6.28 out of 10
Percentage of single-person households: 31.64%
Percentage of people widowed: 5.6%
Percentage of people divorced: 13%
4. New Mexico
Loneliness score: 6.60 out of 10
Percentage of single-person households: 31.32%
Percentage of people widowed: 6%
Percentage of people divorced: 13%
3. Ohio
Loneliness score: 6.68 out of 10
Percentage of single-person households: 31.08%
Percentage of people widowed: 6.4%
Percentage of people divorced: 12%
Lonely Ohioans are searching for dating apps in large numbers, Aging in Place says, and the state has a relatively large percentage of single-person households.
2. Florida
Loneliness score: 7.00 out of 10
Percentage of single-person households: 28.64%
Percentage of people widowed: 7%
Percentage of people divorced: 13%
Florida is a magnet for retirees, Aging in Place notes, so it has a larger percentage of widowed and divorced residents that drive up its score.
1. Maine (Loneliest)
Loneliness score: 7.60 out of 10
Percentage of single-person households: 31.19%
Percentage of people widowed: 6.5%
Percentage of people divorced: 14%
Maine’s relatively high percentage of single-person households and divorced people helped propel the Pine Tree State to the top of the list.
Least Lonely States
On the flipside, the least lonely state is Utah, by far. Its loneliness score is only 0.72 out of 10 thanks to low rates of single-person households (19.16%), number of people widowed (3.8%), and divorce (9%). The other least lonely states:
- Alaska (2.32 out of 10)
- Hawaii (2.56 out of 10)
- California (3.04 out of 10)
- Texas (3.08 out of 10)
- Idaho (3.36 out of 10)
- Wyoming (3.48 out of 10)
- Virginia (3.52 out of 10)
- Georgia (3.64 out of 10)
- South Dakota (3.76 out of 10)
Related: How the Pandemic Has Changed Divorce
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