Community Corner

Survey: First Dates On the Rise for Valentine's Day

Would you go on a first date on Valentine's Day? If so, would you pay for the date?

Needless to say, Valentine's Day is a popular holiday for couples everywhere. The day offers a chance for couples to take a breather from the daily grind and head out for a romantic evening, or, alternatively, enjoy a romantic evening at home.

But what about those who aren't in a committed relationship? As it turns out, a recent singles study indicates that first dates on or around Feb. 14 are actually on the rise. 

In fact, more than 2,400 Boston men are going as far as paying women for a first date on Valentine's Day, according to the study, conducted by dating-auction website WhatsYourPrice.com.

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Nationally, 369,282 first-date offers were made on the four weeks preceding Valentine's Day, the most of any one-month period of the year, according to the survey. The average price to get a valentine this year? $131.70.

“Our study revealed that as Valentine’s Day neared, both the number of offers and the average first date price steadily increased,” Brandon Wade, CEO and Founder of WhatsYourPrice.com, said in a recent statement. “Offering money for a first date is rather unconventional in the dating world, but it proves that Valentine’s Day is as important a holiday for singles as it is for couples.”

Find out what's happening in Walpolewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The site also released the top five cities for singles looking for valentines, which are listed below with the number of first-date offeres made:

  1. New York, NY – 27,733
  2. Los Angeles, CA – 22,341
  3. Miami, FL – 20,162
  4. Chicago, IL – 13,294
  5. Las Vegas, NV – 6,647

Today, we're wondering what residents in the area think. Would you choose to go on a first date on Valentine's Day? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments section below!


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