About half of single Black adults are seeking a committed relationship, casual dates or both, but men and women differ in what they want and how they weigh a potential partner’s finances, according to a Pew Research Center report released Nov. 12.
The report found that 53% of Black singles were looking for a relationship or dates. Among those looking, women were more likely than men to seek only a committed relationship, while men were more likely to seek only casual dates or be open to either option.
Who is single, and what are they seeking?
The findings come from a survey conducted June 16-29, 2025. Pew surveyed 6,871 U.S. adults, including 4,271 Black adults. The Black respondents included 1,057 members of Pew’s American Trends Panel and 3,214 members of SSRS’s Opinion Panel.
Pew defines single adults as people who are not married, living with a partner or in a committed romantic relationship. Under that definition, 42% of Black adults were single, compared with 29% of other U.S. adults.
Black women and men were about equally likely to be single, at 44% and 40%, respectively. Being single was more common among Black adults ages 18-29 and those 65 and older than among the two middle age groups. It was also more common among adults with lower incomes, those with a high school diploma or less education, and those who were not parents.
Among Black singles seeking a relationship or dates, 45% of women wanted only a committed relationship, compared with 24% of men. Another 18% of women and 27% of men wanted casual dates only. The remaining 37% of women and 49% of men were open to either.
Financial considerations and other dealbreakers
Black men and women who were single and looking shared several priorities. Majorities said a good spouse or partner should be caring and compassionate, romantic, willing to help with household chores and someone who believes in God. Women placed greater importance than men on most of those qualities, according to Pew.
Women were also more likely to consider financial stability important and to rule out a potential committed partner because of debt or lower earnings.
Among single-and-looking Black adults, 64% of women and 48% of men said they probably or definitely would not consider a committed relationship with someone carrying significant debt. For a partner earning significantly less than they did, the shares were 42% of women and 18% of men.
Across all Black singles who were looking, significant debt was the most frequently cited dealbreaker among the factors Pew asked about, at 56%. It was followed by living far away, at 43%, and raising children from another relationship or having different religious views, both at 38%.
Women were more likely than men to rule out someone who did not vote, at 42% versus 26%, or someone with different religious views, at 45% versus 30%. A smaller share would rule out someone of a different race or ethnicity: 19% of women and 11% of men.
Men and women were more alike on other considerations. Similar shares would rule out a partner who lived far away, was raising children from another relationship or earned significantly more than they did.
Why respondents said they were single
Among Black singles who were looking, unsuccessful past dating or relationship experiences were the most commonly selected major reason for being single. Women cited that reason more often than men, at 40% versus 30%.
Men were more likely to say they were not financially stable enough for a relationship: 30% chose that as a major reason, compared with 19% of women.
Black singles who were not looking offered a different perspective. Forty-two percent said enjoying being single was a major reason they were not in a relationship, compared with 24% of those looking. Those not looking were also less likely to cite unsuccessful past relationships, at 24% versus 35%.
The findings describe national survey responses, rather than estimates for the Finger Lakes or any individual community. Pew’s definition of Black adults includes people who identify as Black alone or in combination with other races or Hispanic identity.
The complete report, The Dating Attitudes of Single Black Adults, was written by Gabriel Piña, Ziyao Tian and Mark Hugo Lopez.
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