Over two years, Tawkify collected age-preference data from 98,789 Americans and scored all 50 states on two metrics. The result is a quantified, unique map of how geography and gender shape age-gap dating. The team’s scoring system gave each state up to 100 points based on the number of years older or younger respondents would date, and the percentage of people open to dating older or younger. They combined the two figures into a cumulative ranking.
At the top of the chart for dating older partners, we find men in Wyoming, North Dakota, and Alaska clustered at the top, with a near-11-year average gap in their relationships. Alaska is a genuine outlier with women who have the largest average age gap of 20.57 years. West Virginia trails by three years, averaging 17.83. Women in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maryland are the least open to dating someone older than them.
The data shifts when we look at people who are dating or willing to date someone younger. Hawaii leads for both genders and the gap is striking. Men’s average acceptable gap is dating someone up to 18.59 years younger, nearly double that of women, who are only willing to date someone up to nine years younger. Alaska and New York are near the top in willingness to date someone older, but they sink near the bottom of the rankings when it comes to men dating someone younger.
Keep in mind that the respondents were Tawkify’s matchmaking clients, a self-selected group of people seeking relationships rather than a national sample, but the data is still valuable and gives us logical insights. Small-state results might indicate a smaller dating pool, or it could be correlational with fewer respondents. The rankings are a vivid snapshot of the preferences of a wide pool of singles and serve as an interesting conversation starter about modern dating.
