Metro population: 166,706

Unmarried households: 51.9%

Cost-of-living score: 95.5

Median household income: $57,642

Date-night tab: $24.98

Bloomington singles hearken back to some charming heartland ideal: Well educated, well paid and exceptionally nice. State Farm's corporate headquarters employs more than 14,000 people, contributing to the area's high median income and 40% bachelor's-degree rate. Illinois State and Country Financial are also major employers. And lest Bloomington's small size scare you off, consider the fact that urban economist Richard Florida cited the city in his 2002 book, "The Rise of the Creative Class," noting its sky-high percentage of creative types. Today, dozens of cafes, bars and boutiques have sprung up in Bloomington's downtown business district. If nothing else, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than nearby Chicago, where jobs are equally good but young people are, statistically, scarcer.