More than 37 million Americans live alone or about 29% of all U.S. households, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. The covid-19 pandemic helped accelerate the rise of solo living, with 2.4 million more people living alone today than in 2019.
To determine what they call the "loneliest" cities in America — the cities where the most people live alone — the Chamber of Commerce analyzed housing data across more than 170 cities that have a population of at least 150,000. The report looked at the number of one-person households in each city as well as the number of males and females living in one-person households.
Data from the American Community Survey was not available for 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic. Data for the following cities was not available for 2022, so they were omitted from the analysis: Macon, Georgia; Louisville, Kentucky; Columbus, Georgia; Spokane Valley, Washington and Rancho, California.
Washington, D.C. is the 'loneliest city' in America
For the second year in a row, Washington, D.C. tops the Chamber of Commerce's list of the loneliest cities in the U.S. Nearly half of the households in Washington, D.C. are people that live alone, the analysis found.
According to Census Bureau data, there are 326,970 one-person households in Washington, D.C. and an overall, 158,840 residents live alone, which is a 3% year-over-year increase from 2021.
The nation's capital also ranks second for the number of women living alone and third for the number of men.
Washington, D.C., has one of the country's highest concentrations of millennial residents and scored highly in both the education and health categories, according to a 2022 WalletHub study.
The nation's capital borders Virginia and Maryland. It is considered a cultural and political hub in the U.S. and the world.
The 10 'loneliest cities' in America
- Washington, D.C.
- Birmingham, Ala.
- St. Louis, Miss.
- Atlanta, Ga.
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Pittsburgh, Penn.
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Alexandria, Va.
- Minneapolis, Minn.
- Richmond, Va.
Birmingham, Alabama, ranked No. 2 on the list. The report found that of the city's 88,889 households, 48% are occupied by one person.
During the pandemic, Birmingham had an increase of 11.4% in residents living alone.
Year-over-year, the number of people living alone in Birmingham grew by more than 3,800, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Birmingham is considered a major business hub in the Southeastern U.S. and one of the nation's largest banking centers, according to the city's website.
The Alabama city also has the country's highest per capita concentration of healthcare jobs nationwide.
Want to land your dream job in 2024? Take CNBC's new online course How to Ace Your Job Interview to learn what hiring managers are really looking for, body language techniques, what to say and not to say, and the best way to talk about pay.
