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Online dating study describes ‘ideal’ man and woman – Metro US

Online dating study describes ‘ideal’ man and woman

ideal woman The ideal woman of 2014 is a social drinker around 25 years old.
Credit: PlentyOfFish

Are you a woman who drinks three times a week? Or a man with brown hair and an athletic body? If so, you’re already on your way to being one of the most “desirable singles of 2014,” according to dating website PlentyOfFish.

PlentyOfFish researchers combed through 1.8 million messages sent between heterosexual singles across the country, which involved more than 81,000 individuals between 25 and 35. They found that the ideal woman is 25, Catholic, owns a dog, describes herself as thin, makes between $50,000 and $75,000, and drinks alcohol three times a week. The ideal male single is a man who is Christian, athletic with brown hair, states that he wants children, drinks socially, has an advanced degree and makes between $100,000 and $150,000 a year. Singles with these traits are more likely to receive messages than others.

ideal man The most desirable men on PlentyOfFish have advanced degrees.
Credit: PlentyOfFish

Who loses when it comes to online dating? PlentyOfFish researchers say women who are 33 years old receive the fewest messages on the site, and non-drinkers receive nearly 24 percent fewer messages than women who drink.

Meanwhile, men who say they don’t want children receive 42 percent fewer messages, and even those who write “prefer not to say” take a hit, receiving 21 percent fewer messages than those who do.

Perhaps because of New Year’s resolutions, engagement season or general holiday season loneliness, January is a big month for online dating. PlentyOfFish experiences a 20 percent increase in signups from Christmas through Valentine’s Day, and the first Sunday in January is the biggest day of the year for online dating site registrations.