Gen Z is finding love the old fashioned way: 77% met their match IRL

The online dating market in the U.S. is projected to reach $3.17 billion in 2025 and has revolutionized how we meet potential partners—or has it? 

While swiping left and right have become synonymous with dating culture among younger generations, a 2025 Hims study found that the vast majority of people, young and old, are meeting in real life (IRL). 

82% of Americans Met Their Partners In Person, Not Digitally

82% of men and women in the U.S., ages 18-65, who report either being married or in a relationship, say they met in person, not on a dating app, online community, or through social media. Not surprisingly, Gen Zs were more likely than Millennials, Gen Xers, or Boomers to meet their match digitally, but still only 23% of 18-29-year-olds report having done so, meaning that 77% met their partner the old-fashioned way. 

There were few significant differences between genders, with women slightly more likely to have met their partner through family and friends (16% of women vs. 13% of men), and men slightly more likely to have met their partner at a wedding or party (8% of men vs. 5% of women) or on a blind date (6% of men vs. 3% of women). Overall, women and men were equally likely to meet their match digitally (18% and 17%, respectively) and IRL (82% and 83% respectively).

Where Americans Met Their Significant Others

Meeting people in real life is still popular, despite the growth in the popularity of online opportunities.

Get the data.

Gen Zs Are Looking For Love "In the Wild"

Hims

Gen Zs, despite their bad rap of always being glued to screens, are still largely meeting their partners in person vs. on the apps. While Gen Z adults reported a higher rate of meeting their partners digitally compared to other generations, many complain about the superficiality of swiping left and right, and the rapid-fire rejection that results from it.

According to the study, fewer than one-quarter of Gen Z adults (23%) met their partner through a dating app, social media, or online community. At a time when so much of their life has been digitized, from school to socialization, meeting someone at a park, bar, or library may feel novel. 

Furthermore, there are so many fish in the digital sea that physical places are a good filter for finding love, and don't include photos that have been filtered, or profiles that are embellished, or misleading.

Where To Find Love In Your City

For Gen Zs—and anyone looking for love IRL—sometimes the first question is where to go. Are sparks more likely to fly at a wedding, at work, or walking your dog at the park? The answer at first blush may be, "Who knows?" However, according to our study, where you live could determine where you are most likely to find that special someone. 

For example, 17.5% of San Antonians say they met their partner at a bar or restaurant, nearly 3X that of the national average (7%). Ask to be set up in Miami–-40% say they met their match through friends and family, also nearly 3X the national average of 14%. In LA, it may be best to go to a dog park: Los Angeles residents were the most likely to find love in third spaces, like parks and gyms, than residents of any other city in the country. See the full list in our City Dating Guide below.

City Dating Guide: The Top Places To Meet a Match In Person

Q: Where did you meet your significant other? 

Results reflect percentages of respondents who were married or in a relationship and reported having met their significant other at each location.

Friends & Family 

1. Miami, FL: 40%
2. St. Louis, MO: 37%
3. Sacramento, CA: 36.5%
4. Kansas City, KS: 33%
5. Las Vegas, NV: 33%

Work or a Work Event

1. Tampa, FL: 18.5%
2. Denver, CO: 17%
3. Oklahoma City, OK: 16%
4. Los Angeles, CA: 16%
5. Houston, TX: 14%

Bar or Restaurant

1. San Antonio, TX: 17.5%
2. Providence, RI: 13.5%
3. Nashville, TN: 13%
4. Minneapolis, MN: 12%
5. Houston, TX: 12%

Vacation or Traveling

1. San Diego, CA: 23%
2. Indianapolis, IN: 14%
3. Providence, RI: 11%
4. Atlanta, GA: 10%
5. Portland, OR: 10%

High School

1. Norfolk, VA: 14%
2. Nashville, TN: 13%
3. Salt Lake City, UT: 12%
4. Charlotte, NC: 10.5%
5. Memphis, TN: 10%

College or Graduate School

1. Honolulu, HI: 13%
2. Washington, D.C .: 12%
3. Tampa, FL: 11%
4. San Francisco, CA: 11%
5. Cleveland, OH: 10%

Third Spaces (Cafe, Gym, Church, Park, Library)

1. San Diego, CA: 13.5%
2. Des Moines, IA: 12.5%
3. Los Angeles, CA: 12%
4. San Francisco, CA: 11%
5. Charlotte, NC: 10.5%

Wedding or Party

1. Miami, FL: 12%
2. Chicago, IL: 12%
3. Las Vegas, NV: 11%
4. Denver, CO: 11%
5. Indianapolis, IN: 10%

Volunteering

1. New Orleans, LA: 12.5%
2. San Diego, CA: 11.5%
3. Austin, TX: 11%
4. Pittsburg, PA: 9%
5. San Francisco, CA: 9%

Blind Date

1. New Orleans, LA:  12.5%
2. Greenville, SC: 11%
3. Phoenix, AZ: 10%
4. Birmingham, AL: 10%
5. Salt Lake City, UT: 9%

My Building or Neighborhood

1. Chicago, IL:  14%
2. Orlando, FL: 13%
3. Cleveland, OH: 12%
4. Austin, TX: 11%
5. Memphis, TN: 10%

Volunteering

1. Greenville, SC:  11%
2. Sacramento, CA: 8%
3. San Francisco, CA: 8%
4. Houston, TX: 7%
5. Des Moines, IA: 7%

Randomly—I Just Saw Them

1. Little Rock, AK:  9%
2. New Haven, CT: 8%
3. Cleveland, OH: 7%
4. Detroit, MI: 7%
5. Charlotte, NC: 7%

Tips to Be Ready For Love Wherever You Live

Whether it's in person or online, the pressure of finding a partner can be overwhelming. In the meantime, it's important to focus on self-care—both mental and physical—so you'll feel confident and ready to connect when you meet someone you're interested in. Here are a couple tips to get started.

1. Prioritize your mental health. If life feels a little tougher lately (political disagreement, inflation, stress at work, the list goes on), you're not alone. If you're feeling burned out or depressed, practicing self-care can help you manage it. Focus on your physical health and staying active, things like going out for walks or playing sports with friends can be good for your physical health and your mental health. Dating with depression can feel more difficult, but supporting your mental health will help you be the best version of yourself when you do meet a potential partner. 
2. Address any medical conditions that may be affecting your dating life. If you've been dealing with things like low testosterone, erectile dysfunction, or premature ejaculation, the thought of being intimate with someone could be intimidating—but it doesn't have to be. There are things you can do and treatments available to help you manage those conditions. Connect with a healthcare provider to address them so you can start feeling more confident in getting back out there.
3. Put yourself out there. If you're looking for a partner digitally, maybe that means sprucing up your profile and consulting a friend or two to check it out and give you feedback or advice. If you're hoping to meet someone in person, get out there and frequent some of the top spots for meeting a partner in your city. Whether you're dating in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s, making an effort, being open, and remembering to have fun are key.

This story was produced by Hims and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.